California has a large number of students who have either dropped out or are at risk of dropping out of high school. For a variety of reasons, they have not succeeded in the traditional school setting. For students wanting a second chance to change their lives and become successful, Grizzly Youth Academy is a highly recommended option. We offer a highly structured environment in which students attend and participate in school every day, receive support, additional help, gain organizational skills, and strengthen their study skills.
Grizzly Youth Academy is a five month residential program run in partnership between The California National Guard and Grizzly Challenge Charter School. Students choose to attend the program. They cannot be court-ordered or forced by their parent to enroll. Because of the voluntary nature of the program, we can better devote our time on teaching the skills necessary to succeed socially and academically. All of our instruction is designed to meet requirements for a high school diploma and the GED test.
In addition to academics, the Grizzly Youth Academy has taken on a deeper holistic approach focusing on the whole person. It is the philosophy of the academy to produce well-rounded, competent and trained graduates who successfully transition immediately into the workforce, higher education, vocational schools, or enlist in the military. Therefore, we infuse our instruction with numerous goal setting and life planning activities to increase the likelihood of each student’s success.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AT THE ACADEMY
A CHARTER SCHOOL
The Grizzly ChalleNGe Charter School is a WASC accredited school administered by the San Luis County Office of Education (SLOCOE). All credits earned are transferable into any California public secondary school. All teachers possess valid California teaching credentials.
HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT/DIPLOMA
All students at the academy earn high school credits while attending the charter school. These credits are transferable to any high school. Students receive report cards for each semester and an official transcript upon graduation from the academy. Students may earn up to 55 credits if they pass all of their courses. The average credits earned by a student at the academy is 55 credits.
Students who arrive at the academy within 55 credits of completing a high school diploma are eligible to complete those credits and obtain a high school diploma issued by The Grizzly ChalleNGe Charter School. Those students will receive their diploma at graduation ceremonies at the end of the residential phase of the academy.
TYPICAL COURSE OFFERINGS
Semester 1: (5 credits each)
English Composition
US History, Government
Algebra, Geometry, CAHSEE prep.
Health/Life Science
Literature
Semester 2: (5 credits each)
Algebra, Pre Algebra, Geometry
Consumer Economics
Driver's Education
Fine Arts
Economics
FIELD TRIPS
Students go on many field trips while they are enrolled. These field trips may include Hearst Castle, Santa Barbara Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Barbara Zoo, Cuesta College, the Steinbeck Museum in Salinas, Monteray Bay Aquarium, and Lake Cachuma, and an on-stage theater production with PCPA in Santa Maria.
ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTS
State mandated exams: All students in grades 2-11 are required to particpate in California's STAR test. The STAR test is administered each spring. In addition, all students who have not passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) will have the opportunity to take it while they attend the program.
Program mandated assessments:
The TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) is administered to all incoming cadets during the first two weeks of the program. All students will also take the practice GED test, to determine their eligibility to take the actual GED or CHSPE tests. The results of these tests provide valuable information to education staff when preparing curriculum and instructions to meet the needs of all students.
Students are post tested with the TABE prior to graduation from the residential phase of the academy. The average academic growth for a student at the academy is 1.0 – 2.0 grade levels as measured by the TABE test.
COMPUTER SKILLS
All students are expected to produce writing assignments on the computer. Computer labs are frequently utilized by all teachers so students can expect consistent use and improvement in their computer skills, to include word processing and multi media presentations.
STUDENT COUNCIL
The students elect a student council. There are two representatives from each of the education groups, a class president and vice president. The student council plans various events including the end-of-year dining in. They meet with the Director of the Academy on a weekly basis to provide dialogue between the students and academy administration.
JOB SHADOWING
The academy provides job shadowing experiences for over 50 students each cycle. Members and business organizations within the surrounding community have supported Grizzly by providing job shadowing experiences for our students. Selected students go to work 4 days a week for 4 weeks and learn first hand what it is like to have a job. Students receive academic credit for this course. We have placed students in jobs at a golf course, medical offices, college administrative offices, pet stores, animal shelters, auto body repair, landscaping company, restaurants, computer repair, retail sales, and construction. We are very grateful to the community for their support.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Students who have an IEP are appropriately addressed throughout the program.
GED AND CHSPE TESTING
In order to take the GED test while at Grizzly Youth Academy, students must be at least 17 years old, have a California photo ID or driver's license and show through our assessments that they have a reasonable chance of passing. We use our TABE test, the official Practice GED tests, and classroom work to identify likely candidates.
The CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Exam) is offered only to 16 year olds who can prove through multiple assessments that they have a reasonable chance of passing. |
Grizzly Youth Academy Official Web Site