VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. –
Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy staff, cadets and their families enjoyed Class 64’s Family Day May 9, 2026, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In addition to spending time with their cadets, family members observed a drill and ceremony demonstration and received the opportunity to meet with CCYA cadre and administrators.
“I want you to know something important,” Jen Lanz, director of CCYA, said to the families in attendance. “Your child wants to make you proud. Every day, we see cadets push through challenges, work harder than they thought possible, and grow in confidence because they want to succeed not only for themselves, but for the people who matter most to them - you.
“As director, I have the privilege of witnessing the incredible commitment of our staff every day,” she explained. “Our instructors, cadre, counselors, mentors, and support personnel pour themselves into this program because they care deeply about your children and their futures. When families are happy and proud of the growth they see in their cadets, our staff feels that same joy and sense of accomplishment.
“I have the opportunity to meet and work with your children every day and watch them transform into brighter, more confident, and better-prepared young adults before returning them back to you,” she said. “That transformation is one of the most rewarding things any of us could ever experience.
“Belonging matters. Being part of something meaningful matters,” Lanz shared. “Today’s youth are often told they must have a skill, certification, or expertise to succeed in life and those things are important. But there is something equally, if not more, important: the ability to build relationships. Employers look for it. Friends value it. Future spouses and life partners depend on it.”
Dr. Stenette Byrd III, Chief of Schools for Suffolk Public Schools and author of “Leadership Lessons from the Son of a Terrible Golfer,” was the guest speaker for the event.
“Cadets, you are here because your family believed in you, even when the times got rough,” Byrd said. “They are your cheerleading section, your anchor and your caddie.”
Byrd explained that a caddie isn't someone that just carries the golf clubs.
“They are the ultimate partner of success,” he explained. “Even the best players in the world rely on their caddy to help them navigate the course. And as a parent, you serve and still serve in this role for your children.”
Byrd explained the concept of “playing it where it lies,” one of the mantras from his book.
“It's a simple concept, he said. “It means that we don't waste our energy wishing that I'm always in a better location, that it wasn't behind a tree, wasn't stuck in the mud. It means that I take a look at my current situation. I look at my goal, and I ask my myself the question- from here, how do I get to that goal?
“Life is rarely a perfectly manicured lawn. Sometimes you end up in the rough. And when you do your first instinct might be to get angry, get frustrated, or even pretend the mistake didn't happen,” he explained. “But the most successful people, the people that I admire, are the ones who accept the reality and start their next chapter from exactly where they're standing right now.
“If you've made a mistake in your past, a dropped class, a bad grade, a wrong turn, you cannot change that past,” he told the cadets. “But you can control the swing that you take today.”
Then Byrd returned to the parents in the crowd.
“Your job is to help them play it where it lies,” he said. “When they stumble, don't try to move the ball for them, don't kick it in a fairway. Let them take this next shot. Support them. Give them the encouragement that they need and remind them that they are capable of recovery.”
CCYA is a 29-and-a-half-month program structured in a military-style environment, designed to promote academics, attention to detail, time management, and leadership, while promoting self-esteem, confidence and pride.
ChalleNGe is divided into three phases. The first phase is the Acclimation Period. This period is the first two weeks of the residential phase and consists of physical, leadership and mental challenges designed to test the candidates’ potential for success in the second phase of the program.
The second phase of CCYA is a 20-week residential period that consists of academics, either high school credit recovery or GED test preparation, post-residential goal development, physical fitness, both individual and group counseling, life skills and team building.
This residential phase consists of academics and structured training that includes daily rigorous physical fitness exercises. A variety of extra-curricular clubs and sports are available.
Teach Advise Counsel officers, also known as Cadre, are responsible for the Cadets’ execution of the daily routine, physical fitness, personal hygiene, health and welfare, teaching ethical behavior and military science, and working together as a team. Physical training, drill and ceremonies, and barracks inspections are also integral parts of this training in teaching cooperation, tolerance of others, and teamwork.
Faculty members are responsible for academic training and instruction, which is supplemented by various off-site field trips. Past field trips have included museums, the Virginia Aquarium, the state capitol, Washington D.C., and live theater performances.
The Cadets of Class 64 are scheduled to graduate from the residential portion of the program in June 2026, before transitioning to the post-residential phase of the program.
The third phase of ChalleNGe is the two-year post-residential phase. A relationship between the Cadet and CCYA staff is required during this phase. Career advisors will track the progress of each Cadet during the post residential phase and document it for monthly reports per program requirements.
CCYA is free and open to Virginia residents, 15 1/2 – 18 years old, who have become off-track or withdrawn from public school. A new class begins in July 2026.
For more information about the Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy call (757) 491-5932 or visit
vachallenge.org.