LEAP's 30th Anniversary Playground and Classroom Renovation Campaign

To encourage additional support towards this initiative, Laura Anderson Wright, Sr. Associate General Counsel at the University of Maryland is offering to match, dollar for dollar, additional gifts up to $10,000, in honor of her son, Kendall, who received pivotal support as student in the LEAP program, which lead him on a pathway for success. Today, Kendall is a rising senior at Northwestern University, majoring in Journalism.   

Why Support LEAP?

LEAP makes a positive impact on children in our community at a very early age. Help magnify that impact by supporting LEAP's 30th anniversary playground and classroom update! For nearly 30 years, the Language-Learning Early Advantage Program (LEAP) has worked with more than 250 families of preschool-aged children with communication delays. Your generous gift will allow us to renovate our playground and update our classroom so that we can continue to support children and families well into the future. 

LEAP realistically needs $100K to help make the renovations a reality, which the LEAP program would love to put in motion for the the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year. Your donation--of any size--will greatly help LEAP get closer to the reaching their fundraising goal. 

The Language-Learning Early Advantage Program (LEAP)

Did you know that nearly one in 12 children has had a communication disorder in the past 12 months? Speech and language challenges in early childhood can have a substantial impact on a child’s ability to interact with the world around them, to communicate with family members and peers, and to experience social-emotional growth. With early identification and support, many young children are able to overcome these challenges and have successful long-term outcomes. 

LEAP is a therapeutic communication enrichment program for preschool-aged children, housed within the Hearing & Speech Clinic in the Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences. LEAP was developed to support the needs of children with a range of speech and language difficulties. This program offers a comprehensive preschool curriculum with an emphasis on communication development and individualized speech and language therapy. Children in LEAP are also provided with instruction in the area of pre-literacy skills.

Providing Services to Local Community for 30 Years

We have provided a valuable service to the community in and around the University of Maryland for three decades. LEAP is a one-of-a-kind program, with a unique blend of individualized education and intensive communication intervention. We are thrilled to be able to celebrate our 30th year of supporting the local community with the services we provide.

Clinical Education for Speech-Language Pathology Students

LEAP provides both undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to work with children who have speech and language difficulties. Graduate student clinicians in the master’s program in speech-language pathology participate in LEAP to accrue clinical hours as part of their on-campus practicum experience on their paths to become licensed speech-language pathologists.

Learn more about the LEAP Program: http://leap.umd.edu

Other Ways to Donate:

Send a Personal or Donor Advised Fund Check:
Please make your check payable to the University of Maryland College Park Foundation (UMCPF) and mail it to: 4603 Calvert Rd, College Park, MD 20740. Please Memo: Language-Learning Early Advantage Program (LEAP) Fund# 21-22210. Click here if W-9 Form is needed. 

Transfer Stock:  Email umcpfstocks@umd.edu or call (301) 405-5244 or use the online stock transfer form and in the Fund Designation field type “Language-Learning Early Advantage Program (LEAP) Fund# 21-22210."

Employer Matching: Many employers sponsor matching gift programs to match charitable contributions from their employees to the University of Maryland. Please refer to the auto-generated receipt following the completion of your gift to find out if your gift is eligible for a matching donation from your employer.

For any questions on how to support this program, to share your story on how your family has been impacted by LEAP, or to learn about naming opportunities, please contact Jenny Kilberg, assistant director of development at jkilberg@umd.edu or 301-405-2998. 

Gifts in support of the University of Maryland are accepted and managed by the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc., an affiliated 501(c)(3) organization authorized by the Board of Regents.  Contributions to the University of Maryland are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please see your tax advisor for details.