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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. Our Impact To view LEAP's financial documents and learn more about our funding challenges Financial Information To view LEAP's financial documents and learn more about our funding challenges Reasons to Donate To learn more about why donating to LEAP matters now more than ever Planned Giving Options To learn more about ways to make a planned gift to LEAP and how to join the LEAP Legacy Society 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. Information for Donors Donate Today You can make a secure online donation by credit card, wallet, or direct debit to support academic and social enrichment for New Haven youth. If you want to dedicate your gift to a friend or relative, p lease click "One-time donation" and check the box "I would like to dedicate this gift." If you want us to notify someone about your donation, please check the box "I would like someone to receive communication about this gift," and we will inform them accordingly. Please note: Blackbaud, our payment processor, offers an option to contribute an additional 10% to support their services. This contribution is voluntary and not required for your donation to be processed. You can uncheck the box if you wish to opt-out. Thank you for your support! Donate Become a Sustaining Donor Monthly recurring gifts provide steady, reliable support. Donate 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. More Info Give Through a Donor Advised Fund If you have a donor advised fund, DAF Direct enables you to recommend 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: 22-2906547 More Info Other questions? Contact Rachel at rklinebrown@leapforkids.org

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Paris Jones Youth Development Coordinator pjones@leapforkids.org Paris (she/her/hers) I am the Youth Development Coordinator, which means I oversee the Leaders In Training Program, our young teen program, and work with youth ages 13-15. I joined LEAP in January 2019. I am an alumna from Johnson & Wales University, and I have a B.S. in Counseling Psychology. I love LEAP because LEAP is a place where children, teens, and young adults all find themselves and learn how to give back to the communities that they come from. Some hobbies I have are reading, painting, yoga, and of course, shopping.

Articles & Essays Books & Poetry Movies Podcasts TV shows Videos Educational Materials on Anti-Racism, Social Movements and Black History in the United States Articles and Essays The 1619 Project “The 1619 Project is an ongoing project developed by The New York Times Magazine in 2019 with the goal of re-examining the legacy of slavery in the United States and timed for the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Africans in Virginia.” Bryan Stevenson on the Frustration Behind the George Floyd Protests (The New Yorker) Bryan Stevenson is a civil rights activist and lawyer as well as the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative , “a human-rights organization that challenges convictions, advocates for criminal-justice reform and racial justice, and created the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, in Montgomery, Alabama, which honors the victims of lynching and other forms of racial terror during the Jim Crow era.” In this Q&A, Stevenson “discusses the roots of police violence in both slavery and Jim Crow, how to change the culture of policing, and the frustration and despair behind this week’s protests.” The racist roots of American policing: From slave patrols to traffic stops (The Conversation) The Conversation is a network of not-for-profit media outlets that publish news stories written by academics and researchers. This article, shared by Facing History and Ourselves , “traces the historical precedents of aggressive and violent policing of African Americans in slavery and the Jim Crow era.” Ibram X. Kendi - The American Nightmare (The Atlantic) This essay is written by Ibram X. Kendi , a professor, the director of The Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University and a National Book Award–winning author focused on the topic of antiracism. Dr. Kendi ties the line between recent protests against racism and police brutality, the loss of Black lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the work of academic and political leaders to discredit and ignore Black people’s humanity. Ta-Nehisi Coates - The Case for Reparations (The Atlantic) In this long essay by journalist and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates , readers are presented a series of arguments for why the United States should offer reparations to members of the Black community as victims of theft, slavery and intense discrimination. Books and Poetry Collections Where to Buy Your Books in New Haven People Get Ready is “a neighborhood bookspace that is grounded in respect for the dignity of all beings, the importance of reciprocal relations, and the transformative power of radical love. It is a place to purchase, yes, but also encounter, trade, talk about, and fall in love with books, especially books for children, youth, and "reluctant" readers and books that might not be as easily found elsewhere, such as books by authors of color, Indigenous authors, LGBTQ+ authors, bi/multilingual authors, local authors, and poets of all kinds.” People Get Ready delivers books all over New Haven and was created by New Haven community members! Anti-Racist Reading Lists Here are a few collected lists of books focused on anti-racism, history of race in the U.S., and social change movements. This List Of Books, Films And Podcasts About Racism Is A Start, Not A Panacea (NPR’s Code Switch) The Anti-Racist Reading List (ELLE) Do the work: an anti-racist reading list (The Guardian) 12 Anti-Racist Books Recommended by Educators and Activists (New York Magazine) Several Antiracist Books Are Selling Out. Here's What Else Black Booksellers and Publishers Say You Should Read (TIME) These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids (New York Times) A History of Race and Racism in America, in 24 Chapters (New York Times) For Adults - Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America “Some Americans cling desperately to the myth that we are living in a post-racial society, that the election of the first Black president spelled the doom of racism. In fact, racist thought is alive and well in America–more sophisticated and more insidious than ever. And as award-winning historian Ibram X. Kendi argues in Stamped from the Beginning, if we have any hope of grappling with this stark reality, we must first understand how racist ideas were developed, disseminated, and enshrined in American society.” For Youth (Ages 12 and Up) - Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi ex-plores the legacy of racism throughout the entire history of the United States of Amer-ica. Further, it spotlights the work of antira-cists and those who have resisted the racist ideas and policies that shape this nation.” Counting Descent by Clint Smith “Clint Smith ’s debut poetry collection, Counting Descent is a coming of age story that seeks to complicate our conception of lineage and tradition. Smith explores the cognitive dissonance that results from belonging to a community that unapologetically celebrates black humanity while living in a world that often renders blackness a caricature of fear.” 1919 by Eve Ewing “The Chicago Race Riot of 1919, the most intense of the riots that comprised the “Red Summer” of violence across the nation’s cities, has shaped the last century but is unfamiliar or altogether unknown to many people today. In 1919, her second collection of poems, Eve L. Ewing explores the story of this event—which lasted eight days and resulted in thirty-eight deaths and almost five hundred injuries— through poems recounting the stories of everyday people trying to survive and thrive in the city. Ewing uses speculative and Afrofuturist lenses to recast history, illuminating the thin line between the past and the present.” The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin The Fire Next Time is “a 1963 non-fiction book by James Baldwin . It contains two essays: "My Dungeon Shook — Letter to my Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation" and "Down At The Cross — Letter from a Region of My Mind". The first essay, written in the form of a letter to Baldwin's 14-year-old nephew, discusses the central role of race in American history. The second essay deals with the relations between race and religion, focusing in particular on Baldwin's experiences with the Christian church as a youth, as well as the Islamic ideas of others in Harlem.” When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Cullors and asha bandele “When They Call You a Terrorist is Patrisse Khan-Cullors (co-founder of Black Lives Matter) and asha bandele ’s reflection on humanity. It is an empowering account of survival, strength and resilience and a call to action to change the culture that declares innocent Black life expendable.” Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward “In five years, Jesmyn Ward lost five young men in her life-to drugs, accidents, suicide, and the bad luck that can follow people who live in poverty, particularly black men. Dealing with these losses, one after another, made Jesmyn ask the question: Why? And as she began to write about the experience of living through all the dying, she realized the truth-and it took her breath away. Her brother and her friends all died because of who they were and where they were from, because they lived with a history of racism and economic struggle that fostered drug addiction and the dissolution of family and relationships. Jesmyn says the answer was so obvious she felt stupid for not seeing it. But it nagged at her until she knew she had to write about her community, to write their stories and her own.” The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander “The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander is a stunning account of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African Americans locked behind bars and then relegated to a permanent second-class status—denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement.” Movies and Documentaries 13th (Netflix) “13th is a 2016 American documentary by director Ava DuVernay . The film explores the ‘intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States;’ it is titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, adopted in 1865, which abolished slavery throughout the United States and ended involuntary servitude except as a punishment for conviction of a crime.” Malcolm X (Netflix) “Malcolm X is a 1992 American epic biographical drama film about the African-American activist Malcolm X . Directed and co-written by Spike Lee , the film stars Denzel Washington in the title role.” Selma (YouTube) “Selma is a 2014 historical drama film directed by Ava DuVernay and written by Paul Webb. It is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by James Bevel , Hosea Williams, Martin Luther King Jr. , and John Lewis .” Just Mercy (YouTube) “Just Mercy is a 2019 American legal drama film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. It tells the true story of Walter McMillian, who, with the help of young defense attorney Bryan Stevenson , appeals his murder conviction. The film is based on the memoir of the same name, written by Stevenson.” I Am Not Your Negro (YouTube) “Master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, Remember This House. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin’s original words and flood of rich archival material. I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And, ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of Medgar Evers , Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for.” Podcasts Justice in America “Justice In America is hosted by Josie Duffy Rice , president of The Appeal , along with guest hosts Darnell Moore, Donovan X. Ramsey, Derecka Purnell, and Zak Cheney Rice. Each episode explains a new criminal justice issue and features conversations with experts and advocates. Justice in America is available on iTunes , Soundcloud and LibSyn RSS .” Pod Save the People “On Pod Save the People, organizer and activist DeRay Mckesson explores news, culture, social justice, and politics with fellow activists Brittany Packnett Cunningham and Sam Sinyangwe , and writer Dr. Clint Smith . They offer a unique take on the news, with a special focus on overlooked stories and topics that often impact people of color.” Episodes of Where We Live from Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR) “Where We Live (hosted by Lucy Nalpathanchil ) is a call-in talk show about who we are in Connecticut and our place in the world. On any given day, we explore topics you may be talking about at your job or at home. From immigration and education to workplace and family issues. We explore the latest scientific research and how worldwide events impact us locally.” Revisiting New Haven's Black Panther Trials With Ericka Huggins “On May 1st, 1970, the eyes of the nation were on the Elm City. Students and others from around the country had gathered to protest the murder trial of Black Panther Party leaders Bobby Seale and Ericka Huggins . This hour, we take a look back at May Day in New Haven , 50 years ago. We talk with Huggins and hear from a former Baltimore mayor who was one of the Yale students who helped keep protests peaceful.” For more information about the New Haven Black Panther Trials, check out REVOLUTION ON TRIAL, a podcast co-produced by The Narrative Project and Artspace New Haven . Residents Call For Police Reform, Dismantling Systemic Racism in Connecticut “Residents across Connecticut continue to protest and speak out in response to the police killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer. This hour, as residents demand police accountability, how should they also work towards dismantling systemic racism in our state? We talk with State Representative Robyn Porter , who has worked on police accountability legislation. We find out what more needs to be done to reform police departments and how it ties into addressing the underlying structural inequalities in Connecticut.” Code Switch Code Switch is “a race and culture outlet and a weekly podcast from American public radio network NPR.” The Code Switch staff are “a multi-racial, multi-generational team of journalists fascinated by the overlapping themes of race, ethnicity and culture, how they play out in our lives and communities, and how all of this is shifting.” Still Processing “Step inside the confession booth of Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham , two culture writers for The New York Times. They devour TV, movies, art, music and the internet to find the things that move them — to tears, awe and anger. Still Processing is where they try to understand the pleasures and pathologies of America in 2020.” 1619: The Podcast “Four hundred years ago, in August 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived in the English colony of Virginia. No aspect of the country that would be formed here has been untouched by the 250 years of slavery that followed. ‘1619,’ a New York Times audio series hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, examines the long shadow of that fateful moment.” Hear to Slay “Hear to Slay is the black feminist podcast of your dreams—compelling conversations curated in only the way black women can. Each week, Roxane Gay and Tressie McMillan Cottom offer uncommonly incisive reads of the politics that shape the world we live in and the popular culture we consume.” TV Shows When They See Us (Netflix) and a Learning Companion (ARRAY 101) “When They See Us a 2019 American drama web television miniseries created, co-written, and directed by Ava DuVernay for Netflix, that premiered in four parts on May 31, 2019. It is based on events of the 1989 Central Park jogger case and explores the lives and families of the five male suspects who were falsely accused then prosecuted on charges related to the rape and assault of a woman in Central Park, New York City.” Ava Duvernay’s production company, ARRAY, created a learning companion to go along with the series. Dear White People (Netflix) “Based on the acclaimed film of the same name, this Netflix-original series follows a group of students of color at Winchester University, a predominantly white Ivy League college. The students are faced with a landscape of cultural bias, social injustice, misguided activism and slippery politics. Through an absurdist lens, the series uses irony, self-deprecation, brutal honesty and humor to highlight issues that still plague today's"post-racial" society.” Videos and Discussions James Baldwin Debates William F. Buckley (1965) - Starting at 14:05 “In 1965, James Baldwin debated William F. Buckley at the Cambridge Union Society, Cambridge University. The topic of the debate was, ‘The American Dream is at the expense of the American negro.’” Here is an article that speaks more on why this debate mattered and continues to matter in the conversation of racial injustice in the United States. Articles & Essays Books & Poetry Movies Podcasts TV shows Videos

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's Spring College Tour Diary Daily Blog Posts from the Road! Day 1 - Sunday, April 14, 2024 On the Road to Virginia

Zalma Vivanco Curriculum and Training Coordinator zvivanco@leapforkids.org Zalma (she/her/hers) Hi everyone! I'm the Curriculum and Training Coordinator at LEAP, which means I'm in charge of creating lessons and activities for our 7-12 year olds and training our counselors on how to facilitate curriculum sessions. I recently graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Psychology and joined LEAP shortly after, in the summer of 2020. While at Yale, I ran a three-year academic mentoring program at Wexler-Grant Community school, volunteered at New Haven Works, and worked as a research assistant in the Education Studies department. I'm from New York, and I enjoy running, cooking, art, and reading! I love LEAP because we see the inherent value in every child and do our best to make them feel loved and supported. The LEAP community is a special one and I feel lucky to be a part of it!

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 contact Yakeita Robinson at yrobinson@leapforkids.org or you can call the Q House at (475) 306-6936 . Take a virtual tour! Sign up for FREE classes! 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

Programs Overview Activities Gallery Check out our to get a glimpse of what LEAPers do! Afterschool Children's Program Continue During the school year, LEAP operates a comprehensive after school program four days a week with a 5:1 child to counselor ratio. Counselors help children complete homework, engage in our literacy-based curriculum, and enjoy a wide range of opportunities in the arts, sports, and science. We cater to children’s “multiple intelligences,” which are often ignored in urban public schools which must now spend the majority of their time meeting strict standardized testing goals in basic subjects. With LEAP, our children get to engage in activities including swimming, computer coding, African dance, yoga, chess, photography, art, healthy cooking, knitting, gardening, theater, poetry, guitar, tennis, soccer, and more. Kids also go on adventures around New Haven for further educational and social enrichment. Summer Children's Program Continue In LEAP’s summer program, children get to participate in full-day summer camp five days a week. LEAP children do many of the same enrichment activities during the summer as they do during the school year including an extensive literacy curriculum, computer coding, swimming, gardening and much more. They also enjoy a "journey" outside of New Haven that connects to their LEAP curriculum to places like the CT Science Center, Dinosaur State Park, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia. Plus, LEAP kids go on an overnight camping trip during the summer to explore nature and learn about the environment, with the help of our partnership with the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. LEAP children also take city buses to explore places like the Yale University Art Gallery, Edgewood Park, and New Haven’s many other attractions. Leaders in Training Program Continue LEAP is committed to developing strong young leaders who are prepared to mentor LEAP children and strengthen their communities. Our Leaders in Training (LITs) are 13-15 years old, and we have approximately 60 LITs in each session who come to the LEAP Community Center for programming during the summer and after school. Our Leaders in Training are in the transition from camper to counselor and middle school to high school, so their curriculum recognizes the social and educational development needs of this age group while preparing them to take on leadership roles in their community. LITs participate in trainings and workshops that help them problem-solve issues teenagers face, make good decisions around their own health and sexuality, and set goals for their future. LITs also apprentice under counselors in the classroom to prepare them to become our next generation of LEAP mentors. LITs often participate in and help lead the enrichment activities for the campers such as swimming, overnight camping, ropes course, dance, art and community service projects. Swimming Program Continue LEAP feels strongly that knowing how to swim is a basic issue of life and safety. Giving children the opportunity to learn swimming saves lives — and specifically protects BIPOC lives. In 2016, 70% of Black children and 60% of Latinx children couldn't swim in the United States (USA Swimming Foundation). LEAP is committed to teaching the Black and Latinx children who make up our program about water safety and how to swim. LEAP provides free swimming lessons as part of LEAP’s after-school and summer programs. In addition, LEAP offers low-cost swim classes to children and adults from the broader community at LEAP’s Community Center pool.

Important Information from LEAP on Our Programs and COVID-19 October 29, 2020 Dear LEAP parents and guardians, We are excited to restart LEAP in the fall semester. And we are excited to be able to have kids in person for part of every week, for those families that want to be in-person. We are also offering an online only program for families that want to do that. We are combining homework assistance with literacy help and a commitment to fun activities that allow kids to enjoy themselves while learning. To make LEAP safe for everyone, we are taking a number of steps, these include: Requiring masks for all children, counselors and staff; Cleaning all surfaces several times a day; Maintaining small groups; Taking children’s and counselor’s temperatures before they enter LEAP every day; Requiring that all our counselors and staff get tested for COVID-19 every two weeks; Carefully watching the COVID-19 positive test rates in Connecticut to determine whether it is safe to continue programs (unfortunately Connecticut and the whole country are starting to see increases in the number of people testing positive). We ask that all LEAP families also take responsibility to make LEAP safe for everyone. This includes: If your child is sick or has symptoms of COVID (basically flu like symptoms, cough, runny nose, etc.) or has a fever, do not bring your child to LEAP; If someone in your family or another person your child comes into contact with is sick or has been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, do not bring your child to LEAP until they have quarantined for a minimum of 14 days and tested negative; and, Talk to your child about always wearing a mask and social distancing (if you do not have a mask for your child, LEAP has plenty and we will be happy to give your child one to take home). We strongly encourage families to take additional precautions as we enter the colder months: Consider getting regular COVID-19 tests for your family. It’s free to get COVID-19 tests at Fair Haven Community Health Center. Regular tests reduce your risk of catching or spreading the disease. It takes about 10 minutes to take the test and the results are available in about 48 hours. You can schedule an appointment by calling 203.871.4179. The Center is located at 374 Grand Avenue. Consider getting a flu shot. Getting a flu shot does 3 important things: (1) reduces risk that you will get the flu and think you have COVID-19; (2) reduces the risk you will get the flu which can be pretty miserable; and (3) doctors believe it is possible to get the flu and COVID-19 at the same time which could be doubly bad. You can get a flu shot in lots of places, including CVS and Walgreens pharmacies or call your doctor or pediatrician. Almost all insurance policies make flu vaccines free. You can learn more about staying safe get more information by visiting: The federal Centers for Disease Control: cdc.gov LEAP’s COVID page: leapforkids.org/covid-19 Thank you and please stay safe, Henry Fernandez Executive Director, LEAP

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