Stovall's sister had attended the New Jersey Youth Challenge in , and the program sounded like something he could benefit from, too.
The teenager enrolled in the program, established by the National Guard in , to help young men and women between the ages of 16 and 18 who have dropped out or been expelled from school. At a school at Fort Dix they are given a second chance to earn a General Educational Development GED diploma, career counseling, mentoring, structured activity, and a safe refuge from the streets.
Students from as far north as Newark to the southern tip of the state have passed through the barracks' doors. The school is set up adjacent to the military barracks, although the "cadets" are instructed not to mix with military personnel. Once there, students participating in the free program are brought in for a " percent boot camp procedure," according to deputy director Samuel L.
Hayes Jr. Cadets, who apply through an application on the internet and go through a thorough interviewing procedure, are brought in for haircuts, issued "challenge" uniforms, and ushered into a tough, two week pre-challenge routine that some describe as the toughest time there.
He must have done something right. The current class, a platoon of girls and boys, started with cadets and by the beginning of January had lost 60 of them through the normal process of attrition. Not only did Stovall survive the grueling regimen, he was selected to be a platoon commander, in charge of 35 cadets. He acts like a cadre a military term for drill sergeant , making sure everything is clean and in order.
Stovall, who enjoys math and social studies "I like history" , says he learned self-discipline through the program, which has a non-negotiable wakeup time of 5 a. From 5 a. A quick tour of the barracks reveals a well-organized home and learning center for the cadets, who participate in the week program if they survive pre-challenge.
A nurse is available on site, and there are cameras positioned to keep an eye on things with the exception of their bedrooms and the lavatory. A hallway of classes offers a glimpse into the cadet's daily life: a computer room available for research, well-organized classrooms, and a recreation area complete with a library of diverse donated books, a full-screen television, videos and a table soccer game.
On weekends, a cadet can get a television in their room if they wish to watch a video, but during the week it's all work, no TV and lights out at 9 p. The cadets all have impeccable manners, request permission to continue past higher officers, and participate in healthy extracurricular activities such as basketball and drill teams. They have strict bunk inspections, but a glance around the well-kept rooms shows that the cadets are taking their lessons to heart.
Not one bed is slovenly -- a quarter can literally bounce on it. There is even a class trip scheduled for Washington, D. Here, they learn how to become a kid again," said Hayes. Hayes added that kids who complete the program go through spiritual and physical changes. He noted that one cadet lost 50 pounds because of the program's rigorous exercise routine.
We also 'go heavy' on developing life skills — leadership, follower-ship, health and hygiene, citizenship, physical training of course, and we run this routine 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for 22 weeks. The cadets learn the importance of community service by shovelling snow for families of deployed soldiers at Fort Dix. They also have assisted with several Salute The Troop ceremonies.
The facilities at Fort Dix are perfect for the ChalleNGe Program, and Prossick and the other instructors make sure that they take full advantage of them. After completion of Phase One, the 22 week resident phase, adult mentors are assigned to each cadet after they leave Fort Dix. The ChalleNGe Youth Program is now the second largest mentoring program in the nation, and may be just the ticket for those teenagers who have left school and who feel they have lost direction in their lives.
If you know someone who may benefit from the structure and discipline of the New Jersey ChalleNGe Youth Program, you can contact them at , or at www. Guardlife - Volume 31, No.
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