LEAP Forward 2025
The UW–Madison LEAP (Learn, Experience, Advance, Participate) Forward Internship wrapped up its sixth successful summer of the program. LEAP was piloted in the summer of 2018 as a part of UW–Madison’s Anchor Partner Commitment to the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) and the Personalized Pathways Program. LEAP Forward has been designed as an equitable opportunity for MMSD rising 11th and 12th grade students and enables students to explore passions in health sciences through practical and professional experiences on UW–Madison’s campus. The program prioritizes admittance to students who are in the MMSD Health Science Pathways Program, and students that are underrepresented, would be first generation college students, and/or students who are receiving free/reduced lunch. To ensure equitable access to this opportunity, LEAP Forward provides students with a lump sum wage as well as 1-college credit over the course of 6 weeks during the summer. This effort has been developed in collaboration with cross-campus entities and administered by the Office of Student Financial Aid with credit offered through the School of Education’s Department of Counseling Psychology.
This year’s cohort was comprised of 16 students from East, West, LaFollete, and Memorial high schools. The students interned 12 hours a week at 6 UW–Madison host sites which included: Morgridge Community Engagement, Veterinary Medicine, Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education, Tiny Earth, McBurney Disability Resource Center, and the Center for Healthy Minds. The students also had the opportunity to engage with 8 additional UW–Madison departments throughout their 6 week UW course. One LEAP intern commented, “ LEAP gives you insight on many different careers within the health-science field, while gaining hands-on experience. The opportunities that LEAP offers are ones that are so rare and special that most people will never experience in their lifetime. I am beyond grateful for this class experience.”
This year’s cohort was comprised of 16 students from East, West, LaFollete, and Memorial high schools. The students interned 12 hours a week at 6 UW–Madison host sites which included: Morgridge Community Engagement, Veterinary Medicine, Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education, Tiny Earth, McBurney Disability Resource Center, and the Center for Healthy Minds. The students also had the opportunity to engage with 8 additional UW–Madison departments throughout their 6 week UW course. One LEAP intern commented, “ LEAP gives you insight on many different careers within the health-science field, while gaining hands-on experience. The opportunities that LEAP offers are ones that are so rare and special that most people will never experience in their lifetime. I am beyond grateful for this class experience.”