Let LEAP help you find important resources during the COVID-19 global pandemic. COVID-19 Resources Important Information for Kids, Parents & Families Regarding COVID-19 Internet Needs Talking to Kids about COVID-19 Medical Needs COVID-19 Updates Food, Rent & Unemployment Free Online Books At Home Activities LEAP Activity Videos

Programa de Verano Para Niños Que El programa de verano de LEAP incluye alfabetización, athleticos, artes, ciencias de la computación, cocina,y jardinería. Los niños también realizan excursiones alrededor de New Haven y viajes de campamento. Todos los programas son supervisados por un coordinador experimentado con pares de consejeros entrenados provenientes de colegios locales y escuelas secundarias. El programa de verano de LEAP es gratuito para los participantes. Quien El programa de verano para niños de LEAP está disponible para niños de 7 a 12 años que viven en uno de nuestros siete vecindarios (lo que importa es donde vive el niño, no donde él o ella va a la escuela): Dixwell Newhallville Fair Haven North Fair Haven South Hill South Dwight-Kensington (including West River) Quinnipiac Meadows cuándo y dónde El programa opera de lunes a jueves de 8:00 am - 4 pm, viernes de 8:00 am - 1 pm. LEAP opera en siete barrios en estas escuelas locales: Fair Haven School Troupe School Clinton Avenue School King-Robinson Magnet School Roberto Clemente Elementary School Q House (and Wexler-Grant) Ross Woodward Formulario de Aplicación * La aplicación no se guarda automáticamente; Si actualiza o abandona esta página, se perderá cualquier información ingresada. * Para completar la aplicación en español, cambie el botón de traducción a español en la parte superior derecha del formulario a continuación.

Thinking about making a donation to LEAP, or maybe you already are a donor? Either way, this page is for you. You can make a donation and learn about a range of ways to give now and in the future. Information for Donors Give to LEAP LEAP is a non-profit organization and all of our programs are free of charge. We rely on donors like you to carry out our mission. Every dollar you give to LEAP creates new and amazing opportunities for a child or teen. Donations are 100% secure and tax-deductible. To view LEAP's financial documents and learn more about our funding challenges, see our Financial Information page. To learn more about why donating to LEAP matters now more than ever, see our Reasons to Donate to LEAP page. To learn more about ways to make a planned gift to LEAP and how to join the LEAP Legacy Society, see our Planned Giving Options page. Other questions? Contact Rachel at rklinebrown@leapforkids.org Donate Today Make a secure, online donation to support academic and social enrichment for New Haven youth. We hope you will add the 2.3% processing fee to your gift so LEAP receives your full donation. You can donate by credit card or PayPal. Become a Sustaining Donor Monthly recurring gifts provide steady, reliable support. Simply check the "Make this a monthly donation" box when you donate. Make an Honorary Donation Dedicate your donation to a friend or relative to show your appreciation or honor their memory. Please send an email with their name and address with "Honorary Donation" in the subject line to rklinebrown@leapforkids.org, and we will let them know about your donation. Donate by Mail Send your check to LEAP, 31 Jefferson Street, New Haven, CT 06511 . Donations can be made payable to "LEAP." Give Appreciated Stock Support LEAP through the gift of an appreciated asset. Please notify Rachel Kline Brown (rklinebrown@leapforkids.org ) what is being transferred including the number of shares and who the donor is. Donations go to Firm Name: Fidelity Investments DTC: 0226 Account #: 657-221430 Account Name: LDRSHP, EDU, & ATH IN PRTNRSHP Make a Planned Gift & Join LEAP's Legacy Society Remember LEAP in your estate plan for a specific dollar amount or percentage. By doing so, you will become a member of the LEAP legacy society. Click here for more information. Give Through a Donor Advised Fund If you have a donor advised fund, DAF Direct enables you to r ecommend grants to LEAP, directly from your DAF (sponsoring organizations are Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, or BNY Mellon ). Simply click here go to our personalized Donor Advised Fund page. Once there, you can select the institution, the designation (how the funds should be used) and the amount of the gift. When you click the “Next” button, you will be taken directly to your donor advised fund provider. If your donor-advised fund provider is not listed, contact your provider directly with a request to make a grant to LEAP. LEAP's Tax ID Number: 22-2906574 Donate Donate Donate Donor Privacy Policy: LEAP does not share, sell or trade our donors' names or other personal information with any other entity, nor do we contact our donors on behalf of other organizations.

Check out photos of LEAP activities for young people. Activities Gallery Gardening Cultivates responsibility, patience, and environmental awareness IMG_0053 IMG_9242 conte garden2BEST Swimming Teaches discipline, safety, and resilience 1/1 Literacy Builds foundational reading and communication skills Sculpting Encourages creativity and fine motor skills To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. LITs Go to Philadelphia Expands horizons and fosters civic engagement LIT Camping Builds teamwork, independence, and problem-solving 1/1 Adam Krieger Adventure Ropes Course Develops trust, communication, and courage Outdoor Corps & Peabody Museum Combines environmental stewardship with scientific curiosity

LEAP provides academic and social development programming to young children and teens using a unique model where college and high school students are trained and employed to be mentors and tutors to younger New Haveners. About Us Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership, Inc. (LEAP) was founded in 1992 by educators, students, and community activists to address the historic disinvestment in young people of color in our city. Then and now LEAP believes that young people have the intellect, enthusiasm, courage, and leadership potential to make real change. LEAP creates the space and marshals the resources so that young leaders can mentor, educate and care for the children of New Haven. College and high school student counselors provide LEAP’s direct services to younger children. They help with homework, provide emotional support, lead classroom literacy instruction, and teach swim lessons, cooking classes and computer science. Their work is not easy as the systemic challenges faced by LEAP families are significant: The neighborhoods served by LEAP have child poverty rates ranging from 35% to 58%, more than three times the Connecticut average of 15%. This is why LEAP prides itself on employing over 200 young people and supporting their efforts to graduate high school and get into and graduate from college. We count among our alumni school teachers and principals, nonprofit executives, elected officials, business leaders, and community organizers. In our community center and seven neighborhood-based sites, we provide children with a welcoming place to learn, explore and grow, while offering teens and young adults a platform to find their voice and become leaders and role models. Since our founding, LEAP has grown to become a trusted community institution serving and empowering over 1,600 local young people annually. Our mission is to develop the strengths and talents of young leaders who create and implement year-round, neighborhood-based programs designed to achieve positive outcomes for children living in neighborhoods that have historically experienced systemic disinvestment . LEAP is home for youth as young as 7 and as old as 24. We love to see young LEAPers join our free children's program and grow up with the above timeline. In doing so, they become the leaders and role models they once looked up to while also receiving stipends and salaries. Any young adult, however, is eligible to take on a leadership role regardless of their previous involvement with LEAP. Community and School Centric LEAP believes in equipping young people with the tools to lead change both in and beyond their neighborhoods. We serve children who live in six low-income and historically African American and Latino neighborhoods in New Haven: Dixwell, Dwight-Kensington, Fair Haven, the Hill, Newhallville, and Quinnipiac Meadows. LEAP runs our free afterschool and summer programming at New Haven Public Schools located in these communities, as well as at our community center in Wooster Square. In our programs, LEAP seeks to make the entire city available to young people, from library cards and free bus passes to long-term partnerships with the city’s cultural institutions and recreational organizations. Young people at LEAP learn in neighborhood community gardens, hear from guest speakers born and raised in New Haven, read on the New Haven Green, and apply critical thinking and creativity to reimagine a future for their communities. Through the relationships they build with their counselors and mindful exploration of our city, LEAPers are empowered as the next generation of changemakers. Multi-Tier Mentorship Model LEAP values the opportunity for young people to grow within our organization, progressively taking on increased responsibility and leadership. Youth are organized into four age groups: Children (ages 7-12), Leaders in Training (ages 13-15), Junior Counselors (high school students), and Senior Counselors (college students). LEAP programming is tailored toward each child’s stage in development. For example, Leaders-in-Training start to take on new responsibilities by interning under counselors. Junior Counselors participate in extensive college prep and career advising to prepare them for high school graduation. Our success is reflected in our high retention rate. Fully one third of our counselors participated in LEAP themselves as children. Year-Round Programming LEAP runs year-round and is split into three components: fall after-school, spring after-school, and summer camp. Our after-school program is three hours a day, Monday-Thursday. Our summer camp is eight hours a day, Monday-Friday. Some stay for several years, moving up through our age groups. LEAP kids love spending time at LEAP's Roslyn Milstein Meyer Community Center, home to our library, swimming pool, teaching kitchen, gym, dance studio, and community garden. City's Largest Youth Employer LEAP counselors are trained and paid to do the important and often hard work of mentoring, supervising, and guiding children. LEAP is the largest employer of youth in New Haven: we train and hire over 200 young adults each year . A job at LEAP includes professional development for the future with sessions on resume writing, financial literacy, applying to college, SAT preparation and much more. Employing youth after school and over the summer is proven by research to be highly effective in creating bridges to academic success while making neighborhoods safer for children and teens. We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Independent Reading-Resources 7 Independent reading activities to increase literacy Scholastic-teaching content Reading Rockets- 103 things to do during or after reading Epic- Log in DEAR Time/Literacy Ideas Ways to access books Google LEAP Website (virtual books) NHFPL www.freechildrenstories.com Audiobooks Youtube National Geographic Website Counselor record themselves reading books for kids EPIC New Haven Reads you can tape yourself on screencastify so students can have bedtime stories or whenever they choose to hear stories Fun ways to ensure they are reading Read the same book (Reciprocal teaching strategies) Questioning (favorite part, characters) Draw out their favorite part of the story and share Popcorn Reading Vocab Word Games Vocab Activities based on text Book Talk- Share their book (Persuade other kids to read the book) Make a flipgrid about your book Write about book - Make real world connections Literature Circles Bookclubs Write an alternative ending to the book Comparing and contrasting books and movies Counselors read too!!! Breakout rooms

COVID-19 Updates Check these sites regularly as they are updated as often as several times a day. Do not rely on information from social media or that you hear from friends -- check with these trusted sources for accurate information. Sign up for alerts from the City and State (links below). Federal Centers for Disease Control State of Connecticut Coronavirus Portal Connecticut Coronavirus Map and Case Count - nytimes.com State of Connecticut: provides answers on wide range of issues (medications, schools, AP testing, nursing facilities, DCF custody, closure of businesses, etc.) City of New Haven Health Department Sign up for alerts from the City of New Haven Sign up for alerts from the State of Connecticut Virtual town hall video by New Haven & Yale experts responding to COVID-19 This article from Yale Medicine provides up-to-date information that all community members should know regarding COVID-19 and the efforts being taken by health professionals as well as national and international health organizations to reduce the spread. Link to article here: https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/2019-novel-coronavirus/ The new Yale Medicine/Yale New Haven Health COVID-19 Call Center offers information on how to keep yourself and your family healthy. Health professionals are available to answer your questions, Monday – Friday, 7 am – 7 pm. Yale Medicine/YNHH Call Center: 203-688-1700 Here is information from the New York Times on how to make your own mask. Governor Ned Lamont announced that Connecticut is partnering with the developers of the How We Feel app in an effort to anonymously provide scientists with critical health information needed to understand the spread of COVID-19 in the face of widespread testing shortages. Internet Needs Talking to Kids about COVID-19 Medical Needs COVID-19 Updates Food & Unemployment Free Online Books At Home Activities LEAP Activity Videos

LEAP hires and trains college students to serve as Senior Counselors, responsible for mentoring and turtoring children and teens. Learn more and find an application here. Senior Counselors LEAP Senior Counselors (SCs), partnered with their Junior Counselors, lead groups of children and teenagers as teachers, mentors, and positive role models to help our youth develop both academically and socially. SCs are college students who are paid members of the LEAP staff, and each works under the supervision of a Site Coordinator who guides and mentors them. LEAP employs approximately 100 SCs each year, full-time during the summer and part-time during the school year. Apply for our Program Here! Senior Counselor General Application About the Position LEAP Senior Counselors must be college or graduate students in good academic standing at a 2- or 4-year college or university. We also accept applicants who are currently attending a trade school or who are in military training and have an open schedule to work during our program hours. LEAP counselors are at the center of the LEAP experience for our young people and they must demonstrate the highest level of commitment. They receive extensive training to prepare them for the tremendous responsibilities of teaching, inspiring, and caring for children as well as mentoring the Junior Counselors with whom they partner. Their preparation includes training in literacy education, CPR, conflict resolution, classroom management, trauma-informed education, and even how to take their kids camping. SCs also have the opportunity to take workshops to help them develop for any future career on topics such as resume writing, public speaking, and financial literacy. Through our unique model, SCs receive genuine leadership opportunities with support from their supervisors. During the summer program, LEAP provides SCs with free housing in the neighborhood in which they work. We do this so that counselors are accessible to children, can learn about the neighborhoods’ strengths and weaknesses, and children can have their college student role models as neighbors. *Application does not automatically save; if you refresh or leave the page, any entered information will be lost.* Still in high school? Apply to be a Junior Counselor! Apply Here!

Hear from the people most impacted by LEAP in these testimonials. Testimonials “These past years at LEAP taught me to be self-seeking, determined, and how to be a leader. My long term plan is to work with kids as a physician assistant, and LEAP taught me how to work with kids.” As a Junior Counselor at LEAP, Kimberly received the Stiefel Williams Family Scholarship and Jay Bovilsky Scholarship. She attends Johnson and Wales University. KIMBERLY ANIVEA “We do math games so we could go back to school and be smarter than we were the other year. When I was at school I used to get a lot of math questions wrong but now that we do math games, I know how to do them.” Anivea has participated in LEAP during both the summer and the school year, and is excited to become a Leader in Training. “The main things I took from LEAP were social interaction skills and then whatever topics my counselors were teaching us at the time. Being a Junior Counselor and Senior Counselor, I gained a lot of motivation and saw how much work is put into working with the kids. I was tasked with educating the kids and planning lessons and I realized how many things go into making a kid a kid and keeping them on the right track.” Darnell is majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Gateway Community College. He started LEAP at 7 years old, went through the Children's Program and was a Junior Counselor before becoming a Senior Counselor. DARNELL WILLIAM “LEAP changed me to be good. When I wasn’t in LEAP I used to mess around and get in trouble but now it's helping me not get in trouble and get As and Bs. When I was in [the Children's Program] my counselor and I had a really good relationship. We used to have fun a lot and we had some of the same issues and obstacles to face. He helped me because he would tell me that whenever I need a break I could just tell him and I could go walk around.” William has been a part of LEAP since he was 7 years old. His favorite activity is swimming and his favorite LEAP memory is of him and his friends dancing at Community Day. “My favorite part of LEAP is that we do a lot of fun trips and I can meet new friends and I can go here to feel like myself. LEAP has taught me to be respectful to others and treat people the way you want to be treated.” Tarique's favorite parts of LEAP have been Community Day, the camping trip and his visits to the art gallery. He wants to be an inventor when he grows up. TARIQUE KAYLA “LEAP taught me about my culture and to love myself for who I am. LEAP also taught me the importance of giving back to my community. Shout out to Ms. Keita – My site coordinator when I was a LEAP kid!” As a Junior Counselor at LEAP, Kayla received the Regina Winters Scholarship and the Jay Bovilsky Scholarship. She attends Howard University. “My favorite book I’ve read at LEAP is a history book about the Titanic and how it sunk. I liked it because it didn’t just say the Titanic sunk, it actually gave facts about what was on the Titanic, how many passengers were saved, how many passengers weren’t saved.” Jeremiah's favorite part of LEAP is doing community service. Jeremiah likes science, math and reading, and wants to be an artist when he grows up. JEREMIAH (left) DARIUS “Before LEAP I was very reserved, I was more of a follower, and I would let people dictate what I did. Now, as a counselor, I find myself being more vocal. People come to me with questions about anything, not just about the program, but about life in general. This growth is something I can attribute to LEAP and is what anyone who steps through these doors can expect to get.” Darius is a senior counselor at LEAP, and was previously a Junior Counselor and Leader in Training. He attends Central Connecticut State University and is studying Journalism. “I like science because I get to explore new things and I get to learn about different chemicals and stuff. LEAP teaches me how to share and just explore new things” Danasia's favorite part about LEAP was her trip to the Connecticut Science Museum in Hartford. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up. DANASIA In our 31 years, LEAP has worked with over 10,000 youth! Here's what some of our alumni had to say. “LEAP offered such a solid foundation for me as a social worker and manager in Chicago. The training and network of LEAP is amazing! LEAP offered me so much just as a counselor. I learned key values like being passionate, modeling, working tirelessly for a cause, and leadership skills that have aided me in every position since I worked for LEAP.” Christy Beighe-Byrne, Center Director at Chicago Youth Services and former LEAP Senior Counselor and Statewide Director of LCLC, involved from 1992-2002 “I was born and raised in a low-income situation. If it weren't for LEAP, I would not have been exposed to things that show that life expands beyond CT. I still have close friends that I met in ‘93 that were in my group. Being a counselor shaped my desire to become a part of the growth for our community and to teach others. There's so much credit that I can give to LEAP and what it's done to put me in the position that I'm in today. LEAP helped me with self-awareness and leadership skill-enhancement, giving me the ability to speak and work well with others at all levels." Mo Edwards, New Haven firefighter, former LEAP child, Junior Counselor, Senior Counselor, and Assistant Site Coordinator of Dwight-Kensington, involved from 1993-2008 “LEAP taught me how to interact with people, how to be a leader, listener, problem solver and teammate! It's still the best job I have ever held. Working in the community to bring children and families closer together developed a sense of pride that I take with me everywhere I travel. The whole time I thought I was doing something for the kids and it turned out that they did more for my development than I probably did for theirs. My old senior counselor is still one of my best friends! LEAP for life!” Anonymous, Former counselor and staff in New London from 1995-2000 "I learned a lot during my time at LEAP -- both during training and during work! Living at Church St. South was a special experience and I carry the memories of my girls and their families with me all the time!" Margot Anderson, Pediatric Hospitalist at Tulane Medical School and former LEAP Senior Counselor 1993-1994 "LEAP was a life changing experience for me. Before LEAP I was going to major in Anthropology. After LEAP I changed my major to psychology and started the path to becoming an educator, eventually receiving my Masters in Education from Harvard. LEAP taught me the importance of really being a part of the community that you serve. When I became a teacher in Brooklyn, I chose to live on the same block as my school. This was directly because of LEAP. I made life long friends at LEAP, and even met my husband there, when we were working as counselors the summer of 1995. I still stay in contact via Facebook with several of my LEAP kids. It's nice to see them doing well." Michele Stein, Head Start Program Manager and LEAP Senior Counselor 1995-1997

Staff Only Leap 2020

Summer Choate Director of Training and Curriculum schoate@leapforkids.org Summer (she/her/hers) She joined LEAP in June 2021 as the Director of Training and Curriculum. Summer has a master's degree in Urban Education Policy from Brown University and a degree in Justice and Peace Studies from Georgetown University. Prior to working at LEAP, Summer was a second grade teacher for four years, which she absolutely loved. Her belief is that education exists to compliment the power that each person is already born with. Her hobbies include playing basketball and reading. She is originally from Nashua, New Hampshire. She loves LEAP because she values the importance of community and encouraging youth that they are entirely capable of owning their own power and being models for one another. She also loves that LEAP promotes learning in many different areas of life.

Art Fitness Read-Alouds Dance Kung Fu & Music LEAP Activity Videos Art Classes with Alicia Cobb Ripped Paper Project (1 hour) Language Monsters Self-Portraits Project (1 hour) Art Day of the Dead memes inspired by Jose Guadalupe Posada (1 hour) Sun Moon Portraits Project (1 hour) Positive Negative Art Project (1 hour) Pointillism Flowers Project (1 hour) Fitness Classes with Taivon Jones Fitness Fitness Class Quarantine Theme Workout #1 Fitness Class Quarantine Theme Workout #2 Virtual Fitness Class (about 10 minutes) Anna Simon Reading My Father's Dragon Part 1 Read-Alouds Anna Simon Reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Chapters 1 and 2 Read-Alouds Anne Northrup Reading Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan Anne Northrup Reading The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan Part 1 Anne Northrup Reading The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan Part 2 Wendy Simmons reading Max Found Two Sticks by Brian Pinkney Anne Northrup Reading Peter and the Starcatchers pt 1 Anne Northrup Reading Peter and the Starcatchers pt 2 Dance Lessons Dance African Dance Lesson #1 Provided by Art in CT African Dance Lesson #2 Provided by Art in CT African Dance Lesson #3 Provided by Art in CT Kung Fu & Music Kung Fu & Music Mitchell Jay Kung Fu Lesson 1 Steven Riccio Music Lessons Introduction