Maj.Gen. Garshak speaks to the formation of cadets

Maj.Gen. Garshak speaks to the formation of cadets along with staff and academy personnel at the end of the visit. Idaho Governor Brad Little and Maj. Gen. Michael Garshak, Commander of the Idaho National Guard, visited the staff and cadets of Idaho's Youth Challenge Academy Wednesday, September 30. Governor Little and Maj.Gen.Garshak met with staff and were given a tour of the facilities by cadets who showed them cadet living quarters and classroom activities. Later in the day the cadets conducted a drill competition. Maj.Gen. Garshak presented challenge coins to some cadets while Governor Little presented ceremonial coins to selected staff members for their work.
The Idaho Youth Challenge Academy is administered by the Department of Defense. It’s a cooperative state level program between the Idaho Military Division and the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. It is among 40 other programs nationwide. The primary focus of the academy is reclaiming the lives of 16 to 18-year-olds who are at risk or have dropped out of high school, and getting them on a path to succeed as adults. It prepares cadets for graduation, as a fully state-accredited alternative high school, and provides an opportunity to earn up to 14 high school credits towards their diploma.
Idaho opened the doors to the academy’s first class in January of 2014 in the town of Pierce, Idaho, approximately 300 miles north of Boise, under the command of Maj. Gen. Gary Sayler, former Adjutant General.