FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, THE NEW YORK STATE DIVISION FOR YOUTH HAS OPERATED AN ADAPTIVE PROGRAM CALLED 'HIGHER HORIZONS.' THE PROGRAM IS PATTERNED AFTER COLORADO'S OUTWARD BOUND PROGRAM AND INCLUDES HIKING, ROCK CLIMBING AND CANOEING AS ITS BASIC ACTIVITIES OVER A PERIOD OF 10 TO 14 DAYS. NATURE IS USED AS A LABORATORY EXPERIENCE FOR TEACHING BIOLOGY, SCIENCE, MATH, AND READING. IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH AND EXPAND THE HIGHER HORIZONS PROGRAM AS AN IMPORTANT ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION, IT HAD TO BE SOLD TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE AS A PROJECT MERITING FUNDING. AN INCREMENTAL APPROACH WAS DEVISED WHEREBY THE HIGHER HORIZONS PROGRAM WAS FIRST USED AS A MINI-EXPERIENCE IN CONJUNCTION WITH EXISTING TREATMENT FACILITIES. ARMED WITH POSITIVE RESULTS FROM THESE LIMITED PILOT EXPERIENCES, THE PROGRAM WAS PRESENTED TO TITLE I ADMINISTRATORS AND ACCEPTED AS AN INNOVATIVE TEACHING AND MOTIVATING EXPERIENCE. FUNDING WAS GRANTED ON A 10-MONTH BASIS. THE FINAL STEP IN MARKETING THE PROGRAM WAS TO OBTAIN STATE FUNDING AS AN ESTABLISHED PROGRAM. A VISUAL PROGRAM PRESENTATION BEFORE STATE DECISIONMAKERS IMPRESSED THEM WITH SCENES OF YOUTH PARTICIPANTS IN PROGRAM OPERATIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE APPEAL OF THE PROGRAM'S BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION, DECISIONMAKERS WERE ALSO IMPRESSED BY THE LOW COST OF THE PROGRAM, SINCE HUGE CAPITAL INVESTMENT IS NOT REQUIRED. NOW THE PROGRAM IS FUNDED ANNUALLY FROM STATE FUNDS. (RCB)