The Florida Youth Challenge Academy looks to empower youth through leadership to become successful, productive citizens by leading, training, and mentoring them through a highly disciplined and motivational environment, free from outside distractions.  The program is centered around 16–18-year-old males and females who attend the quasi-military, residential portion for five and a half months at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center in Starke, Florida. The backbone of this phase rests on a Cadets' completion of the eight core components of Academic Excellence (through GED or High School credit recovery), Health and Hygiene, Physical Fitness, Service to Community, Life Skills, Job Skills, Responsible Citizenship, and Leadership / Followership. A Cadet that can master these elements will graduate and enter a 12-month post-residential phase where their placement (return to high school, attendance at college, join the military, or acquire a job) is tracked and aided by a mentor. Program completion is achieved when a male or female cadet completes the residential and post-residential phases and is successfully placed.

 To date, the program has had over 6,000 graduates. Graduates have earned over 3,600 GEDs, given a total of over 452,000 community service hours, and contributed to almost $10 million dollars’ worth of community service. Cadets have an educational gain of approximately 1 ½ grade levels in Mathematics and Reading Comprehension. Florida Youth Challenge Academy graduates have entered the workforce in various professions, joined the military, received scholarships, and have returned to high school or enrolled in college.

AMIkids Clay County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth to develop into responsible and productive citizens. AMIkids’ mission is to positively impact male youth between the ages of 11 and 17 years old through the efforts of a diverse and innovative staff. We provide gender-specific life management skills training, educational services, and youth development activities designed to prevent entry or further involvement in the juvenile justice system. Our youth build self-awareness, learn about potential careers, and develop a plan for reaching future goals. This Alternative Education program is designed to help students who require additional support typically not available in traditional schools. Students in attendance benefit from academic remediation, positive behavioral skills development, and individualized attention to success. The education component relies on three primary methods to enhance learning: experiential education, project-based learning, and service learning. Students attend classes in an academic setting, and teachers use the Clay County school curriculum and address the students’ individualized needs and diverse learning styles. We have incorporated an extensive program for Career and Technical Education.