How to Apply

Application Process:

  • challenge-changeThere are currently 39 National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs across the United States and Puerto Rico.
  • However, there is only ONE Program in Idaho, only for Idaho residents, located in North Central Idaho, in the small town of Pierce. (77 miles East and slightly North of Lewiston, Idaho.)
  • We encourage applicants to review the content of our website, to understand what our program is and what it is not. Our FAQ page is a good place to start, to answer most preliminary questions.
  • To qualify for acceptance, the youth MUST meet all our Eligibility Requirements.
  • We hold two (2) classes a year – one from January to June and one from July to December.
  • We are currently taking applications for our next class.
  • We highly suggest you submit your completed application right away, before our slots fill-up! We only have room for a maximum of 150 students per class, and we historically receive over 300 applications per class.

Don’t Delay! Please note that acceptance is based on “first-come, first-served.”
An application does not obligate you to attend, it simply opens the door to this opportunity, should you be selected.


  • The link below will take you to an online Inquiry Form, which is the first step in the application process.
  • The Inquiry Form is NOT an application. It simply lets us know you are interested.
  • After submission of the Inquiry Form, you will receive a reply email within 24 hours, with a link to the Student Portal.
  • NOTE: The online application host only sends out reply emails once a day, and the email will come from: Idaho Youth Challenge Academy, with email domain: “@student-1email.com“.
  • ALL sections of the application must be completed before your application can be submitted for review by our Admissions Committee.

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Once you receive an email response from us, you may wish to download this Application Guide, which may assist during the application process.

If, for some reason, after 24 hours, you have not received an email response from your submission via the Inquiry Form above, or if you need to reset your password, you may use this link to proceed directly to the Student Portal.