The Michigan Youth Challenge Academy is a 17.5 month program for the "at risk" youth of Michigan. Twenty two weeks of the program is residential and designed to shape the "at risk" youth of Michigan and assist them in making a future for themselves. The cadets are trained and evaluated on eight core components. These are life coping skills, educational excellence, vocational skills, citizenship, leadership, health, physical fitness and community service. The Cadets are between the ages 16-18. While at Challenge the cadets will receive over 400 hours of classroom instruction to assist them in completing their GED. Successful graduates of the residential phase receive 13-15 college credits.

Upon completion of the residential program each cadet will return to their community and meet with their mentor on a weekly basis for the next twelve months. The cadet and the mentor continue to work on the objectives each cadet has set in his/her life plan. The mentor is a role model to help transition the cadet back into their community and to keep them working on attaining the cadet's career and personal goals. The Michigan Youth Challenge Academy has created over 300 mentor relationships assisting the "at risk" youth of Michigan become productive members of society since its inception on August 23rd 1999.

Youth Challenge is a National Guard Program that focuses on youth at greatest risk with the highest potential for re-direction toward education and employment. There are 27 programs currently established in 24 states and one territory. Challenge is a preventative rather than a remedial youth "at risk" program. It is paid for by the Department of Defense and the State of Michigan and is administered by the Michigan Army National Guard. There are no costs to parents or cadets for participation.