Six Hall County teens set to graduate from Georgia's Youth Challenge Academy

MACON - Six Hall County teens are among 197 youth set to graduate for the Fort
Stewart Youth Challenge program on Saturday, June 20, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. at
the Macon City Auditorium located at 415 First Street in Macon.

Hall County graduates include Kyle Taylor of Clermont; Holli Cannon of
Flowery Branch; Jose Alan Cana, Jose Garcia Chavez, German Lopez and Manuel
Salas of Gainesville.

Georgia's Youth Challenge is a 22- week residential youth program for teens
aged 16-18 who have dropped out of school. The military-styled program
provides teens with the opportunity to complete basic academic courses
leading to a high school diploma or GED. The voluntary program also provides
teens valuable life skills training emphasizing academic, physical fitness
and personal discipline.

State Senator Jack Hill of Reidsville will be the YCA commencement speaker.

The Georgia National Guard operates two Youth Challenge Academy campuses in
the state, the original campus at Fort Stewart near Savannah, and a second
campus at Fort Gordon near Augusta that opened in 2000. To date more than
8,500 formerly "at risk" teens have graduated from the Youth Challenge
Academy program at the two Georgia campuses.