Baton Rouge- The Louisiana Youth Challenge Program (YCP) is an educational program that give young adults the chance to change their future. It provides an alternative path to graduation for students 16-18 years old. The program caters to students who struggle to make good grades in school and are looking for a new way to earn their high school equivalency diploma.

YCP enrolls a diverse group of students from throughout the state.

"Because YCP is administered by the National Guard it is a military-style program," said YCP's Megan Ready. "But we're not a boot camp and we're not for bad kids, we're an educational program."

The military-style provides students with a disciplined and structured environment that helps them succeed. Many students find the military approach to be beneficial and end up improving their grades over the course of the program.

The program is holding interviews for upcoming classes at the Gillis W. Long Center in Carville. The meeting in Baton Rouge will be at the National Guard Armory (8110 Innovation Park Drive) on Thursday, September 10th at 10 a.m.

You can find out more information about the program and how to apply at the Louisiana Youth Challenge Program website.