Texas ChalleNGe Academy

Texas ChalleNGe Academy (TCA) is a tuition-free, quasi-military academy operated by the Texas National Guard for teens ages 16-18.  TCA is located in Eagle Lake, Texas but accepts students from across the state.  Participants volunteer to be a part of the program for 5.5 months while living on campus.  The Academy focuses on assisting teens who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out of high school.  With hard work, teens can catch up on credits and return to their home campus, or they may earn their GED or High School Diploma.  The structure of the Academy allows Cadets the opportunity to grow across 8 core components: Academic Excellence, Leadership/Followership, Health & Hygiene, Life Coping Skills, Responsible Citizenship, Service to Community, Physical Fitness, and Job Skills.  We spend a great deal of time on overall Character Development as well.  Self discipline and accountability are at the center of our core values.