Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy

Cadets follow a highly structured quasi-military schedule beginning with morning physical training, followed by academic classes focused on GED preparation or high school credit recovery. The day includes instruction in the eight core components: academic excellence, citizenship, life-coping skills, service to community, health and hygiene, job skills, leadership/followership, and physical fitness. Cadets participate in close-quarters drill, marching formations, and military customs training. Cell phones and personal electronics are prohibited during the residential phase.

HYCA employs a quasi-military discipline model emphasizing structure, consistency, and accountability. The two-week Acclimation Phase orients candidates by requiring them to relinquish personal items, receive standard haircuts, and exchange street clothes for uniforms—placing all cadets on equal footing. Cadets learn to replace negative behaviors with positive habits through a structured environment. Violations result in progressive discipline, and cadets may be dismissed for excessive disciplinary problems or failed random drug tests. Scheduled home visits occur during breaks such as Memorial Day and Thanksgiving.

Physical fitness is one of the eight core components and is mandatory for all cadets. Daily physical training follows the Presidential Youth Fitness Program standards, measuring aerobic capacity, body composition, flexibility, muscle strength, and muscular endurance. Phase I of the program concentrates heavily on physical conditioning and attitude adjustment. All cadets must be medically cleared before participating in the fitness regimen.

The 53-acre historic campus in Knightstown includes 50 architecturally significant buildings dating from 1887 to 1980, originally constructed for the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home. The property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011, features administrative buildings, academic classrooms, residential cottages, a chapel, recreational areas, and outdoor training grounds. The campus maintains the historic character of the original children's home while serving the academy's military-style training mission.