The Leadership, Education & Athletics in Partnership, known as LEAP, is one of six Project Innovation winners this year. NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut are awarding it $35,000 in grant money to hire staff and expand the program.
NBC Connecticut, Telemundo Connecticut and NBC Universal are proud to bring you “Project Innovation.”
We are awarding $225,000 locally to non-profits using tech-based approaches to solve real-life problems.
The Leadership, Education & Athletics in Partnership, known as LEAP, is one of six Project Innovation winners this year. NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut are awarding it $35,000 in grant money to hire staff and expand the program.
Sixth-grader Elisha Correa has been coming to LEAP for five years for their computer coding program.
“Before I starting coming here, I didn’t care about coding, but the more I started coming here, the more I started liking it,” she said.
Now she is looking toward the future.
“I’m already thinking about college,” she said. “So doing this is helping me think about what I want to do about college.”
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LEAP’s Learning To Code program provides hands-on technology-focused STEM opportunities for underserved youth.
“We’ve taught them basic web development, making web sites, and making basic video games,” said Austin Cepalia, a computer instructor.
“We’re really excited about having the opportunity to make sure that kids have access to things they might not otherwise have access,” Henry Fernandez, LEAP’s Executive Director.
Nationally, NBC Universal Foundation will award $5 million over the next two years to non-profits across the country.
