About LEAPNOW and "Transforming Education"
International Education | Transforming Education | International and Domestic Study Programs | Student Internship
WHY LEAPNOW
LEAPNOW’s primary purpose is nothing less
than transformation and positive change on the planet. We aspire to keep our
work on the cutting edge of human evolution. We feel
that we can have the most positive impact on the world by
working in the area of education – which ideally is all about transforming and expanding the consciousness of our
students.
STUDY EXPERIENCES, LEARNING ABOUT OURSELVES AND THE WORLD
LEAPNOW provides students with access to
thousands of diverse international and domestic learning experiences in 126 countries, and
offers transformational teachings that give students the
opportunity to empower themselves to “be the change that you
wish to see in the world (Gandhi).” Cultural immersion,
study
abroad
and work abroad are our main vehicles for learning about
ourselves and the world. Intense work and study experiences
abroad are complemented with contemplative learning retreats
at
our northern California campus that serve to teach students how
to wholeheartedly participate in the world and live passionately
without leaving any parts of themselves out - mind, body,
spirit, soul, emotion, etc. We call this way of learning,
“Transforming Education.”
TRANSFORMING EDUCATION IS DESIGNED TO:
- Be an antidote to problems that afflict us in the
postmodern world: indifference, ironic detachment, political
impotence, virtual reality, and the mistaken conviction that true power
lies somewhere outside of ourselves
- Reawaken the learner who has often been lulled
into a trance by sitting passively for many years in classroom,
and keep us learning in ways that are “juicy” and inherently
meaningful to us.
- Help us find the creative source within so that we
can remember and fulfill our life purpose.
- Affirm the basic underlying unity of life and the
wholeness of the individual – breaking down boundaries within
one’self and between nations or cultures.
- Remind us that the “winged life” is within reach of anyone who is willing to do the work of re-imagining their life
THE LEAPNOW ORGANIZATION and OPPORTUNITIES
To these ends we give our primary focus to our LEAPYEAR program and to volunteer internships that support
organizations making a difference in the world.
LEAPNOW was founded in 1994. A dedicated staff of 8 bring decades of experience to our daily goal of providing learning experiences that astonish. The amazing LEAPNOW Advisory Board keeps us inspired and focused.
As of the summer of 2008, we have placed over 1,550 people in service and environmental internships abroad, sent 51 guided groups of young people to Central America, South America, India, and Australia/New Zealand/Fiji, and run 12 cycles of our LEAPYEAR program. Our students have given over 612,000 hours of their time to service, environmental, medical and wildlife organizations around the planet.
FURTHER LEAPNOW PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS ON THE HORIZON
LEAPNOW is currently developing a program
called “Deeper Waters” to extend LEAPYEAR to a 2-year Associates
Degree We are also in the
process of creating a non-profit arm that will raise
scholarship monies for our programs to increase access, and
formalize partnerships that we have with non-profits doing
service and environmental work abroad.