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The Impact of Girls' LEAP, 25 Years On: What our Alumni Tell Us

Years after participating in LEAP, do you still feel its impact? Has it made a difference in your life?

This spring, Kaitie Chakoian, a long-time LEAP staff, and Board member, and current Ph.D. candidate in Social Policy at the Heller School Brandeis University​, surveyed LEAP alumni to measure the program’s lasting effect on its staff, interns, and participants.

The answer is YES!

According to the survey, the LEAP alumni....

  • Value leadership
  • Found community through engaging in LEAP and continue to engage in their communities years later
  • Have high levels of educational attainment and high rates of job satisfaction in their careers today, and finally
  • Cherish the mentorship they received from members of the organization, and many maintain those mentoring relationships while also actively acting as mentors to others in their lives.

"Everyone who knows and loves me knows the impact that Girls' LEAP has had on me."


Many respondents told us their story about how LEAP has made a difference ...

The impact of starting young and growing with LEAP

"I was a program participant in 2007. I later became a mentor during my high school and early college years. It changed my life, being a survivor of rape. It was amazing working with women from all walks of life who demanded and made a change in our community."

How LEAP prepares you to walk through the world with confidence and assertiveness

"I really loved the program and always credit it with making me feel more confident and assertive, and helping me feel safe in my surroundings and able to react appropriately in scary situations. It had a huge impact on my life as a young woman."

The lasting value of our reflective skills is for graduates individually and for those they mentor

"Yes, I have used LEAP skills daily. First knowing my voice is important, and knowing when to speak my truth and seek help and encouraging others to do the same."

"I often use reflective skills as I am a high school social worker so these skills come up frequently as topics with my students. This is primarily me teaching them the skills I have learned from LEAP in different formats."

And how important is it for our students to know they are WORTH IT

"I think the most important thing about the Girls' LEAP program is addressing the question … "why do I defend myself". I haven't encountered many self-defense classes where self-love is the guiding


Kaitie's paper analyzing our survey results was accepted for presentation at the 15th Annual National Mentoring Conference “Fostering Diverse Communities of Mentorship: Evidence-Based Practices for Reciprocal Growth.”​ We are proud to be able to share the value of Girls' LEAP!principle, rather than fear. I think that is the key contributor to why Girls' LEAP feels different and safer."

We thank Kaitie and all the alumni who took the time to complete our survey.  It is deeply gratifying to know that yes, years later, LEAP does make a difference!


Listen to Jennyde Dessius talk about the impact of LEAP


Our LEAP Family Changes and Grows

We are fortunate to have a strong LEAP family. Even as folks move on to new roles, they stay connected. Shalaya West, our former Program Director, accepted a role as Program and Research Director at the Mass Commission on the Status of Women, and we look forward to working with her in new ways as we continue our collaboration with MCSW.

Gina Varamo stepped in as Interim Program Director; Gina knows LEAP inside and out having taught for LEAP for more than 10 years. Gina is working with Aanab Nehela our new Program Coordinator. Aanab studied computer science and has moved her career into youth services, leading youth programming in community centers and summer programs in Cambridge.

LEAP's family went international when Sonja Urosevic traveled from her home country of Serbia to work with us as a fellow. If you follow us on social media, you'll see her video and photography skills. She’s had a big impact on our online presence in a short period of time.

We value the leadership of our Teen Mentor cohort. Each year, our Board elects two Teen Mentors to serve as full voting directors for the following year. In September, we welcomed Grace Malaave-Darling and Diana Pereyra.


Want to Join the LEAP Family? We’re Looking for a Program Director! 

The Program Director leads the development and implementation of LEAP’s programs. They provide thought leadership in evolving our practices and curriculum to ensure we fully meet the needs of the youth we support. They inspire and coach our team to do our best to support our youth and lead in ways that are anti-racist and culturally supportive. Partnering with the Co-Executive Directors (EDs), they sustain and grow LEAP’s inclusive, affirmative culture.

If you or someone you know are interested in applying, please send your resume and a cover letter to leapmail@girlsleap.orgVisit our website to see the full job description.

Jumping for Joy to be Back Together

Learning together, being together, in person. We no longer take that for granted. Over the summer, we had wonderful, lively programs both in traditional training spaces with virtual clouds and outside under Boston's skies. Thank you to Work, Inc, for hosting our Teen Mentor program in their space this summer.

 

 

 

City Connects

Thank you to City Connects for bringing us to the Tobin School for two programs this fall.
We are thrilled to be working during the school day in collaboration with Ms. Kemba Gray.


Our Mission
Disrupting the violence that surrounds girls and gender-expansive youth by amplifying their voices, emboldening their courage, and imparting critical life and self-defense skills so they can take on challenges with confidence.
"Every day, we are privileged to learn with and from the youth at Girls' LEAP. They teach us, challenge us, and amaze us. We thank them, and we thank you. It is your support and engagement that makes Girls' LEAP possible."
Cynthia, Lynn and Gina