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

Check out articles on LEAP through the years. Press Archive For the Latest News, check out our News page here ! 20 22 100s Turn Out for the Nutcracker at the Q December 6 2022 | New Haven Independent LEAP holds 'thankful dinner' for New Haven children November 22 2022 | WTNH News 8 New Haveners Celebrate the Spookiest Night of the Year November 2 2022 | Yale Daily News Q House Halloween Lets Kids Be Kids October 31 2022 | New Haven Independent What's Right With Schools: New Haven students continued learning over the summer September 6 2022 | WTNH News 8 New Haven High School Grads LEAP Forward July 25 2022 | New Haven Independent Read-In LEAPs Into Summer on the Green July 18 2022 | The New Haven Arts Paper LEAP Reading event held on the New Haven Green for kids July 15 2022 | WTNH News 8 LEAP Read-In Combats Summer Slide July 15 2022 | New Haven Independent LEAP Exec. shares info on Annual Read-In Event July 14 2022 | WTNH News 8 Biden Administration Visits New Haven's Progress on Building More Equitable Access to Healthy Foods July 8 2022 | WSHU Public Radio Q House Farmers Market Launches, With New Mac & Cheese Twist June 23 2022 | New Haven Independent $194K Seed Planted in Dixwell Food Desert June 20 2022 | New Haven Independent New Farmers Market Coming to New Haven to Help Feed City Residents June 20 2022 | WTNH News 8 27th LEAP Year Dinners Raise $320K For Youth March 7 2022 | New Haven Independent Dream House February 16 2022 | Daily Nutmeg LoveBabz LoveTalk with Henry Fernandez February 10 2022 | LoveBabz LoveTalk with Babz Rawls-Ivy LEAP Leaps into Quinnipiac Meadows February 3 2022 | New Haven Independent "LEAP Year" Dinner-Convos Loom, Some In Person, Some Zoomed February 2 2022 | New Haven Independent 2021 27th LEAP Year Dinners Raise $320K For Youth March 7 2021 | New Haven Independent Hopes High As New Q House Ribbon Cut November 6 2021 | New Haven Independent New Haven's All-New Q House Set to Debut October 29 2021 | New Haven Register New Haven's Iconic Q House to Return After Nearly 20 Years October 22 2021 | NBC Conneticut As Opening Nears, Q House Qs Answered October 22 2021 | New Haven Independent Rally Readies Return to School, In Person August 16 2021 | New Haven Independent LEAPers Travel the Globe in Summer Showcase August 10 2021 | New Haven Arts Paper Summer Camp Spotlights Biking ABCs July 28 2021 | New Haven Independent What’s Right With Schools: New Haven LEAP Program prepares kids to go back to the classroom July 22 2021 | News 8 WTNH At Read-In, Students and Symphony LEAP Back Into Books July 19 2021 | New Haven Arts Paper Q House-LEAP Contract Approved July 8 2021 | New Haven Independent LEAP-Q House Contract Advances May 11 2021 | New Haven Independent LEAP-Q House Contract Proposal Submitted April 5 2021 | New Haven Independent LEAP Tapped to Manage Q House April 1 2021 | New Haven Independent LEAP Celebrates With First-Ever Virtual Fundraiser March 1 2021 | New Haven Independent LEAP’s Famous Fundraiser Goes Virtual January 29 2021 | New Haven Independent 2020 Academic and Social Enrichment with Henry Fernandez of LEAP for Kids December 14 2020 | Comcast Newsmakers New Haven LEAP program continues helping at-risk kids with schooling during pandemic September 15 2020 | WTNH LEAPers Reimagine Dixwell Avenue July 23 2020 | Arts Council Greater New Haven LEAP, National Dairy Council Encourage Healthy Eating, Exercise in New Haven Summer Camps July 21 2020 | WTNH How LEAP Salvaged Summer July 15 2020 | New Haven Independent LEAP Counselors See “Breaking Point” On Policing June 10 2020 | New Haven Independent Chromes for Kids June 9 2020 | New Haven Independent Adapting and Responding to Challenging Times April 30, 2020 | WTNH News Nonprofit Fills Covid-Related Gaps For Families April 1, 2020 | New Haven Independent LEAP To Start Video-Based Programs During COVID-19 Mar 19, 2020 | New Haven Independent LEAP Celebrates 25th Anniversary Mar 3, 2020 | New Haven Independent LEAP Year Celeb Dinners On Tap Jan 18, 2020 | New Haven Independent Teen Follows Mom’s College Dream Jan 10, 2020 | New Haven Independent 2019 LEAP: Surrounding Kids With Approachable Neighborhood Role Models is Key to Success Nov 8, 2019 | Kars4Kids Spooky Doings Planned Oct 23, 2019 | New Haven Independent YHHAP to host nonprofit meet and greet Oct 11, 2019 | Yale Daily News New York Life Foundation Awards $1.35 Million in Grants to Out-of-School Time Programs to Help Middle School Students Transition to 9th Grade July 24, 2019 | New York Life Community Connections: LEAP June 2, 2019 | Connect Media Julia’s Run celebrates two decades April 14, 2019 | Yale Daily News 20th Annual Julia’s Run for Children April 14, 2019 | New Haven Register Road race to benefit New Haven’s LEAP, honor Yale student who died in 1999 March 18, 2019 | New Haven Register USA Swimming Foundation Awards $507,461 of 2019 Grant Funding for Make a Splash Local Partners March 25, 2019 | Swimming World Editorial Team Evening Raises Consciousness, 200K For Young People March 3, 2019 | New Haven Independent LEAP Plans Major Fundraiser Feb 24, 2019 | Yale Daily News Learn + Dine Feb 7, 2019 | New Haven Independent 2018 LEAP Book Drive Hits The Suburbs Dec 16, 2019 | New Haven Independent LEAP hosts 10th annual Halloween festival Oct 28, 2018 | Yale Daily News CT LIVE!: LEAP's Halloween Festival October 23, 2018 | NBC CT Trick or LEAP October 22, 2018 | New Haven Independent LEAP re-opens fifth site October 08, 2018 | Yale Daily News LEAP looks to help kids make life-changing choices while learning crucial skills. July 18, 2018 | WTNH News LEAP's Read-In Rocks The Green July 12, 2018 | Arts Council of Greater New Haven LEAP mixes sunny weather with spoken words at Read-In July 13, 2018 | New Haven Register Bookworms swarm New Haven Green for "Leap Read in Green" event July 12, 2018 | WTNH News LEAP Children's Program May 17, 2018 | Comcast Newsmakers Why Are Minority Children In The US More Likely To Drown? May 16, 2018 | WNPR News LEAP receives Hearst Foundations grant May 10, 2018 | CT Post Nonprofit receives grant for swim program April 25, 2018 | Yale Daily News LEAP Awarded $35K Grant to Expand Programs April 17, 2018 | NBC CT New Lifeguards Minted April 15, 2018 | New Haven Independent Despite cold, nearly 250 participate in Julia’s Run April 14, 2018 | Yale Daily News Julia’s run goes into its 19th year April 10, 2018 | Yale Daily News USA Swimming Foundation Awards Over $436,000 in 2018 Grant Funding for Make a Splash Local Partners March 26, 2018 | US Swimming Foundation Chris Murphy Visits Wakanda March 18, 2018 | New Haven Independent Kids LEAP into Wakanda March 05, 2018 | New Haven Independent Nonprofit presents Black History Month showcase February 15, 2018 | Yale Daily News

Check out photos of LEAP activities for young people. Activities Gallery Gardening 1/8 Literacy IMG_2947 fullsizeoutput_32de fullsizeoutput_413f IMG_2947 1/14 Swimming IMG_8091 IMG_8085 IMG_8097 IMG_8091 1/8 Sculpting A counselor sculpts a portrait alongside her group. 1/8 LEAP Computer Learning Center (LCLC) 1/8 LITs Go to Philadelphia 1/12 LIT Camping Describe your image. Describe your image. Describe your image. Describe your image. 1/9 Adam Krieger Adventure Ropes Course IMG_3501 IMG_3507 IMG_3506 IMG_3501 1/5 Outdoor Corps & Peabody Museum 1/9

Thank you for your contribution to LEAP! Thank you for your support! LEAP thanks you for supporting our free, year-round programming for New Haven youth! Your contribution enables youth to build their leadership skills by mentoring children from New Haven's historically underserved neighborhoods. You make it possible for LEAP to continue to be a safe space for young people to be the best they can be. www.leapforkids.org | 203-773-0770 | 31 Jefferson Street, New Haven, CT 06511

Dixwell Q House Find out more! 197 Dixwell Ave, New Haven, CT 06511 Monday-Friday 9am-9pm Founded in 1924, the Q House has been a pillar of community in the Dixwell neighborhood. It was newly renovated and reopened in November 2021. LEAP is proud to be managing programs at the Q House. Visit our website at dixwellqhouse.org . Have a question? You can send us an email at qhouse@leapforkids.org. Reserve space at the Q House If you or your organization would like to reserve space at the Q House for an event or meeting, please fill out our online space request form here. Take a virtual tour! Now Open: Q House Activities Programs are free and open to the public. We have limited slots at this time. We require individuals over the age of 16 to be fully vaccinated to participate in our programs. Register for activities We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Leaders In Training (LITs) Application Form *Application does not automatically save; if you refresh or leave this page, any entered information will be lost.* Para completar la aplicación en español, cambie el botón de traducción a español en la parte superior derecha del formulario a continuación.

Are you a teen trying to get into college -- or do you know one? Learn more here about the college application process, financial aid, and skill building resources. LEAP College Lifesavers Welcome to LEAP College Lifesavers! LEAP aims to support all of our counselors in their post-secondary goals and has created a series of resources for counselors to use to help in that process. Please review, download and use the resources made available below as you prepare for the college application process, figure out financial aid and develop your skills for entering the professional world. College Application Process View Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Loans View Professional Skills Resources View

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

LEAP is committed to having significant impact on all of the young people we serve. Learn how here. LEAP's Impact LEAP provides academic support, social enrichment, and leadership development to more than 1,000 youth each year. Using our unique mentoring model, LEAP empowers high school and college students, giving them the training, education, and resources they need to work as counselors for younger children. With their counselors’ support, these children engage in literacy activities and learn to swim, code, camp, dance, garden and much more — all free of charge. Leap by the Numbers 1,202 Children in LEAP's Afterschool and Summer Programs 6 Neighborhood Based Sites 150 Young Teens as LEAP Leaders in Training 19 Books Read on Average per LEAPer during the Summer 211 Young People Employed and Trained at LEAP Annual Reports See our annual reports for information about LEAP's yearly statistics and a performance overview! Testimonials See our testimonials for student and counselor feedback on their experience in LEAP! How Can I Make an Impact? By Mail Make checks out to "LEAP" and send to: 31 Jefferson Street New Haven, CT 06511 Online Make a tax deductible donation‏. Click to Give Over the Phone It's easy to donate offline too. Tel: 203-773-0770

Get in touch with LEAP! Contact Us Get in Touch 31 Jefferson St, New Haven, CT 06511 203-773-0770 To send an email to a member of the LEAP staff, their address is the first letter of their first name + their last name at leapforkids.org. Ex: John Smith would be jsmith@leapforkids.org . For programming-related inquiries, please contact the following: Children's Program Deputy Director of Programs, Stefanie Vargas - svargas@leapforkids.org Leaders in Training Program Director of Programs, Nikilia Reid - nreid@leapforkids.org Aquatics Program Aquatics Manager, Elvert Eden - eeden@leapforkids.org For press-related inquiries , please contact our Communications Coordinator, Melissa Liriano, at mliriano@leapforkids.org . You can also email us with any questions by filling out this form. If you want us to be able to call you back, please be sure to include your phone number. Enter Your Name* Enter Your Number Enter Your Email* Subject* Type Your Message Here* Send Thanks for submitting! Locate Us! We Need Your Support Today! By Mail Make checks out to "LEAP" and send to: 31 Jefferson Street New Haven, CT 06511 Online Make a tax deductible donation‏. Click to Give Over the Phone It's easy to donate offline too. Tel: 203-773-0770 Make a Gift Today! DONATE

Learn about and complete an application for LEAP's Leaders In Training Program for 13 to 15 year olds. Leaders in Training (LITs) Leaders In Training (LITs) support senior and junior counselors by volunteering with younger children. They also get their own unique age-appropriate programming which includes academic support, health education, community service, and job exploration. what who LEAP's LIT program (afterschool and summer) program is available for teens ages 13 to 15. Unlike the children's program, LITs can come from any New Haven neighborhood. LITs receive a small stipend and many advance into other positions at LEAP, including Junior Counselors and Swim Instructors. The after-school program operates Monday-Thursday from 3 pm - 6:30pm and Fridays 3-5 pm. The summer program is Monday-Friday. when The LIT Program will re-start again during the Spring Component! Application Go to Application Spring Program 2026 To apply for the LIT program, you must be between the ages of 13 and 15. The hours of operation will be Monday through Thursday from 3 p m to 6:30 pm and Fridays 3-5 pm. We operate out of one location: LEAP COMMUNITY CENTER: 31 Jefferson Street, New Haven CT 06511 Dates Progra mming: February 2nd to May 9th 2026 Parent Meeting: Parent meeting will be held on (TBD) and is held for ACCEPTED LITs only. We will communicate the dates and location when your child is formally accepted into our spring programming. We will let you know then what documentation will be needed from you. Required Documents: Full completed application including essay Physical Health Documentation & Action plan - signed by a doctor and a legal guardian (action plan is only needed if LIT had asthma with inhaler or allergies with Epipen) Disclaimer Notice : Submission of your application does not mean your child has been fully accepted. Acceptance will be confirmed via phone call by our Youth Development Leadership Team within 72hrs of submission. Please note that you will not be fully enrolled into the program until you submit the physical and Insurance ID documents. If you would like to complete an application for the program, please scroll down to the bottom of the page. You will be contacted by a member of our staff once we have received your application. Thank you! Watch this video to learn more about LEAP's LIT program! Leaders in Training: Where You Discover What Makes You Powerful PURPOSE: Own Your Path: This is your space. A place where you figure out who you are, what you're good at, how to use your voice, and the way to turn your ideas into reality. Whether you're into sports, arts, music, or just figuring things out. This program gives you the freedom to explore what matters to YOU while building the skills to lead your own path forward.  What makes us different?  Real talk, real support: Daily small groups with counselors who actually listen and have your back  Your choice matters: Fridays are 100% yours, pick your vibe from cooking to crafts to open gym to outdoor adventures  Level up your future: Get ready for high school, explore careers, visit colleges, and snag real internships  Create & be heard: Use podcasting, art, social media, and performance to tell your story and make change  Move your body, clear your mind: Daily athletics and wellness to keep you strong inside and out  Discover your strengths. Use your voice. Lead your way. 

Learn about LEAP's programs for children and young teens both after school and summer. Fill out an application for your the afterschool program, summer program, or the Leaders In Training program. Programs Overview 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. In our two community centers 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. Afterschool Children's Program What Homework assistance, extra reading, activities including athletics, arts, computer science, cooking, and gardening. When + Where The program operates after school Monday-Thursday from 3 pm - 6 pm. LEAP operates in 8 neighborhoods. Who This is for children ages 7-12 who live in one of our 8 neighborhoods. Summer Children's Program What Literacy, athletics, arts, computer science, cooking, and gardening + field trips around New Haven. When + Where The program operates after school Monday-Thursday from 8:30 am - 4 pm, Friday from 8:30 - 1pm. LEAP operates in 8 neighborhoods. Who This is for children ages 7-12 who live in one of our 8 neighborhoods. Leaders in Training Program What Participate in unique programming just for teens and intern with counselors working with younger children When + Where Afterschool: Mon-Thurs 3pm - 7pm Summer: Mon-Thurs from 8:30 am - 4 pm, Friday from 8:30 - 1pm Who This is for teens aged 13-15 who come from any neighborhood. They will receive a stipend. Swimming Program Who Children, teens, adults, families, and aspiring lifeguards/instructors What Community swim lessons & water safety When Offered year-round in scheduled multi-week sessions Where LEAP pool at 31 Jefferson St., New Haven, CT Register Here! Make LEAP Children a Part of your Legacy! DONATE