News Archive

MAYOR BLOOMBERG HAS PROCLAIMED FEB 29TH 'LEAP DAY' IN HONOR OF LEAP!

NEW YORK, NY (February 27, 2012) – Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LeAp) is pleased to announce that the Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has proclaimed Wednesday, February 29, 2012 (leap day) as “LEAP DAY” for our organization in honor of LeAp’s 34 years of service to New York City public schools, providing unique, hands-on, arts based programs to more than two million students in grades K through 12—music, dance, theater, and visual arts programs that are integrated into academic instruction.
To celebrate, LeAp will be hosting an event highlighting LeAp’s many programs:
Where:  PS 15 in Manhattan (333 E. 4th St. New York, NY 10009) Lower East Side neighborhood.
When:  Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 11:00 – 11:45am

Student Presentations/Performances:
- Students in LeAp’s Afterschool Program – PS 163 (Manhattan)
- Students from LeAp’s Public Art Program – Robert F. Kennedy School 169 (Manhattan)
- Students participating in LeAp’s afterschool dance residency – PS 30 (Manhattan)
- Students engaged in an educational cooking activity as part of LeAp’s ALLL program – PS 34 (Manhattan)
- Students participating in the August Wilson Monologue Competition – Fordham High School for the Arts  (Bronx)
- Students participating in LeAp OnStage – JHS 383 (Brooklyn)

Speakers: (TBD – pending invitations to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott)
- Paul King, Executive Director of the NYC Department of Education’s Office of the Arts and Special Projects
- Rosie Mendez, New York City Council Member
- LeAp Executive Directors and Founders

Since 1977, LeAp has served more than two million students and over 35,000 teachers. LeAp’s programs provide a unique approach to teaching literacy that utilizes multi-sensory, hands-on, arts-based teaching strategies in music, theater, visual art, dance, film, cooking, and games to successfully teach the academic curriculum to kindergarten through 12th-grade students. 

Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LeAp) is a nonprofit arts education organization committed to improving the quality of public education through a unique, hands-on, arts-based approach to teaching the core curriculum. Since 1977, LeAp has provided more than two million underserved students in kindergarten through 12th grade in disadvantaged communities throughout the five boroughs with music, dance, theater, film and visual arts programs that are integrated into academic instruction.  LeAP has served over 35,000 New York City classroom teachers, introducing them to engaging, arts-based strategies to teach their curriculum.  LeAp offers in-school residencies, afterschool activities, teacher trainings, parent workshops, and assembly programs to schools citywide, conducts programs in hospitals, shelters, and cultural institutions and develops educational materials. LeAp empowers students to reach their full potential.
LeAp brings professional arts educators into NYC public schools to provide innovative programs in visual arts, music, dance, film, and theater that are directly integrated into the academic curriculum. LeAp successfully uses the arts as a strategy to teach English language arts, math, science and social studies and addresses the varied learning styles of all students including special education, English Language Learners, gifted, etc. LeAp’s strategies have been tested and proven effective in teaching the core content areas, based on standardized test scores. LeAp also has nationally-recognized, arts-based literacy programs for grades K-8, and highly publicized theater and public art programs.
LeAp is an innovative leader in the field of arts education, has presented at national education conferences, and has received major awards, grants and endorsements from the NYC Department of Education, US Department of Education, National Endowment of the Humanities, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Youth and Community Development, and the offices of the mayor and governor.
www.leapnyc.org

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LEAP'S BREAKTHROUGH ALLL LITERACY PROGRAM RAISES TEST SCORES

NEW YORK, NY– Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LeAp) is pleased to announce the results of an independent study conducted by New York University which shows that LeAp’s Active Learning Leads to Literacy (ALLL) Program raises test scores and strengthens literacy and higher level thinking skills in students regardless of socio-economic level, age or school resources—leveling the playing field for all students.  LeAp’s ALLL program is a unique approach to teaching literacy that utilizes multi-sensory, hands-on, arts-based teaching strategies in music, theater, visual art, dance, cooking, and games to teach literacy to K-8 students.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL REPORT

The traditional literacy strategies and methodology implemented across the US are limited and failing. Children in disadvantaged communities are falling through the cracks and being written off by their teachers and parents. This is due to the present economic crisis, as schools’ budgets are severely cut and the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. At the same time, there are higher student standards demanded with fewer resources.

LeAp’s ALLL program addresses this crisis, as few resources are needed to effectively implement this program. It is not materials that are needed as much as implementing hands-on teaching strategies. Even the students performing below grade level with English deficiencies end up excelling in LeAp’s ALLL program. With the decrease in school funding, LeAp’s ALLL program fills these gaps and all children are engaged in multi-sensory learning, successfully developing and strengthening reading comprehension, writing, grammar, organizational, analytical and higher level thinking skills, etc. The reason all students learn in ALLL is that the strategies utilize the many art forms so young kinesthetic visual, aural etc. learners connect with the lessons and excel. Multiple intelligence theory attests to the fact that each child learns a different way.

Studies show that the high school drop-out rate directly correlates to learning in the early grades.

A study of LeAp’s ALLL program shows that students continue to excel even after they received ALLL literacy instruction. This is due to the fact that elementary school students need to have a foundation to be successful learners in the future. As a young child strengthens his/her vocabulary and higher level thinking skills, s/he is prepared to succeed in future grades.

Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LeAp) is a nonprofit organization committed to improving the quality of public education through a unique, hands-on, arts-based approach to teaching the academic curriculum. LeAp offers in-school residencies, afterschool activities, teacher trainings, parent workshops, and assemblies to schools citywide, conducts programs in hospitals, shelters, and cultural institutions and develops educational materials. LeAp programs are aligned with the Common Core State Standards and the national STEM initiative. LeAp is an innovative leader in the field of arts education, and has received major awards, grants and endorsements from the US Dept of Education, NYC Dept of Education, Dept of Youth and Community Development, Partnership for After School Education, and the offices of the mayor and governor.
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ALLL EVENT AT PS 15M

When: Thursday, December 15th 11:00-11:30am
Where: PS 15 - 333 E. 4th St., 3rd fl. Library, Rm 306, Manhattan

NEW YORK, NY– Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LeAp) is will highlight its Active Learning Leads to Literacy (ALLL) K-8 Program which raises test scores and strengthens literacy and higher level thinking skills in students regardless of socio-economic level, age or school resources—leveling the playing field for all students. 
LeAp’s ALLL program uses multi-sensory, arts-based teaching strategies in music, theater, visual art, dance, cooking, and games to successfully teach literacy to students in grades K-8.  LeAp’s ALLL program is endorsed and supported by multi-million dollar grants from the US Department of Education as well as from major foundations, and uses any school’s literacy. ALLL presents an alternative to the traditional teaching methods and is a pioneer in the field of education, presenting an innovative, arts-based solution to the national drop in literacy scores.

Speakers will include:
- Ila Lane Gross, LeAp Executive Director/Co-Founder and Creator of LeAp’s ALLL Program
- Vivian Clarke Ph.D. of New York University who conducted the ALLL study
- Mary Croft, Network Literacy Achievement Coach, Children’s First Network 532
- Irene Sanchez, Principal of PS 15M (currently has LeAp’s ALLL 3-5, previous school had ALLL K-2)
- Student demonstration of ALLL strategies

Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LeAp)
LeAp is a nonprofit arts education organization committed to improving the quality of public education through a unique hands-on, arts-based approach to teaching the core curriculum. LeAp offers in-school residencies, afterschool activities, teacher trainings, parent workshops, and assembly programs to schools citywide, conducts programs in hospitals, shelters, and cultural institutions and develops educational materials. LeAp programs are aligned with the Common Core State Standards and the national STEM initiative. LeAp is an innovative leader in the field of arts education, and has received major awards, grants and endorsements from the NYC Department of Education, US Department of Education, Department of Youth and Community Development, Partnership for After School Education, and the offices of the mayor and governor.
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SUPPORT LEAP AND ORDER ONLINE AT BARNES & NOBLE DEC 8-13

Support LeAp and help New York City's economically disadvantaged students this holiday season by purchasing your gifts at Barnes & Noble ONLINE Dec 8-13!

A percentage of sales at www.barnesandnoble.com on December 8-13 will be donated to LeAp (please see instructions and bookfair code below).

Please forward on to friends.

LEAP'S 10TH ANNUAL CITIGROUP ART SHOW HIGHLIGHTS STUDENTS WORK THAT LINKS LITERACY TO THE ARTS

When: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Citigroup Tower Atrium – 1 Court Square, Long Island City, NY, 11101

NEW YORK, NY –Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LeAp) will honor the young artists whose works are currently on display in LeAp’s 10th Annual Citigroup Student Art Exhibition on Wednesday October 19th at 11 am. Citigroup has hosted this exhibition which began in June and runs through the end of October. The student artists will be in attendance to discuss their art with their peers and the public.

As part of the celebration, LeAp and Citigroup will commend the students on their creative and beautiful artistic skills with honorary certificates and a “milk and cookies” reception. The exhibition will feature works by students in LeAp’s nationally-recognized, hands-on, arts-based literacy program, Active Learning Leads to Literacy (ALLL). Through creating Eric Carle-inspired illustrations and masks, literary sock puppets, and historical graphic novels, among many other exciting projects, these LeAp students strengthened their literacy skills and raised their test scores. In addition, the exhibition will highlight innovative works by LeAp’s afterschool students. These colorful works, created using engaging arts programs that teach the academic curriculum, include Picasso-inspired guitars, multicultural flags and Keith Haring-inspired relief paintings.

“We continue to see improved academic scores by students participating in our programs,” stated LeAp’s Executive Director, Ila Lane Gross. “We hope this encourages more and more schools to use our arts-based hands-on strategies  to teach the core curriculum.”

LeAp’s Active Learning Leads to Literacy (ALLL) Program has significantly improved the academic performance of over 35,000 economically disadvantaged students in NYC schools over the last eight years. It uses innovative methods to improve literacy skills, giving students the foundation necessary to meet or exceed standards for children in their age group. ALLL utilizes the arts and active-learning strategies to improve reading and writing skills, enhance language fluency and reading comprehension, and expand vocabulary.

Student artworks include the following:
MS 203X: Graphic Novels And Poetry
MS 267K: Picasso Guitars
MS 352K: Graphic Novels And Poetry
Newcomers High School: Fashion Design: Style, Pattern, And Texture
PS 19Q: Evolution: From Dinosaurs To Birds
PS 32X: Flags Of Our Lives  
PS 33X: Pop Art: Shape And Form
PS 56K: Eric Carle Illustrations And Masks
PS 69X: Evolution: From Dinosaurs To Birds; Watercolor Resists
PS 73X: Garden Habitat: A Birds Eye View; Marshlands: Birds Of Central Park
PS 132X: Evolution: From Dinosaurs To Birds; Watercolor Resists
PS 306X: Literary Sock Puppets
PS/MS 315X: The Magical Rainforest

About LeAp
Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LeAp) is a nonprofit arts education organization committed to improving the quality of public education through a unique, hands-on, arts-based approach to teaching the core curriculum. For 35 years, LeAp has provided more than two million NYC students in grades K through 12 with music, dance, theater, and visual arts programs that are integrated into academic instruction.  LeAp offers in-school residencies, afterschool activities, teacher trainings, parent workshops, and assembly programs to schools citywide, conducts programs in hospitals, shelters, and cultural institutions and develops educational materials. LeAp empowers students to reach their full potential.