In a city where zip code often determines life expectancy, early educational intervention is not just an academic issue—it is a matter of public health. As someone working within the LEAPS: Mentoring in Medicine L.E.G.A.C.Y. Program, I see firsthand how holistic, community-rooted education can begin to address some of New York City’s most persistent inequities. LEAPS is not just about academic enrichment. It is about transforming the trajectory of young lives by tackling generational barriers, starting where disparities often begin: in the classroom.

The L.E.G.A.C.Y program, which runs out of schools like P.S. 046 in Harlem, blends test preparation with hands-on STEM activities, health education, and social-emotional learning. Through advising sessions, science-based games, and math experiments like the “Ball Toss,” my colleagues and I encourage students to not only understand their curriculum but also see how it connects to real-world challenges, including their health. The approach is celebratory, student-centered, and rooted in restorative justice. In an environment often characterized by high-stakes testing and under-resourced classrooms, LEAPS provides a vital model of joy, dignity, and holistic student support.

This not-for-profit program is more than an extracurricular initiative—it is a blueprint for how community-driven models can disrupt systemic cycles of educational and health inequity. My research at Hunter College on the social determinants of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in New York City reveals that poor access to healthcare, nutritious food, green spaces, and health education leads to disproportionately high rates of heart disease in marginalized neighborhoods. These disparities are most visible in areas like Central Harlem, East New York, and the South Bronx—communities with histories of displacement, redlining, and chronic underinvestment.

LEAPS directly addresses the upstream causes of these downstream health outcomes. By embedding health literacy, nutritional awareness, and the basics of scientific inquiry into the everyday experiences of 3rd to 8th graders, we’re laying a foundation that traditional public health programs too often overlook. The students we serve—many of whom are Black, Brown, immigrant, or from low-income households—are growing up in environments statistically linked to higher CVD mortality. LEAPS gives them the tools to not only pass an exam but also understand their bodies, advocate for their needs, and envision new futures.

This is how we break cycles, by making education about more than scores and turning it into a form of healthcare, self-affirmation, and community building.

Importantly, L.E.G.A.C.Y also nurtures the professional growth of its mentors like me. From physicians to public health students, undergraduates, and aspiring educators, the program creates a dynamic network of mentorship and collaboration that extends beyond the classroom. It strengthens community ties and offers meaningful exposure to new career pathways for everyone involved.

Moreover, Mentoring in Medicine also recognizes that systemic change requires family engagement. That’s why we’re working to translate the enthusiasm and curiosity fostered during school hours into students’ homes by equipping parents with the tools and knowledge to support their children’s academic and health journeys. When we educate a child and empower a family, we strengthen a neighborhood.

Programs like LEAPS should not operate in isolation. With the sustained support of local government and school district partnerships, they can serve as scalable models for educational reform that tackle public health and educational disparities at their roots. Initiatives like HealthyNYC, Healthy Bodega Initiative, and Take the Pressure Off, NYC! are essential for adult health outcomes; however, what if their goals were embedded in school culture from day one?

The L.E.G.A.C.Y program demonstrates what’s possible when culturally competent, community-based education is treated not as a luxury but as a necessity. For too long, interventions have focused on treating illness downstream. LEAPS shows that the future of equitable healthcare might just begin in a school library during Study Jam, or on a playground where students are learning math through movement.

We’re not just mentoring students. We’re building healthier neighborhoods by shaping one young mind at a time.