March 2025 Edition

Welcome to LEAH's Quarterly Newsletter!

In This Edition You'll Find:

Announcements
From the youth: What LEAH's been up to!

Click Here if you missed last Quarter's Newsletter!

Announcements

Click on the Highlighted Words to Learn More!

Summer Internship Applications are OPEN!

Click Here to Apply

LEAH Summer Internships are paid, 5-week programs designed to give high school students early access to and experience with laboratory research.

Current youth leaders who haven't participated in our summer internships are encouraged to apply!

Internship Dates: July 7th - August 8th
Application Deadline: March 30th @ 10pm

*NO PRIOR LAB EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!*

Introducing the 2024-25

Youth Leadership Team!

As part of the Youth Leadership Team (YLT), members develop decision-making and leadership skills. They play an important role in shaping LEAH's programming and community by planning events, facilitating specific aspects of workshops and events, and helping to tell the stories of the LEAH Project from the perspective of the youth!

This year we are thrilled to have 7 members on the Youth Leadership Team:

Upcoming Events

From the Youth:

What LEAH's Been Up To

Teaching Quirkles at Sites!

Written by: Jasmine Cabey

Leading the Quirkles (stories and experiments about science) has been really inspiring. I love getting to plan out what I’m doing to do each week and the best ways to get the youth to understand each lesson. It is sometimes a struggle to find new ways to explain the confusing parts of each Quirkle. But the support I get from my supervisor and the other youth leader at my site helps tremendously. I’m able to look towards them whenever I get stuck so I don’t get too confused or overwhelmed. The youth at my site are always curious to see what the next lesson is and that’s part of the reason I love working with kids. This internship combines 2 of my interests: teaching/taking care of kids and STEM, so it felt perfect for me to apply to LEAH.

Shoutouts from Afterschool Site Supervisor!

"They [LEAH Youth Leaders] all came in and adjusted and interacted with the kids immediately. Can already tell they will be a great asset to my programming!"

"Great start to the week the youth leaders did excellent. They all came up with a plan and executed flawlessly . Exited for the upcoming weeks!!!"

"The kids love Quirkles and enjoy the experiments. Ilyas and Jasmine work well together and are patient with the members. They have also planned out experiments in advance to make the program be successful and effective."

College Visits Over February Break

Clark University

& WPI

By: Guilherme Da Mata Silva

On Wednesday February 19th, we visited two incredible schools: Clark University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). We began our day at Clark with an info session about all the amazing opportunities offered, like their 4+1 program (an accelerated master's degree) and impressive research opportunities. We then headed off on our campus tour, a way for us to get a feel of being a Clarkie. After the tour, we enjoyed lunch at Higgins, with a variety of food choices including salads, tacos, and burrito bowls. Following lunch, we made our way to WPI. After an amazing info session in which we learned about the uniqueness of this institution, like its Major and Interactive Qualifying Projects and its innovative quarter system, we were all excited to go off on our tour. We were able to get a real sense of its vibrant campus life and saw firsthand the impressive facilities on campus. It was a day filled with excitement, and both schools were amazing, with very tight-knit student bodies that excel academically and have fun with quirky traditions like avoiding stepping on the WPI seal or the Red Square at Clark to stay on track to graduate!

UMass Amherst & Hampshire College

By: Prianne Domercant

On Friday we visited UMass Amhers t and Hampshire College. Although both colleges are a part of a consortium, along with a few others, they both offer a unique experience to those who attend.

UMass Amherst is known for having the best food of any US college. With a wide variety of food and options for those who have allergies or other dietary restrictions. It's also home to the 3rd tallest college library with over 4 million books inside. It's a large school with about 30,000 students and many clubs and activities which help new students make friends. One unique thing about Amherst's academics is the BDIC program which allows students to essentially create their own major if the one they want isn't offered.

Hampshire College is a lot smaller with a student body of about 900, yet there was still lots to offer. It has one of the few living buildings in the world and is carbon neutral! There is a great focus on the environment and science, although some students also choose to learn more about the arts. First year students also get to explore many topics because they don't have to choose a major right away. Through the 5 College Consortium, Hampshire students can also reap the benefits of other colleges as well!

Overall I personally really enjoyed the visits! I got to learn more about both colleges and also learned many of the facts I listed above during this trip. Before I had never even heard of Hampshire and knew very little about Amherst, but now I am considering both on my list of colleges I want to go to! Also the food at Amherst was in fact very good!!

Juniors prepare for the SAT

Written by: Danaya Price

During the six weeks of SAT prep, we have learned and reviewed many topics and strategies that can increase our chances of getting a good score on the SAT. I came into this hoping to improve my test-taking skills and especially get better at answering English-related questions. Math has always been easy for me, but English is a struggle.

During this time, I learned multiple tricks for taking timed exams. For example, in English, you can answer the short questions that come at the end first so you don’t spend most of your time on the longer questions, which only make up a small percentage of the exam. After going to SAT prep, I feel more confident and well-prepared to take the actual SAT. The vibes were good, and the instructor, Raphael, was really nice and supportive. He gave really good tips and reviewed everything well, and he improved my understanding in both Math and English. I learned things I didn’t learn in school, and I'm happy that I had this opportunity.

~SAT Prep was facilitated by Signet Education

LEAH's Winter Party

By: Eden Abraham

The LEAH winter party was an amazing event filled with great food and activities. My favorite part was reuniting with friends I hadn’t seen since the summer, as well as meeting new LEAH folks from the STEM internship. The karaoke and Photo Booth were great additions to the fun, but the real adventure was trying to take the group photo. With some people blinking and others disappearing, it definitely took some effort to get the picture, but we finally did it! Overall, It felt amazing to be back with the famiLEAH and celebrate the holidays surrounded by great energy.

College Persistence Social Event!

By: Presley Simelus

I'm a first-year, prospective biochemistry major at Swarthmore College. So far, I am enjoying my time here and I am grateful for where I am. I have made a great group of friends who hail from across the country and worldwide. My professors have proven to support my learning and are genuinely invested in my success. The College has provided me with a bounty of opportunities, such as free music lessons and a free public transportation pass for the Philadelphia area. Overall, it's been great!

Visiting the LEAH office this past winter break for the College Persistence Program (CPP) meeting was a very heartfelt moment. It felt surreal to return to the place that built and polished my college application as a first-year -- it felt like returning home. It served as an opportunity to see my friends again since the summer and to catch up with those in my community. As I dive into the spring semester, CPP meetings are returning to an online format and I look forward to catching up with folks and to continue learning how to adjust to college!

Cambridge Consultants Field Trip

By: Suhaana Khalifa

With Cambridge Consultants, a company that develops innovative products and services using many techniques and processes, we participated in multiple fun and intriguing activities, such as laser carving and virtual reality (VR). What resonated with me the most was how VR played a crucial role in product development. They described how their products are user-oriented and how they incorporate user feedback for improvements. VR prototypes allowed them to test designs without wasting materials. I believe this is a sustainable way to implement technology and reduce costs. I hope to see more of this in the future!

College Conversations

In December, our College Access Program Manager Jonathan hosted our annual College Conversations Night.

During this event, we invite college students (many of them LEAH alum!) to share about their college experiences: how they choose which school to attend, what it's like taking college classes, what factors went into deciding on their majors, and making the most of all college has to offer. The youths asked amazing questions and gained valuable insights.

A special shoutout to Via and Ricardo, our moderators for the event. You did amazing!!

Anatomy Academy