LEAP for Education

LEAP for Education (LEAP) runs free, after-school and summer programs designed to bridge the opportunity gap for students from underserved communities across Essex County, Massachusetts. These programs offer students the ability to explore and engage in their communities in a way that will lead them to careers that align with their strengths and interests.

The need for these programs is paramount: 

• Societal inequities cause a growing opportunity gap that disadvantages many students, especially our youth of color.
• Only 38.2% of Massachusetts students graduate from a four-year post-secondary school in four years.
• In 2020, 70% of Massachusetts jobs required a post-secondary degree.
• Two out of three employers cannot find employees with the necessary skills to fill job openings.
• Youth who do not have a post-secondary credential are at higher risk for unemployment and significantly lower lifetime earnings.