CAMP DENALI, Alaska – The Alaska Military Youth Academy will celebrate the graduation of 161 cadets of Class 2012-2 from its ChalleNGe program Friday.

The 10 a.m. graduation ceremony will be held at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts located in downtown Anchorage. The guest speakers for the graduation are U.S. Senator Mark Begich, Mr. Ernie Gonzales, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, and Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell.

During their 22-week residential phase at the AMYA ChalleNGe program, the corps of cadets focused on academics, military style discipline, physical fitness, vocational training and community service. The 161 cadets set to graduate from the Alaska Military Youth Academy will join the 3,658 previous graduates since 1994.

Upon graduation, cadets take part in a yearlong post-residential phase where graduates return to their communities to enter the workplace, continue their education (high school or higher education) or enter the military. The goal of this phase is for graduates to sustain and build on the gains made during the residential phase.

The Alaska Military Youth Academy continues to help intervene in and reclaim the lives of youth and produce program graduates with the values, skills, education and self-discipline necessary to succeed as adults.

Who: Alaska Military Youth Academy

What: Graduation ceremony for 161 cadets

Where: Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, 621 W. 6^th Ave., Anchorage, Alaska

When: Friday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m.