Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy cadets Antonio Vance and Eric Beltre have more in common than being Lebanon County residents and students at Cedar Crest High School.
Both are participating in the Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy, a quasi-military program that’s conducted for 22 weeks at Fort Indiantown Gap in northern Lebanon County.
It is designed to provide Pennsylvania teens who are struggling in high school “a path to achieve the self-discipline, education and skills necessary to succeed as productive, responsible citizens through an engaging, safe, and structured residential experience.”
Both cadets said they decided to attend the 22-week academy for various reasons, both possessing a shared drive and strong desire to better their lives.
“I would say just getting my life straight. I was a straight-A student back in middle school and stuff like that. And I was doing very good,” said Vance, 16, of North Lebanon Township. “But then when I came to high school, I started slacking off. And I just wanted that discipline. And then also, I’ve been thinking about joining the military. This program is a quasi-military environment. So why not see how some things are and see how I can do in here, and if I can do good in here, then I might be able to be successful outside.”
Beltre said he contemplated coming to the academy on two previous occasions but passed, believing he would fail the highly regimented and disciplined program. Even at the start of his entry in July, those self doubts were still radiating in his mind.
“When I first came here, I thought I wasn’t gonna make it but we’re on week 15,” Beltre said. “We have seven more weeks to go and I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here. I’ve learned a lot of discipline. I’m getting my high school diploma in January, a month after we graduate from Keystone. So I’m actually very proud of myself for doing what I’m doing now.”
The academy is a tuition-free, voluntary residential program at FTIG based on a military academy model, according to a fact sheet provided to LebTown. While there, male and female teens ages 16 to 18 are exposed to eight core components once they move past the two-week acclimation phase to become “cadets” for the 20-week academic phase.
Once the cadets graduate from the program, there is a 12-month post-residential phase to “sustain and build on the gains made during the residential phase and apply skills learned when back in their home environment. This is done with the assistance of an assigned mentor who will aid in the transition from a structured environment to self-management.”
Another commonality the two teens shared when they entered the program was the inability to deal with their anger.
Life coping is one of the core components that help cadets learn how to deal with their emotions. Other program components include academic excellence, community service, physical training, health and hygiene, job skills, leadership/followership, and citizenship.
“I had that fear because before I came in here I had a lot going on, including anger, attitude, just seeing things differently,” said Beltre. “When I came in here and did what I had to do, I learned a lot, a lot of discipline. I’m more mature. I see things way better now, and I feel like when I go into the real world, I know I’m going to be ready for any obstacles that come near (me).”
“I had a lot of anger and I didn’t really know how to control that because even when I was just home I used to just spaz out and I just didn’t want to come here and do that and then lose an opportunity of being able to get set up for life,” said Vance.
Learning how to socialize with his peers was another life skill learned by Vance.
“Having to get along with people that I don’t really like necessarily at the time, people I didn’t want to get along with because they’re random people that I’m not gonna know outside of here,” said Vance. “But then as time went on it was just like, ‘Oh, it’s not bad being here. Everybody here is cool and they’re all trying to go for the same goal. They’re trying to get set for life.’”
Keystone State Challenge Academy director Steve Grossman discussed reasons parents decide to enroll their children in the program and why the teens are willing participants.
“We have kids that are cognitively sharp but their environment is preventing them from being successful. We have other kids that maybe have moved to an area and they’re not like the kids in the high school that they’re going to and they’re not gelling with that,” he said. “We have kids that are still suffering from all the school closings and the COVID times. We still have a few of those and they got behind and now they need something to get ahead.”
Academy admissions director Kristopher Reed highlighted community service since it emphasizes giving back while learning why it’s important to be a good citizen.
He said each cadet must complete 40 hours of community service, adding projects have included cleanup at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, trout stocking at local streams and assisting at Lebanon County Christian Ministry’s food bank.
“It’s important for them to learn that life isn’t all about them, that the world is bigger than them,” said Reed. “While they are focused on their own growth at the academy, there’s also a lot going on in the world around them. There is an education piece about working and learning outside the classroom.”
Grossman told LebTown that while the national program materials say that the initiative is for “at-risk” youths, Pennsylvania’s version, now serving its fifth class of cadets, is voluntary and has a primary focus of helping struggling students improve academically.
Classroom teachers at the academy are from a local intermediate unit, according to Grossman. As part of their outreach, resume writing, job interviewing skills and working to help youths be successful in life after high school are key parts of the program.
“Rather than at-risk youth, I’d say they’re nontraditional learners who are in danger of not graduating high school on time,” said Grossman. “They’re nontraditional learners, they’re generally less successful in a typical academic environment but even a typical academic environment is so raw.”
Beltre said learning how to develop job skills, especially this close to graduation, is what he most appreciates about the academy.
“I definitely learned a lot of skills for jobs when I get out of here,” he said. “We had interviews last week, mock interviews, so we learned how to talk right, how to just do things right in an interview instead of just showing up lazy and not knowing what you’re doing and just saying just random things.”
Beltre and Vance said they are focused on their futures and both have post-graduation plans.
“I’ve always thought about doing construction, like big time. My uncle has a construction business so I want to learn from him and do the same thing,” said Beltre.
While Vance still has two years in high school, he plans to join the military after graduation. Getting a taste of military life motivated Vance to attend the academy. While he’s unsure which branch he’ll eventually enter, he wants to have a Military Occupational Specialty career.
Grossman said the program is not exactly a walk in the park since living a regimented lifestyle is a part of the challenge at the academy.
The teens must give up their cellphones, and electronics are limited to the classroom.
Mornings begin at 0600 hours (6 a.m.), and cadets have 30 seconds to have their toes on the line. Following breakfast, there is outdoor formation at 0800 hours (8 a.m.), where the cadet creed is cited and daily announcements are presented.
Some days, cadets march around the streets outside their barracks chanting cadences prior to daily formation, just like they did on the morning LebTown was there to witness a portion of their morning routine. At night, lights are out at 2100 hours (9 p.m.).
The military-style atmosphere includes daily bed making, showing respect to their elders and their peers and following orders. “Yes, sir” and “no, sir” are part of their vernacular.
Concerning the “uniform” they wear as cadets, the students all dress alike.
Navy blue shirts, brown khaki pants and boots are standard wear, with the boys sporting short haircuts and the girls wearing their hair up. When outside, they wear backpacks that include their school supplies, and a water canteen is on the right hip.
Program candidates must never have been convicted of a felony offense, free from the use of alcohol, illicit drugs and tobacco products, and physically and mentally capable of participating fully with reasonable accommodations.
The cadets are housed in military barracks onsite and the two sexes don’t intermingle since they are required to remain six feet apart at all times.
The discipline, regimentation and rules serve to help the students become even focused on their studies by limiting potential distractions.
“Academic excellence – it’s the biggest reason that kids will come usually, but it’s hard,” said Grossman. “Academic excellence is normally the thing that gets them and gets their parents involved in the program and gets them excited about it. But the other important components are really what allows them to put those core components, academic outcomes, to work.”
Vance said academic excellence is the biggest benefit he’s received as a program participant because “the teachers are really helpful when it comes to providing academic support.”
“They’re always there to help you – even after work hours,” said Vance. “They could be going home and to their families and stuff, but they’ll still be there helping you with certain problems you need help with or certain subjects.”
Of the 74 youths to enter the program’s doors this summer, 45 have made it through the first 15 weeks, according to Grossman. There’s a plethora of reasons some drop out, including parents having their child withdrawn from the program, non-compliance by the cadets, which causes others to be distracted, or health problems preventing the cadet from participating in physical activities.
Both cadets said the hardest part of the program was getting through the acclimation phase during the first two weeks.
“Everybody says the hardest part is like just getting through the program but really it’s just those two weeks of getting used to waking up every morning, staying in uniform, making your rack and just getting that self-discipline to be able to do that because once you get out of acclimation the time flies by so much faster than you think,” said Vance. “I would say don’t quit in the beginning, at least stay for like a few more weeks in the beginning because it’s really a mental game.You can’t just give up, you have to really push and show your grit.”
“Just like he was saying, the first two weeks are the hardest weeks of this program but once you get the rhythm and know what you’re doing, it’s gonna fly by,” said Beltre. “We already only have seven weeks left to this program and we’re done just like that. I already learned way too much but I want to keep learning. I want to keep learning until I graduate.”
Editor’s note: For more information, contact Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy Admissions at 717-861-7767 or visit the program website.
Volunteer Advisors: The academy seeks trustworthy, caring and committed adult volunteers to advise youth ages 16-18. For more information on how you can make a difference in a young person’s life, please contact: Kyle Mann, KSCA Post-Residential Manager at 717-861-7518.
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