A group of teens and parents at the Housing Authority and got together in 1996 to start a pilot program around teens and leadership, and that group that met decided to call it LEAD.  This group met from 1996 – 1998 and then the Housing Authority contracted with the City of Eugene to continue serving youth living in Public Housing. 

The groups moved to the River House Outdoor Program and were run with federal dollars from the Housing Authority for 3 years.   It was at that point, in 1998, that Maj Hutchinson came on board and designed a leadership curriculum around ending oppression, teaching leadership through outdoor adventure, public speaking, and life assignments.   The non-profit was formed in 2001 and has continued to grow. 

For more information about our program and how we work with youth please go to the following pages:

• Maj Rafferty, Founder of LEAD
• LEAD Philosophy
• Outdoor Adventure
• The 3 Commitments
• Life Assignments
• Evening Group Description
• Enroll / Become a LEAD Teen