Program helps struggling kids

An academy operated under the Wyoming Military Department is giving teens struggling in high school another chance to succeed.

A representative of the Wyoming Cowboy Challenge Academy, a military-style academy in Camp Guernsey, discussed the value of the program with members of the Sweetwater County School District No. 2 Board of Trustees Tuesday night. The accredited academy has operated in Wyoming since 2006, graduating more than 1,000 cadets.

According to April Corwin, a recruiter for the academy, enrollment is open to teens 16-18 years old who are either in high school or have dropped out. The academy hosts two, 22-week programs a year. Cadets are given an option to make up high school credits or obtain a high school equivalency certificate. Along with core high school classes, the cadets learn job skills, life-coping skills, leadership, followership and health and hygiene. They’re also instructed in aspects of the Cowboy Code of Ethics, civics and the importance of volunteering.

Corwin said after completing the program, cadets are mentored for a year and qualify for fully-paid job training or scholarships.