Capital Region Cares Capital Region Cares 2018-2019 | Page 85

The Leaven
"It takes real dedication to help boys and girls overcome the
risks in their neighborhood and choose an education of the
“good life” promised by the gangs.  Leaven Learning Centers
are a proven answer to revitalizing neighborhoods and limit
the elements that lure the children into a life of crime, non-
productivity and helplessness.”  — Dr. Phil
Revitalizing neighborhoods through education
F
ounded in 2009, The Leaven is a
tutoring and mentoring program
that directly benefits students with a
ripple effect on whole communities. By
establishing learning centers in at-risk
neighborhoods, The Leaven carries out
its mission of providing after-school
assistance as a way of revitalizing those
neighborhoods.
The program addresses the high school
dropout rate by working with students
from kindergarten through fifth grade.
“It’s critical to intervene at the elementary
school level, before students fall behind,”
explains Mark Lillis, Executive Director.
Entire families benefit from The
Leaven’s education and partnerships with
businesses, police and fire departments,
local government, school administrators
and teachers, church groups, civic clubs,
and the military. Students improve
academically, and concerned adults thrive
with brighter outlooks and efforts to
rejuvenate their communities. Statistics
show that criminal activity decreases, too.
“One of our neighborhoods has seen a
50-percent decrease in crime in just the
six months we’ve been there,” confirms
Lillis.
The Leaven has seen phenomenal
growth, having expanded from 16 learning
centers last year to 25 by the end of this
year, which includes increased numbers
of centers in Solano, Napa and San
Bernardino counties, and new centers in
Sacramento and Contra Costa counties.
Learning centers are established
in community rooms of residential
complexes, each serving 20 to 40 students
every school day. The centers will serve
about 1,000 students this year, and
impact more than 18,000 people in those
neighborhoods. Nearly 300 volunteers
from diverse backgrounds tutor and
mentor students, and volunteers are
always needed and welcomed.
MYLEAVEN.COM
“If a neighborhood is left to degrade,
it takes vast community effort and funds
to revitalize,” says Lillis. “The $30,000
startup cost for one of our learning
centers is an extremely cost-effective
way of preserving and rebuilding before
opportunities are lost. Contact us about
establishing a learning center to empower
your community.”
profile generously sponsored by
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