THE ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENTS

L.E.A.D. CENTER FOR YOUTH (Launch,

Expose, Advise, Direct)

With 15 years of experience, L.E.A.D. has provided year-round leadership programming to over 4000 Black boys in Atlanta Public Schools (APS) and over 350 boys each year. L.E.A.D.’s mission is to empower this at-risk generation to lead and transform their city of Atlanta. L.E.A.D. uses the sport of baseball to help Black boys overcome the “three curveballs” that threaten success: crime, poverty and racism.

L.E.A.D.’s Pathway2Empowerment has generated outstanding outcomes for our select group of high school participants, known as the L.E.A.D. Ambassadors. To deliver these results, L.E.A.D. works closely with administrators and teachers in Atlanta Public Schools (APS) to engage students who need additional support to improve and maintain their grades, attendance and behavior. L.E.A.D.’s year-round programming is structured around the following four pillars of excellence:

• ATHLETICS – Providing professional instructions in the skills, values and principles of baseball.

• ACADEMICS – Partnering with APS to keep student-athletes on track toward graduation.

• CIVIC ENGAGEMENT – Organizing and implementing regular community engagement activities.

• COMMERCE – Establishing corporate shadowing opportunities and a pipeline to future careers that will lend to leadership roles.

L.E.A.D.’s positive results are both quantifiable and qualitative: the organization has succeeded in transforming the lives of hundreds of young men, while delivering a broad positive impact.

100% of L.E.A.D.s young men graduate from high school

91% are accepted and enroll in college

91% receive some form of a college scholarship

Additionally, the L.E.A.D. Ambassadors have accumulated a total of over 2500 hours of service to the community.