Counseling Services:

The mission of Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy is to intervene in the lives of 16-18 year old teenagers by providing the values, skills, education, and self-discipline needed to produce responsible, productive citizens, and to do so in a highly structured learning environment.

A major factor in molding responsible, productive citizens is to address the emotional needs of our cadets. Commonwealth ChalleNGe offers individual and group counseling services to cadets based on a curriculum of life coping skills as well as the individual needs of each cadet.

Upon enrollment in Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy, cadets are matched with a highly skilled counselor or social worker. Together, counselors and cadets address a variety of themes over the course of the 22-week residential phase, including:

• Adjusting to ChalleNGe
• Goal Setting
• Acknowledging and Building Personal Strengths
• Emotional Awareness and Management
• Positive Communication
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Preparing for Life Outside of ChalleNGe

Art Therapy at ChalleNGe:

In conjunction with cadet counseling services, Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy offers cadets an opportunity to participate in individual and group Art Therapy sessions aimed at promoting self-awareness and positive coping skills within a structured, creative environment.

Cadets participating in Art Therapy at ChalleNGe will work with a variety of art materials and techniques, including:

• Clay Work
• Painting
• Drawing
• Print Making
• Pastels
• Plaster
• Murals

 Through creative expression, cadets build upon the eight core components of Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy while addressing personal needs.