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Simon Youth Foundation strives to be a national leader and catalyst for improving graduation rates and post-secondary access for at-risk youth. As a grassroots effort formed in 1998 in response to a community need for youth development, SYF believes that the future is dependent upon the success of the next generation.

The mission of the Foundation is to foster and improve educational opportunities, career development, and life skills that transform the lives of at-risk youth through focused programs and initiatives with our public school and post-secondary education partners. This takes shape at 25 Education Resource Centers located in Simon shopping malls and through two scholarship programs that were established in 2000.

The Foundation’s ERCs are alternative schools that provide the opportunity for at-risk youth to earn their high school diploma, receive job and life skills training, and set the pace of their education. Since 1998, enrollment numbers have reached 18,688 in ERCs nationwide. During the 2008-09 school year; ERCs served 2,431 students, and graduated 892 students at a 93% rate.

Since May of 2000, through the Community Scholarship Program and Education Resource Scholarship Program, SYF has helped 2,509 students from 42 states pursue their educational ambitions. To date, SYF has awarded $7.2 million in scholarships to deserving high school youth across the country.

The Foundation has built partnerships with a number of organizations that help support its mission. Among them is Simon Property Group, an S&P 500 company and the largest public U.S. real estate company. SPG operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers®, The Mills®, community/lifestyle centers and international properties. It currently owns or has an interest in 382 properties comprising 261 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America.

For more information, please visit www.syf.org.