Learning Through An Expanded Arts Program, Inc.

Results: LEAP uses the power of the arts to teach social and emotional skills—proven to ensure academic and career success—to New York City public school students. Founded in 1977, LEAP has become one of the largest providers of educational arts programs in the city. In the 2019-2020 school year, we operated in-school and afterschool programs at 110 public schools, serving more than 14,700 pre-K to 12th grade students. Amid the disruptions created by COVID-19, LEAP created 43 Virtual Art Rooms that served more than 650 students in the Spring and Summer of 2020. Many New York City schools provide inequitable arts access for youth, especially in BIPOC communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has only deepened existing systems of oppression. BIPOC communities are being impacted disproportionately by COVID-19, and today’s young people are increasingly worried about their families, schoolwork, loneliness, and isolation. While students are physically back in school, things are not back to “normal” for the communities LEAP serves. Staff have focused on helping students acclimate to in-person routines to make sure we’re responsive to the social-emotional needs of the youth & are empathetic to the stressors they are experiencing. LEAP’s programs use the power of the arts to fight for equity and access for young people, while creating opportunities for creative expression, peer connection, and the development of SEL skills through the arts. As students and school communities emerge from nearly three years of learning in a global pandemic it will take years to recover from the COVID learning gap, ongoing facility safety issues, and low student engagement. This year LEAP continues to provide both in-person and virtual programming to thousands of youth in these uncertain times. During Summer of 2021, LEAP partnered with the NYC DYCD and DOE to bring comprehensive Summer Rising programs to K through 8th graders at 15 schools throughout the city, which represented the most robust set of summer programs in LEAP history.

Target demographics: prepare youth to thrive in their careers and life through engaging the arts to teach critical 21st Century Learning and Innovation skills and

Direct beneficiaries per year: In the 2019-2020 school year, we operated in-school and afterschool programs at 110 public schools, serving more than 14,700 pre-K to 12th grade students. Amid the disruptions created by COVID-19, LEAP created 43 Virtual Art Rooms that served more than 650 students in the Spring and Summer of 2020.

Geographic areas served: nearly 140 New York City schools across all five boroughs

Programs: 30 comprehensive afterschool programs, hundreds of daytime arts residencies, dozens of Family Engagement Workshops, ongoing Professional Development Opportunities for New York City Department of Education teachers, Professional Learning Communities for nearly 300 NYC Teaching Artists, and specialized K-12 Signature Programs such; LEAP Public Art, Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs, LEAP Literacy, Poetry in Motion, and LEAP 360 (utilizing art to examine pivotal moments in history).