AV Beat - Grizzly

It doesn’t take much for a teenager to lose their focus. One bad semester in high school can lead to a second poor semester, and suddenly, they’re in danger of not graduating at all. Very often, more serious problems are brewing just around the corner.

Fortunately, there are options for young men and women who have lost their way, but who still hold the promise for prosperous, happy, and productive lives. One such option is the Grizzly Academy.

The Academy, located near San Luis Obispo, helps 16, 17, and 18 year olds get back on track. Their program, funded by Federal and State funds, is free to enrollees. It is operated by the National Guard.

Most of the cadets, as the enrollees are called, are high school drop outs or kids that are at risk of dropping out because they are seriously behind in credits. Each student is drug tested, and any who fail are sent home.

The atmosphere at the Academy is very much like a boot camp, especially in the opening weeks. As cadets prove their mettle, more and more enjoyable activities are added. Overall, the experience is very challenging both physically and mentally. But the program is very successful.

The entire program lasts approximately 6 months. One session begins in January with graduation in June, and another begins in July with graduation in December.

One local youth, Joel Runner, was in the June 2007 graduation group. “I think I really matured,” said Joel. “It’s very demanding. We had physical training every day, usually including a 3 to 4 mile run.”

The recent graduating class had over 200 cadets divided into 4 groups. “We started out with 67 in our group, and we finished with 46,” said Joel. “Most of the guys who quit got out in the first couple of weeks. They figured out early on it wasn’t for them.”

A few were sent home for disciplinary reasons. The Academy has strict rules on behavior, including automatic expulsion for fighting.

Now, after spending 6 months at the academy, Joel is back on track, and will reenroll at Lancaster High this fall.