A prominent member of his Chicago, Illinois, community, Danny Shabat makes public service and volunteerism one of his top priorities. Daniel Shabat regularly contributes to a number of charities with a variety of purposes; among Mr. Shabat’s chosen nonprofit organizations are the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY), the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy of Greater Washington, and Project Extreme.

Project Extreme provides an outlet for at-risk youth by bringing teenagers with behavior difficulties together in an environment that breeds leadership skills, healthy social interactions, and the coping abilities needed to overcome the challenges of adolescence. Participants have the option of joining Project Extreme on a short-term or a long-term basis.

 

The flagship program, Miryam Ghermezian Academy, is the first therapeutic residential boarding school for young Jewish women who have difficulty thriving in a mainstream educational setting; students live and learn in a 44,000 square foot facility in Bricelyn, Minnesota, where they take both academic courses and therapeutic programs that foster scholastic and personal growth. MGA also teaches the values of work, as counselors help students decide on future career possibilities.

In addition to MGA, Project Extreme also hosts a summer adventure program for boys throughout northern California and Nevada as well as a summer adventure program for girls in the Canadian Rockies. Camp participants take on physical and mental challenges through invigorating outdoor activities such as hiking, white water rafting, glacier climbing, and camping, all of which help them to learn healthy coping skills and self-confidence. The camps also include counseling and discussion groups on important topics such as anger management and communication.

Lastly, Project Extreme reaches out to local at-risk teenagers through smaller activities such as nights on the town and weekend and holiday retreats. An experienced staff of counselors takes part in every event with Project Extreme to provide guidance and support to all participants and are required to continue mentoring the teenagers into adulthood.