LEAP NYC

To our incredible donors, teaching artists, staff, and friends: thank you for everything you do to make our mission possible. At LEAP, art is more than expression; it’s a way to see ourselves and each other. Through our programs, students gain essential skills like creativity, collaboration, communication, and confidence - tools that will shape their best future. Every brushstroke, every sculpture, every note played is a step toward a city where every young person can discover their strengths and develop their passions. This is the future we create together, and we know it cannot be made possible without you, our donors, teaching artists, staff, and friends. From all of us at LEAP, thank you. Your dedication and support help us reach our mission: a world where young people learn to develop their strengths and amplify their voices every day.

Save the Date! 🎨We’re thrilled to announce the return of LEAP’s Annual Spring Benefit: LEAP for the Stars. It will be a night dedicated to celebrating the power of arts education and the brilliance of NYC youth. Join us as we highlight inspiring student stories, honor our incredible community, and raise vital funds to continue bringing equitable arts programming to schools across the city. 📅 Save the Date: April 20, 2026 More details to come—we can’t wait to celebrate with you! #LEAPSpringBenefit #ArtsEducation #CreativeYouthDevelopment #NonprofitLeadership #ArtsForAll #NYCNonprofits

This month, LEAP students at the Bronx Writing Academy and the @JHS22 campus participated in the LEAP Walk for Hope, a community event aimed at raising awareness for #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth. Our students brought creativity and purpose to the day, designing handmade signs and marching together in solidarity. Their energy was contagious and inspiring as we honored survivors, supported those currently in treatment, and paid tribute to loved ones. At LEAP, we believe in the power of community, creativity, and compassion to make an impact—on stage, in classrooms, and in the world around us. 💕 #LEAPNYC #WalkForHope #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #CommunityEngagement #YouthEmpowerment #ArtsEducation

Today, LEAP staff gathered across all our sites to celebrate #LightsOnAfterschool — a nationwide event spearheaded by Afterschool Alliance that highlights the importance of afterschool programs for children, families, and communities. 💡 At LEAP, we believe in the power of art to inspire, connect, and empower NYC youth. Our classrooms were alive with creativity today — from student artwork, to games and other engaging experiences. Here we see our Executive Director, Rich Souto, who spent the afternoon getting to know students at Bronx Writing Academy and MS 22. We’re proud to keep the lights on for afterschool — and for the young artists who remind us every day why the arts and the places we create it matter. 💛 Learn more about Lights of Afterschool at https://lnkd.in/gzVrMJEY #LEAPforART #LightsOnAfterschool #ArtsEducation #PowerOfArt #BelieveInTheirFuture #YouthVoice

✍️ Today is National Day on Writing! At LEAP, writing is more than words on a page — it’s the spark of voice, creativity, and confidence in every young person we serve. Through our LEAP OnStage playwriting and performance residency, students of all ages transform ideas into art — adapting stories, writing original plays, and performing their work on stage. Learn more about our Arts Residencies programs at https://lnkd.in/eUR9_CMR Writing nurtures empathy, imagination, and self-expression—the very skills that shape tomorrow’s leaders. 💬 How has writing shaped your story? Share your reflections below. 👇 #NationalDayOnWriting #LEAPNYC #ArtsEducation #CreativeYouthDevelopment #Playwriting #TheaterEducation #StudentVoice

LEAP and Macquarie Group Foundation: Building Brighter Futures Through the Arts 🎨 We are incredibly grateful to the Macquarie Group Foundation for its generous support. Their recent donation will make a meaningful difference in helping us expand access to creative arts programs for NYC youth—programs that inspire confidence, self-expression, and community connection. With this support, we can continue to make a lasting impact and support the communities where we live and work. This year marks the Foundation’s 40th anniversary of driving Macquarie’s social impact work, supporting people, businesses, and communities to build a better future. The Macquarie Group Foundation Opportunity Fund supports non-profit organizations providing direct relief programs, research and policy, education, and economic initiatives for our most under-resourced communities in the US. To celebrate this partnership, Macquarie staff are coming together for a Paint & Sip fundraiser tonight, raising additional funds to help LEAP reach even more young people through the arts. Together, we’re creating opportunities for youth to dream big, create boldly, and thrive. #LEAPNYC #ArtsEducation #CreativeYouthDevelopment #CorporatePartnership #MacquarieGroupFoundation #SocialImpact

What happens when we bring artists, educators, and advocates together? We spark ideas, strengthen community, and move closer to a future where every child has access to the arts. Last week’s panel, The Creative Process: Protecting the Arts for Youth, was an inspiring reminder of how creativity fuels young people’s confidence, resilience, and voice. 🎥 If you couldn’t be there, we invite you to watch the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/e2jDRKZs 📖 And don’t miss pictures from the event here https://lnkd.in/ean_N84m Thank you to all who continue to stand with us in defending every child’s right to create, learn, and thrive. 💜

LEAP is hiring a People and Culture Coordinator! Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ekfYJDF8

We are still deeply inspired by last week’s The Creative Process: Protecting the Arts for Youth—an evening that reminded us why arts education is not just important, but essential. We’re grateful to our panelists, Tyrik Iman-Washington Jr, S. Brian Jones, Shadae McDaniel, Kimberly Olsen, and Audrey St.Clair, for sharing their wisdom, to the community who joined us in conversation and hands-on artmaking, and to all of you who continue to champion this cause. Together, we are shaping a future where every NYC child has access to the transformative power of the arts Through the creative process, young people learn to experiment, take risks, solve problems, and express their voices. These skills are the foundation for confidence, resilience, and leadership—tools they will carry into every part of their lives. The work doesn’t end here. We invite you to dive into our Annual Report, unveiled during the panel: https://lnkd.in/efX5sWRn. Inside, you’ll find not only stories of young people’s creativity in action but also data that demonstrates why the arts are essential. Both can be powerful tools in your own advocacy—whether you’re speaking with policymakers, educators, or neighbors who believe every child deserves the chance to thrive. Let’s keep the momentum going—for our youth, for our schools, and for the creative future we all believe in.

It’s National Arts in Education Week, and we're celebrating with our Arts Education Panel, The Creative Process: Protecting the Arts for Youth! Here's a special message from Oswaldo Santana, one of LEAP’s newly promoted Afterschool Portfolio Managers, on why he’s excited for the new school year and why the arts are vital for young people. 🎨 ✨ ““Art is therapeutic. It’s a way of expressing yourself, it’s a way of just opening up, it’s a way of escaping if you need to, but it’s there, and it’s not just a hobby. It’s a way of knowing yourself and for others to get to know you.”– Oswaldo Join us tonight as we continue the conversation with our panelists and community. Together, we’re defending every child’s right to arts education. 💜 Register at www.leapnyc.org/leapbts #ArtsEdWeek #LEAPForTheArts #NationalArtsInEducationWeek #leapbts