A girl smiling while working on a laptop in a classroom with other students around her.

LEAD Hubs

Leadership Starts Here

Our Hub Model

LEAD Hubs are locally-led leadership academies that combine academics, sports, and leadership development for high-potential, underserved youth, grades 4-12. The academies provide a safe and nurturing environment for over 250 youth to develop essential leadership skills they need to drive positive change. LEAD Hubs also offer leadership training, tournaments and opportunities for the wider community.

Beyond serving hundreds of student-athletes annually, LEAD Hubs serve as centers for designing, piloting, and generating evidence on innovative learning solutions tailored to the local context. Our objective is to leverage these learnings to inform strategic local partnerships and drive impact at a system level.

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Every LEAD Hub begins with a local need. Here’s how we work with communities to build a LEAD Hub that reflects local priorities and delivers lasting results: 

Diagram showing the five stages of the Waterfall Software Development Model: requirements analysis, system design, implementation, integration and testing, deployment, and maintenance.

Through this model, LEAD Edu and LEAD Hubs are creating a globally replicable approach that transforms educational outcomes while honoring community ownership.

Where We Work 

Our Model in Action

LEAD Edu partners with two LEAD Hubs: LEAD Monrovia Football Academy (LEAD MFA) and LEAD Morocco.

 
 

LEAD Monrovia Football Academy

LEAD Monrovia Football Academy (LEAD MFA) is LEAD’s flagship hub. Established in 2015 and located in Careysburg, Liberia, LEAD MFA is on a mission to improve academic performance, break down gender barriers, and prepare students to lead positive change in their communities.

LEAD MFA is a full-time residential academy on a 10-acre campus and currently serves over 120 student-athletes in grades 5-12. Boys and girls are recruited from across Liberia and receive full-time, high-quality academic classes, elite football training, life skills lessons, daily meals, psychosocial support, and mentorship as they pursue their post-secondary pathways.

LEAD Morocco

Established in 2019, LEAD Morocco is the second LEAD Hub located in El Mansouria, Morocco. LEAD Morocco has built strong partnerships with the Ministry of Education and city governance to support over 130 student-athletes in grades 4-9. Using a half-day model, students attend the local public schools in the mornings and attend the academy in the afternoons. Currently, we’re exploring opportunities to establish a permanent campus to serve even more students and community members.

LEAD Morocco has launched and implemented two innovations: She Plays Football, which focuses on empowering young girls through football beyond the academy, and Amplify, a partnership with the German Corporation for International Cooperation to support entrepreneurship and youth development through workforce training.

Click on the map to learn more

Liberia Morocco
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People walking towards a white building with a metal roof fitted with solar panels, under a cloudy blue sky, in a rural area.
School children eating lunch at a wooden table in a classroom.
A young man in a blue t-shirt is filling a large blue water tank with water, outside a building under construction, with one other man in the background.
Eight smiling boys inside a dormitory with bunk beds, some with backpacks, during daytime.
Young men with backpacks entering a building via an exterior staircase.

LEAD MFA Capital Construction

What We’re  
Building

Construction of LEAD MFA’s campus is advancing steadily, with completed academic facilities, a cafeteria, and boy’s dormitory already serving students. By late 2025, staff housing will open, with plans to build a girls’ dormitory, FIFA-sized football pitch, expanded cafeteria, and community auditorium by 2028.

Hub Impact Areas

LEAD Hubs take a holistic approach to youth leadership and development through their core impact areas.

High-Quality
Education

Sports
Training

Post-Secondary
Pathways

Gender
Equity

Community
Engagement

LEAD Edu Logomark
Young girls playing soccer on a dirt field, wearing colorful jerseys and shorts, with green trees in the background.
Young girls practicing soccer drills on a field, each with a soccer ball at their feet, during daytime.
A group of young soccer players and coaches standing on a soccer field for a team photo, wearing matching black and white uniforms with 'LEAD' printed on them, under a cloudy sky.
A young female soccer player in a white and black uniform taking a shot on goal during a match on a bright, sunny day at a stadium with spectators in the background.
A young man in yellow shirt and black shorts running on a dirt soccer field, about to kick a soccer ball. A goalkeeper in a blue bib and black pants stands nearby near the goalpost, with green gloves on. In the background, green trees line the field.

Sports Training

Sport for Development 

Students at the LEAD Hubs receive elite sports training every day. While many of the students compete with their country’s national teams and participate in youth soccer tournaments through the hubs, our main focus is not to develop athletes, but rather leaders. On the pitch, students put their leadership skills to practice every day. It’s an opportunity for students to develop their teamwork, sharpen their decision-making, and strengthen their emotional resilience and self-awareness. 

Group of young female soccer players posing on the field before a game, some wearing yellow jerseys and others in white. They are standing in front of a stadium with red and blue seats, with some soccer equipment visible on the ground.
Children and adults standing on a football field with two women in traditional colorful dresses in the foreground; children are wearing sports uniforms and watching the women who are greeting each other; in the background, empty stadium seating and flags.
A classroom with four young students in yellow uniforms sitting at a wooden table, reading books and drawing, with two adults supervising. One adult is a woman leaning over a student, and the other is a man in a blue T-shirt standing beside the table. In the background, there are shelves filled with books and a window with curtains, allowing natural light into the room.
A group of young female soccer players in pink jerseys and medals are celebrating with a large trophy at an award ceremony, surrounded by officials and supporters.
A classroom with students in black and yellow uniforms sitting at yellow desks, listening to a female teacher pointing at a digital screen with Arabic text. Some students have raised their hands.

Creating Inclusive Environments

Commitment to Gender Equity

At LEAD Hubs, gender equity is embedded in everything we do. Our programming brings boys and girls together to develop mutual respect and collaboration skills, preparing everyone to lead confidently while dismantling harmful gender stereotypes and narratives. However, we recognize that many girls face additional systemic and cultural barriers to accessing education, playing sports, and becoming future leaders. LEAD Hubs address this reality through targeted recruitment strategies and specialized programming that provides gender-specific life skills, support, and mentorship. We advocate for gender-responsive programming and an inclusive environment where boys remain essential participants in creating more equitable communities.

Classroom with students seated at yellow desks, some raising hands, teacher standing at front, students wearing sports jerseys and casual clothes, backpacks on the floor, walls with wooden panels, fire extinguisher on wall.
A classroom of young students taking a written exam, seated at wooden desks, wearing yellow and black school uniforms, with focused expressions.
Young student writing on paper in classroom with other students.
A young girl in a blue dress and hijab speaking into a microphone while holding a pink folder, standing in front of balloon decorations in black, white, and yellow, with a sports field in the background.
Young soccer players practicing on an outdoor field with one player in a yellow vest about to kick a ball.

High-Quality Education

Transforming Learning Into Leadership

LEAD Hubs offer students a transformative education that goes beyond academics. Rooted in equity and opportunity, their approach weaves leadership development, character-building through sport, and real-world problem-solving into the academic curriculum to provide a holistic learning experience. In both Morocco and Liberia, students consistently outperform the national average on national exams, proof of our high-quality education, rigorous curriculum, and dedicated teachers and staff. 

More on LEAD Hubs

  • A young girl with braided hair in a white polo shirt with the word 'LEAD' printed on it is speaking at a table during a classroom or workshop setting. Several other children and a man are standing and sitting in the background, some watching and some using electronic devices. The room has posters and handwritten notes on the windows and walls.

    Post-Secondary Pathways

    At LEAD Edu, post-secondary pathways are an integral part of the leadership journey. We support students as they navigate the next steps after the hubs, whether that means university, vocational training, entrepreneurship, or entering the workforce. We prioritize equipping students with the support, skills, and opportunities needed to access meaningful employment and create their own economic opportunities. At the hubs, students have access to a Post-Secondary Success Office that helps them identify and apply for opportunities. The hubs also host speaker series that introduce students to different post-secondary pathways as well as facilitate international exchange experiences.

  • Two women in blue Lions Club vests sitting at a small table with a woman in black clothing and headscarf talking to them, in front of a Lions Club banner. Two other women are at a counter in the background of the room.

    Community Reach Beyond LEAD Hubs

    LEAD Hubs reach thousands of additional youth through community initiatives beyond their academies. In collaboration with global partners like Orange, AFD, PLAY International, and local government bodies, LEAD Hubs implement nationwide sports tournaments, STEM+ leadership camps, social entrepreneurship coach and teacher training, such as Amplify and gender empowerment workshops and tournaments, such as She Plays Football. 

  • A large indoor conference room filled with children, many of whom are raising their hands, attending a workshop or seminar. There is a stage with two people speaking or presenting, a large screen displaying graphics, and colorful lighting on the walls.

    Expanding Our Global Footprint

    LEAD Edu is committed to growing our impact in new geographies where there is clear need, strong local leadership, and a pathway to sustainability. Each new hub is designed to be deeply rooted in its community and responsive to the realities young people face, while carrying forward our model that integrates academics, sport, and leadership development. For us, LEAD Hub expansion is not about scale alone—it is about building institutions that endure, adapt, and contribute to a global movement of ethical, empathetic, and entrepreneurial leaders.

Young man in yellow shirt and black tie standing in front of bookshelves in a library.

“LEAD has shown me that I have the power to become whoever I choose to be.”

Student Spotlight   

Meet Paul Sandi

Paul grew up in Nimba County, Liberia, where he faced challenges accessing consistent educational resources. Before enrolling at LEAD Monrovia Football Academy in 2023, he depended on the support of his relatives to continue his studies. At LEAD, Paul found more than just a place to learn—he found confidence, mentorship, and a sense of belonging.

In less than two years, Paul was elected student council president, named top goal scorer in LEAD’s inter-class competition, and discovered his passion for STEM. 

In 2025, with the support of his teachers and the LEAD community, he earned a full scholarship to the African Leadership Academy in South Africa, where he began their prestigious two-year, pre-university Diploma Program. 

His dream is to become a neurosurgeon, give back to his community, and help build a future where young Liberians have the support they need to thrive.