Academy program for high school dropouts, GED and credit recovery ages 15.5-18. Classes start in January and July and run for seventeen months. The first five months are spent in residency at the campus in Rantoul, IL. In a structured quasi-military environment, youth receive GED instruction or credit recovery, self-discipline, life coping skills, computer skills, and career counseling, and they perform community service projects. Post-graduation, cadets return to the community to continue education in a post secondary institution or vocational school, or obtain employment, with the guidance of a mentor from their community. Youth may be eligible to receive a monetary allowance to assist in education or employment costs.