Juvenile Justice & Youth Development

Programs & Grants

Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP)

The Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP) Program is a model mentoring program which matches children, ages 7-14, from high poverty urban neighborhoods in the City of New Haven, Connecticut with trained high school and college student counselors, and provides programs and services to help children develop their academic skills, self esteem, improve their ability to succeed in school, and to be involved in their community.  LEAP also provides its college and high school counselors with opportunities to teach and mentor children, and offers them training and other experiences to develop their leadership skills and refine their career goals.

State funding to Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership, Inc. for the LEAP program began in 1995 as part of Governor Weicker’s Youth Initiative with an appropriation of $1 million to serve children and youth in the City of New Haven.  It has been funded since with state monies.  See below for annual amounts.  The large increases in fiscal years 1999 through 2003 were made available to expand services to youth in Bridgeport, Hartford, New London and Waterbury.  With funding cutbacks in 2003, LEAP returned to serving only New Haven children and youth.

1995 $1,000,000
1996 $1,000,000
1997 $1,000,000
1998 $1,000,000
1999 $1,574,120
2000 $1,750,000
2001 $2,251,700
2002 $2,076,700
2003 $1,350,772
2004    $765,000
2005    $850,000
2006    $850,000 with $425,000 cash match
2007    $850,000 with $425,000 cash match
2008    $850,000 with $425,000 cash match
2009    $807,500 with $403,750 cash match
2010    $602,556 with $301,278 cash match
2011    $638,722 with $319,361 cash match

Funding Opportunities

Funding for the Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP) program has been transferred to the State Department of Education.  There are no longer any LEAP funding opportunities at the Office of Policy and Management.