At Operation Exodus Inner City, Inc. (Exodus), our mission is to launch NYC’s Hispanic and Latino/a youth to their highest potential by creating accessible pathways to higher education through learning opportunities and transformative relationships. We provide out-of-school-time programming that includes culturally and linguistically competent academic support, enrichment activities, and social and emotional care, enabling youth to excel during elementary, middle, and high school, and attend college to pursue professions driven by their passions. Our approach cultivates the resilience students need for success in all areas of their lives, focusing on the following areas: mastery of new skills; social competence and communication; improved emotional toolkits; positive relationship development with peers and adults; a healthy cultural identity; greater engagement in school and community; and a deeper sense of confidence and belonging. Programs like ours are proven to improve school attendance, retention, and promotion rates; increase grades; reduce risky behaviors; develop social skills and decrease aggressive behavior; and improve work habits, outlook, and health. Through our Family Empowerment Program, which assists families of the youth we serve in accessing an array of services they need to thrive, Exodus provided $40,000 in direct aid to families devastated by the pandemic, and connected them to additional resources throughout the crisis.
Exodus serves K-12 students and families in the Washington Heights area of NYC. A heavily Dominican community, 92.7% of residents are minorities and 46.7% are foreign born. Many are trapped in generational cycles of poverty with 29.1% of residents currently living below the poverty line. The median income of $34,847 (2020) is just 42.6% of the Area Median Income, residents are experiencing high unemployment (6.0%), and 43.3% of households are rent burdened. Reflecting this profile, over 90% of Exodus students are English Language Learners, and most who enroll in our programs have limited or no early childhood education and/or are performing 2+ years behind grade level. Over the course of our history, hundreds of Exodus mentors and volunteers have invested more than 10,000 hours in our programs and served nearly 3,000 students and families. Reflecting the strength of our programs, Exodus has achieved attendance rates above 90% for our core programs, and the vast majority of students who participate in our programs perform well in middle and high school, with many attending top-tier colleges.
