The Opportunity

There is strong evidence that the arts help young people to develop the skills they need to be successful in the 21st century, yet many communities suffer from a lack of arts access.

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• Many New York City schools have limited arts programming

• Underrepresented populations are not afforded the same opportunities to develop 21st-century skills through programs in the arts

• The traditional school model and core curriculum is not always engaging to youth and does not access all types of learners

• The creative sector and information workforce are not sufficiently represented by diverse communities

 

Enter LEAP

We teach programs across a wide variety of mediums that integrate the arts with what we believe are essential skills for success in the 21st century: creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration. We call those skills the 4Cs, and they're a part of every one of our programs in both the afterschool space and during the school day.

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The LEAP Way is our unique educational approach to all our programs. At LEAP, we...

• Prioritize Youth - We are a student-centered community of educators that prioritizes youth voices, ideas, and interests. 

• Engage Peer to Peer - We know that when collaborating, solving problems, learning from and with their peers, young people are more engaged in their own learning. 

• Achieve Goals - We provide structure and support for our students to carry out their own plans and support young people in overcoming hurdles and building their resilience. 

• Foster Safe Space - We understand that to create authentically, we must feel free to experiment, explore, and make mistakes. 

• Support Community and Culture - We share the responsibility of supporting each student by building relationships and connections to the communities we serve.

• Reflect - Experiential learning requires a routine of thoughtful reflection in order to guarantee learners have opportunities to make meaning of their experiences and connect to their own feelings, their community, and to the world.

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As we teach...

• Creativity - The ability to think and work with others in a way that activates the imagination and expands thinking, leading to new ideas

• Critical Thinking - The ability to reason, make judgments, and solve problems

• Communication - The ability to express oneself clearly with oral, written, and nonverbal skills

• Collaboration - The ability to work effectively and respectfully with a diverse group of individuals as a team toward a common goal, while valuing the contributions of others

 

LEAP has instituted an in-house Professional Learning Community to provide ongoing professional development and training to our teaching artist network. These trainings - referred to as Learning Labs - cover topics such as program quality, experiential learning, access and equity, classroom behavior, and management of student portfolios.

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We're building the next generation of life long learners and innovative problem-solvers. Supported by adults who they trust and opportunities to express themselves, youth will grow to become confident and successful leaders. The LEAP instructional model is focused on high-quality educational arts programs with intentional strategies to foster this change.

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