Hundreds of

young people in Georgia are seizing a unique opportunity

for educational growth, and it is literally turning their

lives around.

A group of

local business and government leaders got a firsthand

look Friday at this opportunity - the Youth

Challenge Academy, sponsored by the National Guard and

funded with a combination of state and federal dollars.

Boarding a

C-130 transport at Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta in

the early morning hours, the visitors spent the day at

Fort Stewart, just outside Savannah, where the program is

based. Most, if not all, came away impressed.

In the past

six years, Youth Challenge has reached out to about 2,000

of the nearly 48,000 young men and women who have dropped

out of high school. Each five-month session combines high

school with military-style activities (although this is

not a "boot camp" - each student is here

voluntarily, without any assistance or directive from the

correctional system).

The school

is not for the faint of heart, but is open to young

people 16-18 who have dropped out of school, are

unemployed, drug-free and not involved in the legal

system.

The reasons

for deciding to attend the academy are as varied as the

backgrounds of the 200 or so students in each session.

But the obvious pride and self-esteem shown by each

student, many for the first time in their lives, is

evident from the start.

The current

crop of students has just completed eight weeks,

including the first four weeks which are dubbed

"hard-core." Discipline and physical testing

are emphasized during the early days of the academy.

In addition

to traditional academic work, students study life and

work skills, responsible citizenship, leadership,

followership, health, hygiene, fitness and community

involvement. It makes for a full day.

Of the

2,000 graduates so far, an astonishing 94 percent have

stayed out of trouble. Students from 65 counties in

Georgia, including Fayette and Coweta, have attended and

succeeded.

Nearly

every student moves upward and onward immediately after

graduation - to college, a job, a technical school

or the military.

Leading the

group that visited the program last week was state Sen.

Rick Price, one of the biggest boosters of Youth

Challenge and someone who is constantly selling the

program to his peers under the Gold Dome.

"It's

a great program," he said. "I believe all the

legislators who have seen the program are very

supportive."

Right now

most of the overall budget ($4 million in Georgia) for

Youth Challenge is funded by the federal Department of

Defense, which started the program in seven states and

now operates in 28.

The U.S.

government is gradually weaning states off federal

funding, with a 65-35 split this year and settling next

year at 60-40. This allows the feds to move into other

states with the program.

But because

of this, Price and others who tout Youth Challenge will

have to find more state dollars to supplement what is

lost. Price believes that he needs only to get people to

see what's happening at Fort Stewart and the rest is

easy.

"It's

not a hard sell," he said. "It's easy due to

the 94-percent success rate."

A nonprofit

corporation also exists to help the program, and private

sponsorship is always being sought.

One

participant in last Friday's trip brought with her 60

pair of running shoes that were donated for the students'

use. The school already uses a school bus donated by

Henry County.

representative from the Fayette County Board of Education

made the trip last week, as did State Court Judge

Fletcher Sams and Solicitor-General Steve Harris, two men

who unfortunately see a number of young people pass

through their court each year.

"It

was an inspiring trip," said Harris. "It

apparently is one government program that actually

works."

He brought

back an application, made copies and ordered literature

to keep in the front of his office so parents can readily

see it.

The thing

that struck Harris the hardest, he said, was the sadly

high percentage of broken homes that figured into the

overall number of students in the program. Many of those

young people simply give up when their parents split up,

he said.

"From

an educational standpoint, a lot of these kids have given

up on the system," said Harris. "Or the

system's given up on them."

He met one

student on this trip who has been through his court, and

he was extremely pleased with the progress that student

and the others are making.

According

to Price, three students in the current class are from

Fayette County, two are from the Newnan area, and one is

from the Griffin area.

Chris Cody

and Joshua Fountain were friends before they decided

separately to go to YCA and they are now in barracks next

to each other. They feel like brothers now and provide

much-needed support for one another.

Asked what

he has learned from this experience, Fountain said,

"When you start something, finish. Quitting gets you

nowhere. Always work as a team, but you have to get along

with yourself first. One person can't make a team work.

"We

are like 200 Legos. If one is pulled out, it won't work,

but you should always do your best to make it work.

Always do what you're supposed to do like someone is

watching."

Cody added

that he has discovered during his time at Youth Challenge

what he has taken for granted in the past -

specifically, his family.

"I've

grown up a lot and realize I have to help myself first

before I can help others," he said. "I'm

learning to get along with others and do for myself. It's

just great. I've never felt this good before.

"I've

learned to open up to God. That's the most important

thing I've learned," he added. "I go to church

every time I can. It's helped. I'm a better Christian

person."