LEAP (Leadership Education and Athletics in Partnership)

Basics LEAP trains over 100 New Haven college and inner city public high school students each year to be counselors, mentors, tutors and role models for younger children from high poverty neighborhoods. LEAP is community-based, operating out of donated space in 5 New Haven public schools. To ensure college student counselors know the neighborhoods where we operate and can be strong role models, LEAP places counselors to live in donated housing in our neighborhoods including in public housing. LEAP also operates a comprehensive community center with a swimming pool, gym, dance studio, teaching kitchen, and classrooms. Demographics Over 1000 children between the ages of 7 and 18 participated in LEAP over the last 12 months. LEAP’s sites in Fair Haven (North and South), Dixwell, Dwight and Church Street South have poverty rates of 45%, 35%, 41%, and 56%, respectively. Child poverty rates in LEAP neighborhoods exceed 50%. 97% of LEAP kids are African American or Latino. 85% of LEAP families report receiving free school lunch (actual rate is higher). IMG_5586.JPG IMG_6411_edited.jpg Program LEAP operates six days a week, running free after school, weekend and summer programming for children. LEAP has a heavy focus on literacy in order to address the “summer slide” in which low income children fall behind academically during the summer months. Our children completed an average of 21 books while at LEAP in 2014. LEAP kids also get to experience a wide range of social development activities including computer programming, overnight camping, cooking classes, arts, dance and athletics. Over the last year, more than 300 children have learned to swim at LEAP, addressing the serious problem that African American children are three times more likely to drown in a pool than white children. Developing Leaders LEAP is the largest employer of youth in New Haven. LEAP is not just a job for teenagers, we also help them get into college. LEAP provides free Kaplan PSAT and SAT prep classes, partners with local law firms to provide scholarships, and provides classes on financial aid and on completing college applications. Every year, 50 LEAP high school students visit a dozen colleges and universities in a week-long college tour.