Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy is a quasi-military style program for at-risk teens 16-18 years of age and is sponsored by the North Carolina National Guard as part of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program with 40 locations across the United States and Puerto Rico.
The purpose of the program is to provide qualified North Carolina dropouts, potential dropouts, and expellees an opportunity to learn in a safe, structured environment so the cadet can become a successful individual not only immediately but in the future.
The Youth Challenge program is federally and state funded and there are no associated tuition fees for attending the ChalleNGe program.