LEAP for Education receives $250,000 catalyst gift from Wellington Management Foundation

Posted on March 3, 2020
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by FeliciaOctocog
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Grant funds will be used to expand free after school programs in Lynn. Download the News Release

SALEM, MA — Executive Director Linda Saris announced on January that LEAP for Education (LEAP) received a $250,000 Catalyst gift from the Wellington Management Foundation. The grant will be paid out over three years and used to open a free after-school program for 80 youth at the Thurgood Marshall Middle School (TMMS) in Lynn, Massachusetts. Scheduled to begin in spring of 2020, the program will be open to all Lynn students in grades 6 – 8 and will be the first of its kind offered at TMMS during after-school hours.

At TMMS, 60% of the students do not have English as their
first language, 91% are students of color, and 62% are economically
disadvantaged.
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“This program is a welcomed and needed program at TMMS. The program, as envisioned, will teach 21st Century skills and will offer academic enrichment, college and career exploration as well as literacy programs for our English learners,” stated Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, Superintendent of Lynn Public Schools. “With LEAP for Education’s reputation in providing quality after-school programming, a partnership with them is a clear choice.”

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“LEAP’s work at TMMS will be modeled after our current program at Salem’s Collins Middle School, and will also include opportunities for students to grow socially and emotionally and to engage within their community,” said Linda Saris. “We are grateful to the Wellington Management Foundation for supporting this work in Lynn and look forward to working with the Lynn district and the TMMS faculty and administration to bring this comprehensive program to the students at this school.”

“Planning for the TMMS program will be an inclusive process, and we welcome anyone who would like to be part of the planning group. Information on how to participate will be shared out on our website and planning meetings are set to begin at the end of January,” added Ms. Saris.

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To learn more about the program, open the invitation sent to the Lynn community.

Email Hilary Kopp, Senior Director of Middle School Programs at LEAP.

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About LEAP for Education, Inc.

LEAP for Education (www.leap4ed.org), at 35 Congress Street Suite 102, Salem, MA has a mission to help low-income and first-generation students succeed in education, career, and life. LEAP (Learn –Explore – Aspire – Pursue) achieves its mission of empowering youth to be successful by providing a personalized and comprehensive approach that includes academic engagement, college and career readiness, social-emotional learning, and building social capital. LEAP currently provides free academic success, college access, and career readiness services to over 350 students in Salem, Peabody, and Gloucester.

About Wellington Management Foundation

The Wellington Management Foundation (www.wellington.com) was founded in 1992 in Boston, Massachusetts and supports programs and organizations that improve educational opportunities for youth from traditionally underserved and economically challenged communities. Through Annual Grants, Catalyst Gifts, and Strategic Partnerships, the Foundation supports more than 75 education-focused nonprofits in eastern Massachusetts and 10 global cities where Wellington Management has offices. The Catalyst Giving Initiative was launched in 2015 to help education-focused nonprofits that are showing meaningful and sustainable academic outcomes move forward in a significant way towards their strategic vision.