Lead, Empower and Promote Self-Esteem or “LEAPS” is a project initiated by the Junior League of Waco in the fall of 2004 at North Waco Elementary School. The program’s goal is to build the self-esteem of second and third grade students who have been identified by the school’s administration as at-risk. The program has two components: a mentoring program and a class curriculum. During the 2004-05 school year, 20 students were served, and due to positive feedback from teachers and parents, the program was expanded in the 2005-06 school year to follow the third graders in the program last year to 4th grade while adding another 10 2nd graders to the program, for a total of 26. Twenty League volunteers work with these children throughout the school year. The Junior League of Waco and North Waco Elementary School were recognized as the 2006 Outstanding Elementary Partnership by the Waco I.S.D. Adopt-a-School Program.

Each Junior League volunteer involved in the mentoring program meets with two children every week for 30-45 minutes on a one-on-one basis. During their weekly visits, the volunteers read with their child and in the process, develop personal relationships with the child, all the while impressing on the child that they are special and important. In addition to the League mentors who meet with the children weekly, another group of League volunteers teaches the classroom portion of the project to the students as a group every other Friday. The curriculum used is a professionally designed course designed to build and promote self-esteem. At the end of each semester, the League hosts a celebratory dinner for the students and their families at which time each child and his or her family is recognized and given a book bag filled with school supplies, books and a LEAPS t-shirt. The dinners also include family activities and crafts.

In addition to the volunteers who support this program, the League has dedicated over $10,000 to this program, which includes the cost of the curriculum, the family dinners, and books and supplies for the children. In addition, in 2005-06, the League granted $5,000 to Parents for Public Schools to create a parent component to the project to make sure that the lessons learned at school were taken home to further support the child and his or her family. And finally, after learning of the need for school uniforms on the campus, the League gave another $250 to North Waco to help defray the cost of uniforms for those who could not afford to purchase new clothes.

This project has had a profound effect on the lives of the volunteers who have grown to love their children, as well as on the children, who reportedly look forward each week to the visit from their League mentor. Parents have reported improvements in their child’s behavior and attitude, and teachers and staff also report better grades, behavior and attendance for the children involved.

LEAPS provides lasting support and lessons for the children to be successful for many years to come.