Program Overview
The National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) is a network of networks that brings together organizations committed to providing communities with equitable experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). NGCP serves as a key partner on several national STEM initiatives that strive to increase STEM literacy skills for educators and youth through library programs like the Libraries as Community Hubs for Citizen Science initiative in partnership with Arizona State University/SciStarter, and the Leap into Science program in partnership with the Franklin Institute.
Leap into Science (Leap) is a research-based early childhood science and literacy program designed by The Franklin Institute for informal learning spaces like libraries. The program pairs hands-on science activities with children’s books to empower children to build literacy and critical thinking skills. There are thousands of organizations that are part of the Leap national network trained to deliver the program, including libraries across 23 states. Educators use the Leap Core Four Strategies of asking questions, encouraging scientific thinking, encouraging rich dialogue, and making connections to facilitate exploration and learning for children and families.
Fast Facts
Funding Amount: $2.1M from the National Science Foundation
Size of Institution:
- NGCP is a small, private, non-profit;
- The Franklin Institute is a large science center
Time Period: The Leap program began as a pilot in Philadelphia in 2011; since 2017, it has expanded nationally.
Size of Community: 23 states, 60 Leap trainers, 2,500 Leap educators
Reach: 2,500 Leap educators trained, and 40,000 children and families served.
Key metrics for measuring success:
- Positive attitudes toward science and literacy for participating children and adults
- Increased critical thinking and literacy skills for children
- Increase educator knowledge, confidence, and skills in facilitating science and literacy programs
Community Needs
What need was the program addressing? How was the need identified?
Leap addresses early childhood information literacy and science literacy by focusing on exploration and self-discovery. The NGCP identified the need for these resources by evaluating programming gaps within their extensive network. NGCP serves organizations across all fifty states and territories through state collaboratives and strategic partnerships. These state-level partners serve as a voice for local organizations. NGCP then leverages partnerships with STEM-rich institutions, like The Franklin Institute, to scale high-quality resources to local organizations.
What specific community were you serving? How did you tailor the program for your community?
The Leap program serves rural and urban communities through informal learning settings like libraries, museums, afterschool programs, and early childhood organizations. State leaders offer Leap training, resources, and support to local educators, including librarians. The program is designed to be flexibly implemented to fit the specific needs of local communities. Educators can customize the program by choosing books relevant to their audiences and adapting the hands-on science activities for different ages. The curriculum and materials can be used during story times, as an afterschool program, or as a family STEM night.
Funding and Partnerships
How was the program initially funded? If the program will continue, how will the program be funded or sustained in the future?
In 2017, The NGCP and The Franklin Institute received a National Science Foundation grant to scale the Leap program nationally. Each year, a cohort of states was selected through an application to receive funding, training, and program materials. There are over sixty Leap trainers across 20 states from state libraries, early childhood organizations, afterschool networks, and museums. While some trainers can only offer training with funding, many have found ways to incorporate the Leap model into their existing training infrastructure. In North Carolina, for example, state library leadership has developed an online, self-guided Leap training to continue the program within the library system. The curriculum and training videos are also available publicly and can be used by anyone!
With whom did you partner? How did you develop those partnerships?
The Leap national network is based on the NGCP partnership model of collective impact at the state level. Leap State Leadership teams are comprised of individuals representing statewide libraries, afterschool networks, and other state-focused institutions. These individuals serve as trainers and technical support providers to educators in their state, developing communities of practice for early childhood science and literacy education. NGCP leveraged its network of 45,000 organizations to cultivate the state leadership teams. NGCP and The Franklin Institute co-created a call to action with clear benefits and expectations of participation and encouraged collaboration between individuals who served different audiences to ensure the equitable spread of the program throughout the state.
Looking for Funding Resources?
Explore our Funding Resources to find the right tools for you
Program Impact
What is the impact of your program? How have you measured and evaluated success (or failure)?
Over 41,000 children and adults have participated in Leap programming, and more than 2,500 educators have been trained to deliver the program across 23 states. The program has been extensively evaluated over the last twelve years and has demonstrated success with children, parents, and educators. After participating in Leap, children developed positive attitudes toward science, demonstrated curiosity and enjoyment, and exhibited science process skills like observing, questioning, predicting, and explaining. Parents experienced benefits, including having fun while learning, being inspired to take new risks with science and their children, and increasing their understanding of how children learn science and literacy skills. Additionally, educators who have received the Leap training have demonstrated increased confidence, knowledge, and skills in leading science and literacy activities.
Network, Collaborate, and Share
What advice would you give to someone implementing a similar community-based program?
When designing and scaling a literacy program, consider how the program may look different in different communities and design with that in mind. The Leap program has been successful because of the flexible nature of the curriculum and materials. It is not a one-size-fits-all program and can be easily adapted and customized to meet the needs of specific communities. NGCP recently hosted a conference with the Education Development Center to consider how to scale informal programs equitably. Visit our Advancing the Conversation on Scaling Programs page to learn more.
How can people reach you?
The NGCP values collaboration and has 20 years of expertise in partnering with organizations to provide guidance on equity and scaling. To partner with NGCP, visit our Partner with Us page for more information.
Visit the National Girls Collaborative Project to learn more.
Visit Leap into Science to access curriculum and training resources.
