LEAP for Girls

Our Leadership Empowerment and Awareness Program (LEAP) for Girls trains a new generation of community educators and activists residing in East Harlem, Central Brooklyn, and the Bronx—New York City communities of color, with the highest incidence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

Through its semester-long curriculum, LEAP for Girls empowers young women of color between the ages of 14 and 19 by strengthening their leadership abilities in public speaking, conflict resolution, and decision-making skills, as well as educating them about self-advocacy, HIV/AIDS, and its related subjects.

In an attempt to address the broader range of factors that influence how decisions about sex and sexual health are made, the program also incorporates a clinic visit, parent workshop, and participant-run community action project related to HIV/AIDS education and awareness. In addition, parents and guardians of LEAP for Girls participants have the opportunity to attend a bilingual workshop on parent-child communication. They also receive a listing of local resources and a copy of “Talking With Your Daughter About Sex & HIV Prevention”.

To date, 697 young women of color have graduated from LEAP for Girls and have reached 15,000 of their peers through community action projects.

To request information or inquire about hosting a cycle of LEAP for Girls at your school or CBO, please contact Danielle Krushnic, Director of Youth Initiatives, dkrushnic@acria.org or 212-367-1367.