Executive Summary of the LEAP Program

Learning and Education through Active Participation (LEAP) is a broad-based program that will push back against rising high-school dropout rates in the Quad Cities by empowering Latino youth in the fifth to eighth grades to achieve their full potential. LEAP brings together representatives from the Davenport Community School District (DCSD), the Davenport Public Library, the University of Iowa, and Davenport Big Brothers Big Sisters to provide practical, immediate opportunities for Latino youth and their families in four areas:

1. A one-on-one Career Navigator volunteer mentoring program coordinated by Davenport Big Brothers Big Sisters in collaboration with the DCSD. This program matches Latino students with Spanish-speaking adult mentors to offer practical, individually tailored afterschool homework assistance, career counseling, and educational field trips.

2. A LULAC LEAP literacy program for Quad City Latino adults and young children modeled after a literacy program currently underway through the Davenport Public Library.

3. Partnership with The University of Iowa and Iowa College Access Network to bring information about higher education opportunities, tuition assistance and scholarships to Quad City Latino youth and their families through an annual bilingual Latino College Fair hosted at the Davenport LULAC facility.

4. The development of the Davenport LULAC Youth Council to reach out to New Iowans and welcome them into its program of recreational and educational activities to nurture a sense of community, cultural identity, and provide a path to achieving educational potential.

Together these programs will enhance the visibility of LULAC in Iowa by advancing its central mission of promoting educational opportunities for minority students and represent a major stepping stone towards social and economic parity for New Iowans.