LEAP Voices – A Series of Interviews with LEAP Stakeholders: Eric

Posted on July 7, 2021
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by FeliciaOctocog
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An interview with Eric, Teen Center Coordinator (Salem), sharing information about the Summer Success Program.

Eric Roberts is LEAP for Education’s Teen Center Coordinator. In this interview he talks about the new Summer Success Program and invites students who graduated from Collins Middle School or Saltonstall School to join this program to prepare to transition into high school.


What is the Summer Success Program at the Teen Center?

Eric: The Summer Success Program is a new program from LEAP in partnership with Salem Public Schools to help prepare rising 9th graders for high school. This program focuses on the tools they will need to succeed in this new environment. The program will also focus on skills like self-awareness, goal-setting, and developing key stress management skills.

Who should enroll in the program?

Eric: Only students who have recently graduated from Collins Middle School or Saltonstall School can apply. We encourage students who are looking to get an early start on seeing what a high school looks like, meeting some of their future classmates, and preparing themselves for in-person learning in the fall to apply for this program.

What skills will the students who enroll in the Summer Success Program gain?

Eric: Students will learn skills related to time management, team building, study skills, mindfulness, among many more.

What will students participating in the program receive and learn that isn’t offered at school or by other summer programs?

Eric: Some of this knowledge will be shared with students when they go to high school. However, we can give more time to these specific lessons and in smaller classroom sizes. The students will also be introduced to the Teen Center, a key resource for those wishing to receive the same support they are getting this summer throughout the academic year.

What does a typical day at the Summer Success Program look like?

Eric: In the morning, students will arrive at the space and enjoy free breakfast. Then, they will have three one-hour workshops: the first workshop will be independent work focusing on a topic; the second workshop will cover meditation, yoga, or other mindfulness exercises; finally, there will be a group workshop where students will work together on a project. One day per week, students will be going on a field trip. The first week we will visit Salem High School, the second week we will visit Salem State University, and during the final week we will go to a ropes course!

Is there anything else those interested in enrolling should know about the program?

Eric: The program is divided into two three-weeks sessions with 40 spots available per session. Each session runs three days per week from 9:00 AM till 1:00 PM with options to join M/W/F or T/Th/F. The program is completely free to the students. The first session starts Tuesday, July 6th and the second session starts Monday, July 26th.


LEAP for Education’s Teen Center is a supportive environment offering afterschool and summer programs for local teens including free academic support, academic enrichment, and civic and community engagement. The Teen Center is open to Salem students in grades 9th to 12th. To join the Teen Center programs, fill out the application. For more information, visit www.leap4ed.org/teen-center.