Learning Leaders

Learning Leaders is a nonprofit group based in New York City whose purpose is to support the school children in the city by providing tutoring services and other educational support. The group started back in 1956 and was founded by Clara Blitzer who was a member of the Public Education Association.

The primary reason why Learning Leaders got its start over 50 years ago was because teacher became so overtaxed with the many administrative duties they had to complete that it took time away from the children who so desperately needed extra help with schoolwork. What was once a presence in one school with 20 volunteers has morphed into almost 15,000 volunteers in almost 1,000 schools in the greater New York City area and its boroughs.

The many volunteers from Learning Leaders work with children from all grade levels with reading skills, math, English as a second language and many more subjects where help is needed. For the high schoolers who must deal with important testing for college entry as well as filling out paperwork for college and financial aid, these volunteers are godsends to the kids who so desperately need guidance to help with their future.

Learning Leaders also have volunteers who introduce their own passions like art or reading books. Children blossom under the attention of these tutors and volunteers who share music by providing music classes and field trips to hear music artists. A love of art is shared with the students too with various field trips to the museums to learn more about architecture, the painting masters and much more.

The gift of time is what makes Learning Leaders succeed. The time that these volunteers give each year likely tallies in the millions total. Each child who has been helped by a volunteer through this program is developing more self-confidence and self-esteem and they believe in themselves, the greatest gift of all.