The school was chosen out of 31 educational institutions nation-wide.

"This is really an honor," said AMYA director Tim Jones. "We had stiff competition."

"We've had a strong community service program since we opened our doors in 1994," said Don Deshaine, deputy commandant of the cadet corps. "This award really belongs to the students who did the work."

Located at Camp Carrol on Fort Richardson, the school was founded to give "at risk" youth a chance at success. Tuition is free, and cadets enroll voluntarily - there are no "court ordered" students at the school.

Volunteer community service is one of the key elements of AMYA. The program is tough - a third of all cadets don't graduate, and 15 to 20 percent go on to military service.

"The big difference between real military service and here is that we have to instill self discipline into people who are free to leave," Jones said. "Typically, when they come to us, they say they just want to get their GED, but at the end, all they can talk about is the values and discipline they've learned."

In addition to meeting high academic standards and adhering to strict discipline, each cadet is required to complete 40 hours of community service in order to graduate. AMYA community service programs range from helping with highway moose kill removal to building wheelchair ramps at senior centers to helping at community functions.

"The vast majority of our cadets are not really involved when they come to us," said admissions director Ed Wicher. "It is a very powerful experience for them."

Reach the reporter at nzawicki@alaskastar.com