If you are having trouble with this email, please click here.



This new e-newsletter will serve as a way to communicate to you—our valued supporters—information about our events, successes, opportunities to get involved, and updates concerning our core program that helps New York City youth with the least access to critical networks fulfill their highest personal and professional potential. We fulfill our mission by providing a cohesive and rigorous educational and career development internship program with four components: employability and life skills training; paid internships in youths' fields of interest; post-internship skill development and support services; and an alumni network that provides ongoing access to education and career development support and resources. exalt partners with criminal justice agencies, schools, and other nonprofits to serve a mixture of youth, ages 15-20, both in and outside of the criminal justice system. exalt therefore acts as a prevention for justice system involvement to youth at risk of getting caught in it, and as a catalyst for integration into our economic mainstream for those who have already entered the system. While the difficult economic times we are immersed in can tempt us to retreat from investing in those beyond our immediate circles, it is critical that we recognize our inextricable connection to each other. In fact, times of financial constriction highlight more than ever, the collective benefits of investing in exalt youth. For example: New Yorkers spend up to $170,000 to incarcerate a New York City youth who then has a 70% chance of recidivating within a year of release. In contrast, exalt's transformative educational program costs approximately $7000 for a young person who then has only a 5% chance of recidivating. The increase in long term earnings for one year's cohort of exalt graduates is upwards of $2 million. The cost savings for one year's cohort of exalt graduates (whom we prevent from entering the criminal justice system) is $1.9 million. Your support—whether through a financial contribution, providing an internship, referring youth to us, or sharing other resources such as your time and expertise—is indispensible and invaluable. We look forward to a successful 2009 and deeply appreciate your continued support. Warmest regards, Sonja Okun Founder/Executive Director	Please spread the word! Help youth fulfill their potential by passing this newsletter on to a friend. Your contribution to exalt is critical as it demonstrates to other funders the groundswell of support for our core program that helps New York City youth with the least access to critical networks fulfill their highest personal and professional potential. Please consider making a secure donation here: UPCOMING EVENTS MARCH 09, 2009 Current cycle begins internships at various businesses throughout the city.



"The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go..." Dr. Suess "More than 85% of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate." (US Department of Justice) Cognizant of this sobering fact through our work with young people enmeshed in the criminal justice system, exalt launched the exalt Scholars Institute in October 2008 with funding from the New York Community Trust. The Scholars Institute is a supplementary educational component to our core internship program for participants who struggle academically. Selected youth participate in the Scholars Institute as a component of their internship. Participants in the exalt Scholars Institute: Develop their reading and writing skills through projects including the exalt Scholars blog. Continue developing the four core skills that exalt's core program builds: critical thinking, communication, creative problem solving, and "resource management"—the ability to identify, effectively utilize, leverage and develop resources. Act as cultural/media scientists by reading and writing about art exhibits, films, speeches, poems and other texts. Further develop their computer literacy skills by utilizing technology in all components of the Scholars Institute from employing an online visual thesaurus in their grammar and writing exercises to learning the mechanics behind developing and updating their blog. This program component is critical to the success of our participants and furthers exalt's mission to be a transformative, educational, adolescent development program. We welcome you to join the dialogue and get to know our participants at exaltscholars.wordpress.com.




We are extremely happy to report that even with the difficult state of the economy, we surpassed our fundraising goal for exalt's 3rd Annual Fundraiser held at Gradisca Ristorante in Manhattan last month! We thank those of you who generously contributed to make this event a success. Your contributions are particularly critical as they demonstrate to other funders the groundswell of support for our important work. Our special guest speakers for the evening were Kenya Fuller and Richard Jeffery, two alumni of exalt's core program. An excerpt from Rich's speech testifies to the dire need for and effectiveness of exalt's work: "...I didn't want to be in jail and quickly came to that realization sitting in the cell, like, 'wow, this is where my life ended up.' I was 19 at the time and didn't think I had any other chance. I knew I was smarter than that, so why not do something with myself? Prove the naysayers wrong. So, I got bailed out, and decided I wanted to change. I heard about exalt from my lawyer at first. Then, I found out my uncle Derrell had completed the program already and he told me how exalt hooks you up with a job. Money? I was like, 'yeah, sign me up...' exalt was like a classroom at first, and I definitely had a classroom attitude. I was always the class clown; always tried to make people laugh to fit in, but the staff weren't having it. They pushed me to become more mature. They gave me responsibilities I needed. Overall, I was happy and became even more so when I got my internship. It was the coolest bunch of people you'd ever meet. I worked at Parallel MVT, a nonprofit that specializes in branding and marketing. They really helped me out a lot—and I mean all the staff, not just my supervisor. I eventually made it to the end of the program which gave me a really good feeling. I was doing so well that my internship was extended. Meanwhile, I just kept annoying exalt—everybody there. They couldn't get rid of me! Eventually, they told me 'you know, you're on a college level now, why don't you think about applying?' I never even thought about college, but everyone here had faith in me, so why not? (The staff) helped me really focus on college and applying. Now, here I am working toward my degree in Marketing Management & Sales at New York City College of Technology. Soon after I got accepted to school, Lynnee (exalt's Program Director) offered me a job at exalt as a graduate assistant. Honestly, the more I think about it it's kind of crazy. Everything leads back to exalt. Everything. If it weren't for this—man—I'd be in jail, or worse. This whole experience has just changed my life."



Sonja Okun was awarded one of the first GOLD RUSH awards for her work with exalt by RUSH Philanthropic, a foundation led by hip-hop pioneers Russell Simmons and Danny Simmons. The foundation, which is dedicated to providing urban youth with significant exposure and access to the arts, created the award to acknowledge outstanding individuals for their important talents in community involvement. Sonja was particularly recognized for her unique ability to bring people together to gain a higher understanding through social engagement. We are so happy to have been honored by such a distinguished foundation as it demonstrates that exalt is truly creating change in the communities we serve. Click here to view images from the event. In November 2008, Sonja was also an honoree in Glamour Magazine and Tag Heuer's 2nd Annual "What Are You Made Of" Awards, hosted by Uma Thurman.