Download Mentor Program Information

If you are supporting a cadet while they are enrolled in ChalleNGe, here are some things you need to know:

Each year, almost 10,000 Virginia teens drop out of high school before graduating.

In today’s society, a young adult without a high school education is at serious risk of not succeeding in a high-tech world, where the demand for better-trained individuals increases daily.

A mentor, such as yourself, can truly make a difference in the life of an “at-risk” youth.

As a mentor, you will be responsible for helping your cadet attain his/her post-residential goals of continued education, gainful employment, or both. You are charged with a big responsibility: helping your cadet stay focused, encouraging him/her to make sound decisions; and acting as an advocate on his/her behalf.

Mentors and staff track cadet progress in both the Residential and Post-Residential Phase of the ChalleNGe Program.

While working with your student, you may find yourself ChalleNGed as well. You may often question the advice you give or wonder if your cadet is really listening, and will occasionally (and we hope not too often) ask yourself, “Is it really worth it?”

Please keep in mind that being a mentor is a tremendous step and can be the foundation for a relationship that can lead to a real difference in one’s life. Many “at risk” youth, such as those at Commonwealth ChalleNGe, have at one time or another, found it difficult to trust or count on an adult; many have an innate sense of anxiety and uncertainty.

You will be given materials that will help you and the cadet begin to build a lasting and meaningful relationship.

Thank you for taking that first step that can truly make a difference in the life of a Youth ChalleNGe Cadet.

Contacting Your Cadet While They Are in the Challenge Program

Mailing Address:
Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy
Attn: Cadet’s Last Name, First Name Platoon ___
253 C St., State Military Reservation
Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Email Your Cadet at: cadetemail@vachallenge.org (with Cadet’s name and Platoon in subject line)

Phone: Cadets can call you at certain times during the program.