Beyond the Classroom

AC LEAP

Welcome

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  • Thank you for your interest in AC LEAP!

    AC Summer LEAP is a six-week summer enrichment program that seeks to close the opportunity gap in Rochester by offering high-quality summer learning experiences to students with low income.

    Studies show that students from low-income households can lose up to three months of academic gains when they are out of school for the summer. Our program addresses this disparity with certified teachers engaging K-8 students in reading, math and STEAM activities for 5 days a week for 6 weeks. 

    With 42% of our students learning English as a second language, we have adapted to be one of the only summer programs in Rochester to offer comprehensive support and enrichment in Spanish for bilingual students.

    Through our program students gain an average two months’ worth of reading skills. Our program targets the areas of greatest need to maximize summer gains so students can enter the new school year better prepared and involved.
            

Our Impact At A Glance

AC LEAP served
  • 111 students
AC LEAP distributed 
  • 604 project-based learning boxes
  • 4,664 meals
AC LEAP students attended 
  • 476 virtual class sessions attended
AC LEAP faculty & staff made
  • 352 face-to-face contacts
  • 228 phone contacts
  • 206 text contacts

AC LEAP Mission

At AC LEAP, we believe that education can transform lives and promote equity in the Rochester community. 

Our mission is to unite families, teachers, and community leaders with innovative models of immersive learning.  We join together to develop socially responsible leaders and emboldened lifelong learners committed to inspiring positive change.

Our program blends a high-quality academic model with a focus on social-emotional learning, wellness, and bilingual enrichment for the Spanish-speaking students we serve. 

AC LEAP Core Principles

  • Trust: Cultivating relationships that break down barriers and build trust.
  • Quality: Providing second-to-none preparation for real-world student success.
  • Community: Bringing our best selves to the community we serve.
  • Impact: Fostering effective support and enrichment that addresses targeted community needs.
            
AC Summer LEAP wouldn't be possible without financial support from:
Ashley Family Foundation, Steven and Dean Brown, EnCompass, Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation, Feinbloom Supporting Foundation, Mrs. Eleanor and Mr. Bruce McLear, The Polisseni Foundation, Rochester Area Community Foundation, Rochester City School District, Rochester Female Charitable Society, Richard and Vicki Schwartz, United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, Erik and Judy von Bucher, John F Wegman Fund, Patricia H. Wehle
            

Meet the Director

Indy Maring (they/them) graduated from AC in 2018, and they are completing a BA in Psychology from the University of Rochester. Since graduating from AC, Indy has worked exclusively in community embedded roles in the Rochester area supporting Black, Latine, Indigenous, and Queer youth. Indy has been involved in AC Summer LEAP since 2014, working in many capacities including as a Teacher’s Assistant, Special Events Coordinator, and Site Coordinator. In 2021, Indy served as Assistant Director of the program, launching two community-embedded partnerships with Rochester Rec and Noetic Learning Center. This year, Indy will serve as Director where they hope to continue expanding AC Summer LEAP and its reach into Rochester while sharing their knowledge of community engagement with Allendale Columbia.

Indy Maring
Director of AC LEAP
imaring@u.rochester.edu 
At Allendale Columbia, we prepare students for the world they will inherit. In our trusting and responsive environment, students in nursery through grade 12 grow in confidence and develop scholastic independence.