First a school, now a home: new housing for cadets at Pierce academy
Apr. 10—PIERCE — The future of the Idaho Youth Challenge Academy took a big step forward in creating a permanent residential presence in Pierce.
A groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday took place to build new housing for cadets in the program. A helicopter brought in attendees from the governor's office and the Idaho National Guard. Locals from the Pierce area also attended, including city councilors and Pierce Mayor Greg Gerot.
The color guard presented flags of the U.S., Idaho and the academy, and nearly 130 cadets lined up and led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance. Joshua Jessup, one of the project directors, said it will take about 20 months to build the facility at a cost of $13.5 million.
The building will be approximately 18,000 square feet to fit 180 cadets as well as cadres — those who live with the cadets 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The project has been in the works since 2017.
The academy was established in 2014 to help at-risk youth, ages 15 1/2 to 18 years old, earn an education and job skills to be productive in the workforce and succeed as citizens. The program uses a quasi-military approach with discipline and structure to help keep cadets productive. Since the academy began, the number of graduates has increased and the need for capacity has increased, Jessup said.
The first class in January 2014 had 97 cadets and this year's class is the largest with 151. There is also a waiting list to get into the program, and that shows a need for increased capacity, said academy director Trevor Sparrow.
Sparrow said cadets are housed in 15 modular trailers that have experienced wear and tear over the last 10 years. Now workers are building a three-story housing unit to establish a permanent brick-and-mortar presence.
The Idaho National Guard major general, Michael Garshak, of Boise, said when the academy's first class began it was "somewhat of an experiment" and there was skepticism the project would be successful in its remote location. But with support from the local communities of Pierce and Weippe, then the larger Clearwater County area, the school began to draw recognition from the state legislature and Gov. Brad Little.
"It's no longer an experiment," Garshak said. "It's an institution and the results speak for themselves; 2,075 men and women from the state of Idaho have completed this and have really improved the citizenship and the future for our state. It's time now to move out of a temporary facility and build a permanent barrack because the academy has demonstrated it's here to stay."
Sparrow spoke about the concept of legacy that officials discuss with cadets on their first day of the program.
"Every class prior to this class, and including this class, has been working on building a legacy," Sparrow said. "They've all been part of this project."
Sparrow thanked those who were part of the program from the beginning, helping with the building project, and those who will continue to support the academy in the future.
He also addressed cadets who were present and said that, even though they won't be using the new residence themselves, they are welcome to come back to see it.
"But they (the current class of cadets) will be a part of building it and the fact that they are creating their own legacy and forging their own way here," Sparrow said.
Garshak said, because students come from all over the state, he's met several who have recognized him at restaurants in southern Idaho. In one case, he was in Washington, D.C., and a soldier came up and told him he was a graduate of the Idaho Youth Challenge Academy.
Garshak said the program follows up with cadets after graduation and 85% are either in school, a job or in the military a year after graduation. Sparrow is hoping numbers continue to increase after the program, through an app, begins a two-year mentorship for graduated cadets. While cadets have mentors at the academy, there will be additional mentors in the cadet's community that check in weekly.
"Our goal is to build social capital," Sparrow said.
Helping cadets to finish high school is one of the priorities of the academy, which for classrooms uses an old Pierce school for kindergarten through eighth grade.
As in most high schools, teachers teach on a specific topic, but at the Youth Challenge Academy, teachers also include skills that help cadets after they graduate. For example, in a humanities class, cadets create a post-residential action plan to help them stay on track after graduation.
Another class teaches cadets how to build a resume and has interviews with employers who come into the school, sometimes offering job opportunities when students graduate. There is also a personal finance class that teaches budgeting, managing money and how to get through college debt-free.
The science class taught by Jessica Wickard, who is resigning to become a school counselor elsewhere, got a grant to teach aquaponics, a form of agriculture that grows plants with fish in tanks. Principal Jim Hill said students have a fun time seeing the plants grow and being able to relate to the growth process as they finish their education.
Math taught by Mike Brocke, who is retiring, contains different levels to reach cadets where they are, even though it's in the same class. Cadet Vince Carson, airman first class, who gave attendees a tour of the school, said math and English are two of the students' favorite classes. The English classroom also houses the library.
"It's got everyone off their phones and into books," Carson said.
The Challenge Academy is also expanding outside the Pierce area with a workforce training center for graduated cadets. One is being proposed for the former Lewiston High School, which will need to be remodeled to accommodate living areas for graduated cadets to receive vocational certification in the 10-20-week program.
Sparrow said the Lewiston City Council sent a letter of support for the program to the governor's office. Another site of the school is being proposed in Wilder, Idaho, and the facility will be built in the location that's the best fit once funding is secured, Sparrow said. Federal dollars will fund the project, but it has to be approved by the Idaho Legislature.
Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.
