LEAP is an educational empowerment program that fosters learning, well-being, and resilience among Palestinian refugee children and youth. Grounded in the belief that every child carries the capacity to learn, imagine, and grow, LEAP creates spaces where learning, confidence, and self-expression can flourish.

LEAP works with children, their caregivers, and the wider community to foster an environment where learning is nurtured, children are valued, and holistic support is strengthened. Through this shared approach, the program builds on existing strengths within families and communities, reinforcing the conditions that allow young people to grow, thrive, and shape their own futures.

Overview

In 2024, UPA adopted LEAP as one of its core education programs. Building on a journey that began in 2010 across refugee communities in Lebanon, LEAP has also expanded to support children in Jordan’s Jerash Camp.

LEAP is implemented through two complementary educational empowerment initiatives:

• SHINE (Summer Program)
• ASPIRE (Scholastic-Year Program)

Together, these programs provide continuity of support throughout the year, reinforcing learning, growth, and well-being.

Core Pillars of Programming

LEAP adopts a holistic, child-centered approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of learning, well-being, and expression:

• Learning Support: Structured academic engagement that reinforces school learning, strengthens core competencies, and builds confidence in learning.
• Psychosocial Well-being: Safe, supportive spaces where children are seen, heard, and valued, and where emotional expression, care, and resilience are nurtured through individual and group support and community engagement.
• Recreation and Expression: Creative and recreational activities including sports, arts, and collaborative play that allow children to express themselves, build relationships, and experience joy in learning.

Philosophy

Education is a space of possibility. It opens pathways for growth, dignity, and self-determination.

LEAP supports young people in strengthening their role as active participants in their own learning journeys. The program creates a safe and engaging environment where children can learn with curiosity, grow with confidence, and reconnect with their natural desire to explore and understand the world.

At its core, LEAP is grounded in the belief that children are not shaped by limitations, but by possibilities. The program encourages critical thinking, creativity, and imagination, supporting students to ask questions, explore ideas, and envision futures shaped by their own agency and aspirations.

Community-Based Model

LEAP is rooted in community, collaboration, and shared ownership. It is guided by a deep respect for the knowledge, experience, and priorities already present within the communities it serves.

The program works in close partnership with local organizations, families, educators, and community members to strengthen existing structures and build on local strengths. Together, these partnerships create an environment where children’s learning and well-being are collectively supported.

Caregivers and communities are essential partners in this process, helping to create the conditions in which children can thrive, grow, and express their full potential.

Commitment

LEAP is grounded in a long-term vision of dignity, opportunity, and justice. While the program is committed to strengthening learning and well-being in the present, it also recognizes that meaningful and lasting transformation is tied to broader structural conditions affecting Palestinian refugee communities.

Within this reality, LEAP focuses on what can be cultivated every day: knowledge, confidence, resilience, and hope. It seeks to expand spaces of possibility where children’s strengths are recognized, nurtured, and allowed to grow.