LEAP
Leaders for Ethics, Animals, & The Planet
In 2017, Blackberry Creek Farm Animal Sanctuary received a thoughtful letter from a high school freshman named Audori in Orange County, CA who had been placed in an FFA class at school as an elective. When she found out she’d be raising a pig (whom she later named Sebastian) she was excited… that is, until halfway through the semester when her teacher explained they’d be sending their animals to slaughter. Audori instead chose to save Sebastian’s life, raising the money via a crowdfunding campaign to buy her friend from the school program and finding him a safe, permanent home at Blackberry Creek where Josh and Danielle Hanosh started the education program that beget LEAP. This innovative alternative was started for all of the students out there like Audori who are eager to learn about leadership, climate solutions, our food system, and animal care in a sustainable and compassionate way.
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Learn more about LEAP below.
Founded by three non-profit sanctuaries in Northern California, LEAP (Leaders for Ethics, Animals, and the Planet) is the first-of- its-kind humane education program to reach high school students as a compassionate alternative to traditional agricultural programs like 4H and FFA.
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Providing in-depth monthly curriculum, high-impact leadership training, and hands-on workshops in both sanctuaries and urban settings, LEAP will prepare the next generation of leaders to transform our food systems, advocate for animal welfare and human rights, tackle the challenges of food deserts and diet- related diseases, and lead the way in climate solutions, sustainability, and wildlife conservation.
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LEAP empowers young people, teaching them that empathy for others is a strength, not a weakness. With humanity at a major crossroads, there’s no better time for our youth to leap forward into a more compassionate and forward-thinking society.