Service to Community

The Challenge Academy is committed to serving the state of Wisconsin through our service to community.

Giving back is a two-way street. Community organizations from all over the state get needed help, and our Cadets learn the value of being selfless and how rewarding it feels to help others.

The Cadets of the Wisconsin Challenge Academy perform service to the community as one of the program’s eight  core components. We make the distinction from "Community Service" because the objective is to develop a desire and appreciation for helping others, as opposed to the normal association of completing a requirement with community service assigned by others. These activities also provide opportunities for career exploration and enhancing awareness of community needs.

The ultimate goal of service to the community is for Cadets to realize their importance as a member of a community and their role in selflessly supporting it. This creates self-worth, pride in community and an increased awareness of the needs of others and ultimately builds positive character.

The Challenge Academy supports many service to the community projects during each class cycle. However, service to the community is just one of eight core components and not all requests can be accommodated. Please consider the following when making a request:

• Requests should be for projects or events that support or benefit the community in some way (non-profit organizations, community-wide events, etc.). We do not assist with anything considered for-profit or with private individuals or groups otherwise able to provide their own support.
• Safety of Cadets is a primary concern. Cadets will never perform any task for which they are not trained or which may put their safety at undue risk. Cadets will never operate machinery or vehicles. Cadre on site will determine if Cadets are allowed to perform a task.
• The typical group size for a project is 25-30 Cadets, due to staffing and transportation requirements. We may be able to accommodate with a smaller or larger group if necessary.
• Typical times of availability are (includes travel time):
  1. Saturdays – 8:30am-11:30am and/or 1:30pm-4:30pm
  2. Sundays – 1:30pm-4:30pm
• The Challenge Academy generally only serves communities within 60 miles of Fort McCoy.
• Academy Cadre will accompany and supervise Cadets during service to community projects. Any issues or questions regarding Cadets should be directed to the Cadre on site.
• The Challenge Academy will provide Cadets with the following equipment as needed for any project or event:
  1. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): gloves, eye and ear protection
  2. Bag meals
  3. First aid kit
  4. Drinking Water (please tell us if a water source is available or if we need to bring our own resupply)
• If needed, the Academy may be able to provide equipment from the following list for Cadet use during the project:
  1. Shovels
  2. Rakes
  3. Pruning saws
  4. Loppers