LEEP is a free four-week summer program designed for Seattle Public School students entering grades 6 or 9 in fall 2025. Through engaging and fun activities and classes, LEEP aims to build students' confidence, nurture excitement about school and learning, prepare students for middle or high school academics, and connect them with new friends.
LEEP 2025 runs July 7-Aug. 1, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
90
students in LEEP
50
rising 6th graders
40
rising 9th graders
1-to-18
student-to-teacher ratio with counselors in each classroom
LEEP values:
Take intellectual risks.
Actively participate.
Respect yourself and others.
Students come from
40
different public schools
61%
of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch
LEEP is
FREE
100%
of students are enrolled at public schools
Post-LEEP, students reported an increase in:
Confidence speaking in front of a group.
An understanding of their strengths.
Openness to others' perspectives, even if they are different than their own.
Feeling like a valuable and valued member of their school community.
Rising 6th graders in 2025
self-identified their primary race/ethnicity as the following:
40% African or African American
23% Asian or Asian American
13% Latinx/Hispanic
11% Multiracial
9% White
4% Pacific Islander
Rising 9th graders in 2025
self-identified their primary race/ethnicity as the following:
Follow the instructions to create a student profile for the applicant.
Find LEEP in the School Directory and click the green "apply" button.
View all required application forms in Ravenna (see below for details).
A complete LEEP application includes:
Family Information Form: filled out and submitted online by parent or guardian. This form asks for basic information (like address, current school, preferred bus stop, etc.).
Student Responses: filled out and submitted online by student. Students will share why they are interested in LEEP.
Parent/Guardian Responses: filled out and submitted online by parent or guardian. Parents/guardians will share why they are interested in LEEP. If needed, others can translate parent/guardian responses by typing for them.
Academic Reference: this form should be sent to a current core teacher. Enter the reference's email in Ravenna, and the online form will be emailed to them.
Personal Reference (optional): this form should be sent to a community member (i.e., coach, counselor, mentor). Enter the reference's email in Ravenna, and the online form will be emailed to them.
Records Request Form: print this form, sign it, and give to the student's current school. This form allows the current school to send current grades to LEEP.
School Administrator Form: Completed online by a current school administrator (such as a counselor, vice principal, or principal). This form provides information about the student's attendance behavior and overall school experience and may include additional comments to support the student's candidacy for LEEP.
Who can apply for LEEP?
LEEP is open to current 5th or 8th graders in Seattle Public Schools. For students outside the district, consider Summer at Lakeside programs.
How long is the application?
To submit thoughtful responses, we recommend dedicating at least an hour each to completing the family information, parent/guardian responses, and student responses. Academic references and school records requests may take a day or longer — we recommend giving at least a week’s notice to anyone who is writing or submitting materials on your child’s behalf.
When are accepted students notified?
LEEP admissions decisions will be available in Ravenna on May 1.
My student has a prior commitment that conflicts with the program dates. Can they still attend?
Students accepted to LEEP are expected to attend for the full duration of the program. LEEP is a carefully designed full experience, and we don’t want kids to miss out on parts of it! For example, on the first day, kids get their team assignments, learn schedules and routines for the rest of the summer, orient to the curriculum and program expectations, and break the ice with introductory activities and teambuilding games. On the final day, participants host guests at an event celebrating their projects and summer growth.
My student attends school in West or South Seattle. Can LEEP provide transportation?
LEEP offers free daily transportation for all students within the city limits. Bus stops are at SPS schools and Seattle community centers and libraries. Buses run every day LEEP is in session.
How do I know if my student would benefit from LEEP?
LEEP participants have shared feedback that they benefit in various ways: from making new friends and being part of a team, to growing in emotional maturity and self-awareness, to honing key middle and high school skills such as time management, organization, and self-advocacy. LEEP offers students an active and varied summer filled with not only classes but sports, outdoor activities, trips, and field days. Previous LEEP students have told us that they appreciated the program’s small class sizes, real-time feedback, and direct access to teachers.
What’s the relationship between LEEP and Lakeside School?
LEEP is hosted by Lakeside School and runs on its campus, and has current Lakeside faculty and recent alums on staff. Applications and admissions to LEEP and to Lakeside School are separate processes.
LEEP is free; there are no costs associated with attending. LEEP provides all required classroom supplies, bus transportation to and from Lakeside for students in Seattle, and a light breakfast and a full lunch each day. The costs of the program are covered by private donations. Some LEEP families choose to make a voluntary contribution; however, this is not required.
LEEP partners with First Student to provide free bus transportation to and from the Lakeside campus. Bus stops are at SPS schools and Seattle community centers and libraries. Buses run every day LEEP is in session during the summer, and some Saturday sessions held at Lakeside during the school year. Depending on where a student lives and which bus stop is selected, families should plan for an additional 15-90 minutes of time spent on the bus. Traffic can also extend transportation time.
LEEP 2026 will run July 6 through July 31 Monday through Friday. Attendance is crucial due to the limited time we have together. If students or families know now they have obligations that will conflict with the program calendar, LEEP would not be the right fit.
In 2025, we enrolled approximately 50 students in the 5th-to-6th grade cohort, and 40 students in the 8th-to-9th grade cohort.
The LEEP student body is academically, ethnically, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse. Members of the 2025 cohort came from 40 different Seattle Public Schools middle schools or PreK-8s. 92% identified as a student of color, 36 students spoke a second language (Arabic, Chinese—Cantonese, Mandarin—Dari, French, Nepali, Oromo, Spanish, Tamazight, Thai, Tigrinya, Turkish, Vietnamese) at home, and 61% qualified for free and reduced-price lunch.
Questions? Please contact us at LEEP@lakesideschool.org. Phones will be unattended until campus reopens after the end of the school year in early June; please email for a timely response.
Students will learn in interdisciplinary courses that offer the appropriate level of challenge and support. Skills such as organization, time management, self-advocacy, and habits of mind will be emphasized.
LEEP focuses on habits of mind and leadership development. The curriculum fosters critical thinking, persistence, and resilience. Instruction is student-centered, asking students to reflect upon themselves and to consider other perspectives.
Digital life is designed to ensure students have the computer and multimedia skills needed to support their academic work and to develop a strong foundation for future technology use. Students will also learn about understanding the ethical uses of technology in and out of the classroom. Lessons are focused on experiential and project-based learning.
Considering the importance of young students feeling comfortable and confident in and around water, each student will receive up to eight 30-minute swimming lessons at a nearby public pool. Students will also participate in daily outdoor, on-campus activities that promote sportsmanship and reflect LEEP values.
LEEP helps prepare students for high-school level academics. Students learn in interdisciplinary courses that offer the appropriate level of challenge and support. Summer classes are small, with approximately 18 students led by an experienced teacher and two college-aged counselors. Classes help students learn organization, time management, self-advocacy, and leadership skills.
Digital life is designed to ensure students have the computer and multimedia skills needed to support their academic work and to develop a strong foundation for future technology use. Students will also learn about understanding the ethical uses of technology in and out of the classroom. Lessons are focused on experiential and project-based learning.
Stand and Deliver presentations are a hallmark of the program. All members of the LEEP community, staff and students, make a three- to five-minute presentation before the entire group. These can take the form of poetry, stories, speeches, or playing a musical instrument. Stand and Deliver can be intensely personal and challenging, but it remains an important LEEP experience and a bonding activity.
LEEP continues during the school year to help students build skills and access support in meeting their middle or high school's academic requirements. Students attend seasonal Saturday sessions between October and April.
Sessions are a chance for students to reconnect with their cohort, as well as provide a touch point for academic support in the form of activity days or class days. Activity days offer an assortment of social activities, service learning, and/or college and career preparation depending on a student's grade level. Class days are modified academic days that mirror aspects of a LEEP summer day.
In 1965, the Lakeside Educational Enrichment Program (LEEP) was created by Dan Ayrault, Jim Steil, and Pete Steil as a partnership between Lakeside School and Seattle Public Schools (SPS).
The program has continued every summer, and has served more than 3,600 students to date. While there have been some changes, including the addition of a school-year component, the objectives have remained the same. Students then and now remember the commitment of LEEP staff, the opportunity to connect with other students in the Seattle area, and the activities that help them develop a new understanding of what they can accomplish. LEEP is successful because of the dedication of teachers and counselors, the engagement of LEEP students and graduates, the support of SPS middle school counselors, and the backing of Lakeside School.
LEEP is supported entirely by private contributions. The costs of tuition, transportation, food, instructional materials, and athletic equipment are fully covered; students are able to participate entirely free of tuition and fees. The Lakeside Parents and Guardians Association (PGA) has been LEEP’s longest-continuous supporter, in addition to several private donors, restricted endowment funds, and a generous grant from the Nintendo Corporation in 1992.
