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Youth need us more than ever today. With your contribution, we can reach more of them, with more programming.

 

Join us in Celebrating 25 years of Showing Up for Youth!

The youth we work with are showing up for each other, showing up for their families and showing up for themselves.

For 25 years, LEAP has been a game changer for young people across Greater Boston. We’ve boosted their confidence and their skills in navigating the unrelenting challenges the world throws them. These youth are doing more than surviving; they are thriving.

 

Youth need us more than ever to make sure they continue to rise above all that stands in their way. Join us to make that possible.

 

Will you show up for girls and gender-expansive youth across Boston?

 

 

 “Until all girls and nonbinary youth are safe from violence, this work remains urgent.”

Andrea, Board Director

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The Lasting Impact of LEAP

For 25 years, we’ve been working to disrupt the violence that surrounds all 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. Through our programming...

  • girls and gender-expansive youth recognize and develop their physical strength by practicing physical self-defense
  • experiencing the power in their bodies gives them the confidence to use their voices, set boundaries, create healthy relationships and develop into leaders.

Does it make a difference years later? Our alumnae tell us YES.*

  • Everyone who knows and loves me knows the impact that Girls' LEAP has had on me. Joining GIRLS LEAP as a teen mentor was my very first job ever. Not only did I learn responsibilities, and teamwork, but I was given the honor of impacting the lives of other girls around the greater Boston area - a community I am passionate about serving.
  • I have used the assertiveness and confidence I learned from Girls’ LEAP to help me start my business, my dream job.
  • 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.
  • 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.

*Drawn from a survey conducted July 2022 by Kaitie Chakoian, PhD candidate at the Heller School of Brandeis University. Her paper “Girls’ LEAP is FamilyLong-Term Outcomes Experienced by 25 Years of LEAP Alumni was presented at the National Mentoring Conference, October 2022.

We have been changing the lives of girls and nonbinary youth for 25 years. You make this possible. You, who have been by our side all these years, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. If you’re new to this amazing community of support, welcome!

 

“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 principle, rather than fear. I think that is the key contributor to why Girls' LEAP feels different and safer.

 

Please join us in showing up for girls and gender-expansive youth in Greater Boston.

 

“We can’t wait until girls and nonbinary youth grow into adults and discover their voices and their power. They are at risk now.”Aleisha, Board Director

Please give as generously as you can.