Nikki Giovanni LEAP Scholarship Program
“After a trip with LEAP, which builds literacy, I was reminded that people are really giving. I’ll never change my habit of saying yes. I believe that it is important to find time to share some energy with something or someone else.”
– Nikki Giovanni –O– Magazine
According to UNICEF, more than 63 million secondary school aged children are not enrolled in school. Some of the barriers that contribute to these numbers include civil conflict and instability, distance from home to school, tuition costs, lack of adequate teacher training and professional development and poor educational materials.
In Ghana, for instance, the two primary barriers for our students are (1) successful passage of the required secondary school entrance examination, the Basic Education Certification Examination (BECE), made difficult by limited school materials and (2) the resources to pay the annual tuition which is nearly impossible, without enormous sacrifice, for most families. Our educational programming helps to address the first barrier. To combat the second barrier, we have developed a scholarship fund. The Scholarship Fund is named for our inaugural Poet Laureate, Nikki Giovanni, to honor her work and passion for writing and excellence.
LEAP Scholars are intellectually curious students that share a passion for using their education to transform their communities and have overcome tremendous challenges to pursue their dreams. The scholarship:
- Provides financial assistance for qualified students to attend secondary school
- Pays for boarding, travel, book, and other school related fees
- Encourages academic excellence
- Recognizes student initiative and leadership
- Offers mentorship to motivate students to perform well in and out of the classroom as they explore their talents, interests and passions
- Engages students and their families to ensure successful transition into secondary school