Leadership Education And Development, or LEAD, is a 501 (c)(3) national nonprofit located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The LEAD Program is an international collaborative TRIAD of (1) premier U.S. corporations, (2) undergraduate and graduate colleges of business, engineering and computer science, and (3) academically talented middle to high school students from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

1980

LEAD’s mission is to engage youth of diverse backgrounds to convert high potential into high achievement and responsible leadership. LEAD accomplishes this mission by fostering a vibrant community for students to gain the skills, experience and encouragement they need to fulfill their educational and professional aspirations in the fields of business, engineering and computer science.

The LEAD Program, since its inception in 1980, has devised a successful formula of identifying, recruiting and selecting high achieving students for the program. Great consideration is given to students applying from economically disadvantaged communities. Students must complete an application and submit essays, recommendations, transcript and leadership experience. LEAD’s extraordinary success in diverse workforce development is due in large part to the generosity and shared vision of our university and corporate partners. Realizing the need for increased diversity in business management, leaders in the public and private sector have paved the way for the nation’s brightest high school students to become accomplished and responsible business leaders. For more than 30 years, LEAD’s Summer Institutes have served over 9,500 students and have grown increasingly competitive, generally receiving three times more applications than available capacity. The alumni database is the main vehicle in which LEAD alumni connect to university and corporate partners who desire to utilize this resource for college admissions, scholarships, internships and employment opportunities.