The Thunderbird Youth Academy (TYA) ALPHA program was recently awarded the best overall program for a youth challenge program from the annual National Guard Youth ChalleNGe conference.

TYA was chosen out of 30 programs nationwide.

Director Steve Tunnell said this is the third time TYA has received such an honor since the program began 14 years ago.

All youth challenge programs are graded on eight core components: citizenship, academic excellence, life coping skills, service to community, health and hygiene, job skills training, leadership/followership and physical training.

Tunnell said to be eligible for the award, the program must meet or exceed all standards in the eight components.

“This is a great tribute to the TYA and staff. They work very, very hard,” said Tunnell. Approximately 60 people make up the staff at TYA.

The program also received individual awards in three of the components: life coping skills, physical fitness and service to community.

Wednesday was the first day of the 28th cycle of cadets at TYA. The cadets who make it through the program will graduate June 30.

To date, TYA has graduated 2,494 cadets. This cycle will graduate the 2,500th cadet.

In order to be a cadet at TYA, the teenager must be a volunteer, a high school dropout, 16 to 18-years-old, physically and mentally capable, a U.S. citizen or legal resident, a resident of Oklahoma, drug free and uninvolved with the legal system.

The cadets will spend 22 weeks at the Whitaker Education Training Center. The purpose of the program is to instill in each cadet a sense of self-discipline and community spirit.

Tunnell said 186 kids were expected Wednesday and he hopes to graduate 125.

“The attrition rate is extremely high,” he said. “Not all of them will make it.”

Tunnell said some cadets won’t make it through the first day and 25 to 30 won’t make it through the first two weeks.

“The first two weeks are going to be extremely difficult,” Tunnell tells the parents, who won’t see their child for six weeks.

Tunnell informs the parents about what to expect when they do see their children. “You’ll notice a change in their attitude and appearance,” he said.

However, he warned that not all cadets will make it six weeks.

Tunnell explained TYA does not allow racism, physical violence, passive participation and profanity, among other things.

“It’s not a high school,” he said. “Everything here is earned and graduation is not guaranteed.

“It means something to be a Thunderbird Youth Academy graduate,” said Tunnell. “Not any kid can complete this program.”

But, Tunnell said if the kid is willing to get off the couch, TYA can change their life.

Cadets are given an opportunity to get their GED or high school diploma and can take six college credit hours through OSU-Okmulgee.

It is possible for a 16-year-old dropout to come out of the program much further in their education than their counterparts in high school.

After cadets leave their parents, they are taken to shake down, where the cadets get their first taste of life at the academy.

The staff look through their belongings to make sure the cadets didn’t try to sneak in any contraband.

Assistant Commandant Mike Hayes said shake down is the first touch of somebody yelling at them that the cadets experience.

Hayes said, “their life starts to intensify.”