Hey guys,

As usual, there’s a lot of stuff going on…here are some updates for you!

Last week, Ian met with Ms. Rogers from CDA to discuss the school’s class schedule with LEEP.  The CDA students had very positive PACT test scores last year, which is great.  Keep up the good work!

MGAP classes at James Island Middle School are also off and running.  We look forward to continuing to foster a relationship with this school.  They have demonstrated such great progress, and we can’t wait to see what we can do together this year!

We have also begun classes at St. Stephen’s Elementary and Middle Schools.  There has been one class so far with the elementary students.  It is an after school class, every other week.  At the end of a very long school day, the 2nd and 3rd grade students at the school were absolutely enthusiastic as we learned about the water cycle. The class had a blast venturing outside, learning about runoff and pretending to be water molecules!  The first class with the Middle School will be this Thursday.  LEEP hopes to develop a strong relationship with these schools this semester, and it looks like we’re off to a great start already.

The Board members of LEEP met last Monday evening to discuss upcoming fundraisers, as well as board reconstruction.  LEEP is in the process of educating board members of fundraising strategy and how-to, and exploring new approaches for operating a nonprofit organization.  Ian attended a fundraising seminar offered by SCANPO on Thursday.  Be on the lookout for a lot of new, innovative fundraisers for LEEP in the coming months.

The LEEP BioBus took a trip to beautiful Magnolia Gardens this weekend.  The bus carried a group of kids from the Boys and Girls club to the site.

This Sunday was LEEP’s 8th and final Bowenstock!  It was a great success.  The weather was beautiful, and food was great, and the music was absolutely fantastic.  This 100% sustainable event could not have been possible without all the volunteers, the Bowen’s Island staff, Henry’s Attic, and Live Oak.  Thank ALL of you!

Ian is getting ready to travel to Columbia this week to discuss No Child Left Inside at the governor’s office! 

On a similar note, this week is Take A Child Outdoors Week…Definitely something to celebrate!

Have a great week, everybody!