About Youth Academy
The mission of the Washington Youth Academy is to provide a highly disciplined, safe, and professional learning environment that empowers at-risk youth to improve their educational level and employment potential and become responsible and productive Washingtonians.
The Washington Youth Academy is a division of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. Established under authority of both federal and state law, the WYA is a state-run residential and post-residential intervention for youth who have dropped out of high school or are at risk of dropping out.
The Washington Youth Academy is a quasi-military training and mentoring program for at-risk youth. The goal of the program is to give youth a second chance to become responsible and productive citizens by helping them improve their life skills, education levels and employment potential.
The program incorporates a highly structured format, with an emphasis on student discipline and personal responsibility to provide a positive, safe, and secure learning environment.
Putting Lives Back on Track
Program graduates can recover up to 8.0 credits (approximately 1.3 years of high school credits). The goal is to return graduates to their home high school to graduate on time with their peers.
The WYA includes a 22-week intensive residential phase and a 52-week (one year) post-residential phase where the youth receives intense mentoring and placement follow-up. A class cycle is 154 days, including up to 7 days for home pass and placement activities for the post-residential phase. Placement activities include job search, educational appointments, vocational/technical training, a return to high school classes or full-time volunteerism.
Program activities include academics, service to community, leadership, mentoring, and personal development. A number of small unit training and educational enhancement activities supplement the program including an additional 7th period in the academic program to assist individuals in need of extra assistance and limited special education services.
