|
Hoosier Youth
ChalleNGe
Academy
volunteers for Mini Marathon
Story by Staff Sgt. Patrick Cloward
Posted: May 21, 2008
Making their way through the
crowd, cadet members of the Hoosier
Youth
ChalleNGe
Academy
carry a man on a litter to the medical tent as part of their
volunteer service. “They’re a bunch of good kids,” said Sgt. 1st
Class Edward Morris, retired former member of the 24th Marine
Expeditionary Unit in Camp Lejune,
N.C.,
and shift supervisor for the program.
 |
|
Cadets
Monroe (back to camera), Reeves (left), Hicks (middle),
Rodriquez (right), and Rehm (on gurney) from the Hoosier
Youth Challenge Academy, practice litter carrying to assist
injured runners for the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon held in
Indianapolis on Saturday, May 3, 2008. The academy
intervenes in the lives of at-risk youth by training,
mentoring and developing them into responsible and
productive citizens in a controlled quasi-military
residential setting followed by a post residential phase.
The 22-week course teaches discipline, self-confidence and
most of the requirements needed to complete their general
equivalency diploma. The entire 58 member class assisted
runners and maintained water points all along the 13-mile
course. Photo by Staff Sgt. Tina Griffin, 120th PAD, Indiana
Army National Guard
|
Volunteering for the 500
Mini-Marathon held Saturday in Indianapolis
only tops the improvements the cadets have gained since joining the
program 16 weeks ago.
The Academy intervenes in the lives of at-risk
youth by training, mentoring and developing youth into responsible
and productive citizens in a controlled, quasi-military residential
setting, followed by a post residential phase. The 22-week course
teaches discipline, self-confidence and most of the requirements
needed to complete their general equivalency diploma.
“This is really a second
chance program,” said Morris. “Here we take kids ages 16 to 19 that
dropped out of school for one reason or another and give them the
confidence and self-respect they need to be successful.”
Besides tutoring the
cadets to learn what they need to gain their GED, the teachers and
team leaders of the cadre serve as life-skills advisors in
everything from personal hygiene to conflict resolution.
“We teach them to be
adults,” said Sgt Heath Simon, a former Army communications
specialist from
Trafalgar,
Ind.
“Our role is to be mentors. I use my personal life and my home life
and family as examples and role models for these kids. So, we have
to have a lot of patience. I might tell someone three times what I
want them to do, but they might not understand. I help them try to
figure that out and learn to pay attention to detail.”
The improvements for those
who continued in the program have been dramatic.
“They lacked discipline
and respect,” said Morris. “There was a huge change in attitude from
the beginning, zero respect with anyone. Now its, ‘Yes sir, No sir’
and they stand up straight and show confidence. During their family
visits, their parents couldn’t believe it. You could see tears in
their eyes.”
“It was challenging in the
beginning, but it gets easier as it goes along,” said Cadet
Alixandria Alix-Jones from South Bend, Ind. “Doing push ups was the
hardest and having to wake up at 5 a.m. in the morning, but my
attitude has improved. I feel more physically fit.”
“You could say that we’re
not just helping troubled youth,” said Sgt. Tim Holliday, former
corrections officer from
Columbus,
Ind.,
and academy team leader. “I’m helping a lot of kids that didn’t have
a role model. A lot of these kids have moved on and been
successful.”
“I feel like I can better
myself,” said Alix-Jones. “I can make smarter choices. I’m going to
stay in school, and go to college. I’m going to be proud to make it
through to graduation. Then I’m going to get me a job and start
working my way up so that I can come back to talk to every new
cadet.
Caption, homepage thumbnail:
Hoosier Youth
ChalleNGe
Academy
member Alix-Jones waits with other cadets to assist runners after
finishing the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Saturday May 3, 2008, in
Indianapolis. Photo by SPC Darron Salzer,
120th PAD, Indiana National Guard
|
