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 is committed to sharing the information that helps our community be strong, just, and supportive of one another. Learn more here. Community Resources COVID-19 Important information for kids, parents & families regarding COVID-19, as well as online educational materials and activities for children. COVID-19 MORE Important information for kids, parents & families regarding COVID-19, as well as online educational materials and activities for children. Racial Justice & Social Change Educational materials, tips, and healing resources meant to support Black youth and their non-Black peers who are trying to learn how to navigate the culture of racial injustice and police brutality in our nation. Racial Justice & Social Change MORE Educational materials, tips, and healing resources meant to support Black youth and their non-Black peers who are trying to learn how to navigate the culture of racial injustice and police brutality in our nation. College Lifesavers Scholarship opportunities, financial aid information, guides on college essay writing, and other resources to help high school and college aged counselors. College Lifesavers Scholarship opportunities, financial aid information, guides on college essay writing, and other resources to help high school and college aged counselors. MORE

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

Medical Needs Getting Medical Assistance If you are not able to reach your doctor (or your child's doctor) and a family member is showing symptoms, call the Yale New Haven Hospital COVID-19 Call Center: (203) 688-1700. If you do not have health insurance and need medical assistance, including if you are an undocumented immigrant, call Fair Haven Community Health Center which is not charging people without insurance during the crisis (this can also be helpful to immigrants concerned about the "Public Charge" rule). Their number is (203) 777-7411. Both Fair Haven Community Health Center (203) 777-7411 and Cornell Scott - Hill Health Center (203) 503-3000 have tele-health (video with medical staff) and have many options to make their services affordable or even free. Do not avoid health care because of cost! Do not rely on social media or friends for information, go to our Covid-19 Updates page for reliable sources. Getting Tested Several COVID-19 locations are now available in New Haven in multiple neighborhoods, these include sites run by Fair Haven Health Clinic, Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, CVS and Yale New Haven Hospital. They all have slightly different approaches so visit the City of New Haven's testing map tool to find a location that works for you . Mental Health Services Clifford Beers provides mental health services for children and teens. They are providing tele-health (phone and video conference) services for young people in need. Contact them at (203) 772-1270. For emergency/crisis mental health needs for people of all ages, call 211. Need Support & Not Sure Who To Call? Clifford Beers is also operating a Warm Line. You can call it if you just need someone to talk to (in English or Spanish), if you need food and don't know who to turn to, are in need of child/infant supplies (notebooks, diapers, clothes, etc.), need connections to mental health resources, or have questions about volunteer aid, COVID-19 info, or other help. Just call (203) 287-2460. Internet Needs Talking to Kids about COVID-19 Medical Needs COVID-19 Updates Food & Unemployment Free Online Books At Home Activities LEAP Activity Videos

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

Check out our recent LEAP newsletters. Newsletter Archive Summer 2021 Spring 2021 Fall 2021 Summer 2020 Summer 2019 Summer 2018 Summer 2017 Spring 2020 Spring 2019 Spring 2018 Spring 2017 Fall 2020 Fall 2019 Fall 2018 Fall 2017

Free Online Books You can look for free children's books to read online on google books by going here and typing "free children's books" into the search bar. You can do the same for any kind of book, just put the word "free" first. Project Gutenberg offers 60,000 free e-books. Their website includes how to load these books onto your cell phone, kindle or other devices. Learn more here . People Get Ready is a community book space in New Haven located on Whalley Avenue. They are currently closed to the public, but the owners have been holding virtual, daily storytime sessions on Facebook Live and then saving those videos for families to watch on their page. Their Instagram account also provides daily helpful ideas for engaging with children in reading activities while they are at home or in their community during this period of social distancing. Click here for a list of seven websites that offer free eBooks for children to read. For families with library cards, the NHFPL has several free online resources such as eBooks, audiobooks and movies through apps/websites like Hoopla, Kanopy, and OverDrive. They also offer online skill classes in Microsoft Office, graphic design, arts & crafts, statistics and more through apps/websites like CREATIVEBUG and Lynda.com. There is a long list of kid/teen resources, research sites for students doing projects and free access to the New York Times, as well. See their list of electronic resources here. 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 is a great place to work, with unique opportunities. If you are a college or high school student looking for counselor positions or someone interested in a full time position in youth development, check LEAP out. Work for LEAP LEAP is structured so that children are surrounded by strong role models — college and high school students trained by LEAP to be mentors, instructors, and counselors. Following our mentorship model, many children who participate in LEAP grow up to become counselors themselves, or even full-time program staff. Many LEAP counselors have gone on to become teachers, principals, elected officials and community leaders — maintaining their commitment to children from low income neighborhoods. LEAP is committed to finding highly motivated counselors who work hard and believe in our kids. Thus, in addition to the application, a rigorous in-person interview is required. If this sounds like you, please apply! Our Positions LEAP Junior Counselors must be New Haven high school students 16 years old or older. Junior Counselors LEAP Senior Counselors must be college or graduate students in good standing at a 2- or 4-year college or university. Senior Counselors LEAP Swim Instructors and Lifeguards are high school or college students. Swim Staff Full time staff support LEAP’s work. Full-Time Positions Newly hired staff can access required materials here. New Hire Information There are many opportunities to help out at LEAP. Volunteer Want to enroll in a program instead? Afterschool Children's Program Summer Children's Program Leaders in Training Aquatics Check out our Programs Here!

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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