Martin Mamadouno (Hi/Him)

MindLeaps uses dance to develop the cognitive skills and social-emotional learning of at-risk youth to ensure that they can succeed in school, enter the workplace and leap forward in life. We use a data-driven, strategically designed dance curriculum created by professional dancers, psychologists, and educators with expertise in working with youth from vulnerable populations. The progress of our students is carefully tracked throughout the program with Tracker, MindLeaps’ mobile application and software system with real-time analytics. The MindLeaps model expands beyond the core dance curriculum. Our permanent centers take a holistic approach by incorporating academic acceleration courses, and through partnerships, MindLeaps also embeds its curriculum in the workings of other organizations serving at-risk youth across the world. To date, we have brought the power of dance to thousands of children and women across Rwanda, Guinea, Uganda, Mauritania, North Macedonia, and the U.S.