If you are interested in joining LUCK for our student programming, please visit our Students page. Thank you for your interest!
Programming
Leg Up for Cleveland’s Kids (LUCK) delivers trauma-informed, experiential youth development programs rooted in agriculture, horsemanship, and physical readiness. Programs are designed as a progressive pathway—meeting youth where they are and preparing them safely for increased responsibility, independence, and skill mastery.
Trauma-Informed Agriculture & Readiness Programming: urban-based, low-risk agricultural exposure to build foundational skills
- Hands-on learning in a micro-scale agriculture learning lab
- Exposure to animal care through supervised interactions with visiting mini-horses
- Horticulture education through a mini-greenhouse and processing facility
- Instruction in safe, respectful engagement with living systems
- Structured, predictable environments designed to support trauma-affected youth
This phase prioritizes confidence, safety, and familiarity with agriculture and animals—without requiring travel outside the city.
Physical Fitness & Functional Strength Development: physical fitness component
- Strength and balance training tailored to agricultural and equestrian tasks
- Movement-based activities that build coordination and body awareness
- Preparation for safe participation on LUCK’s 60-acre rural farm
This service reduces injury risk and supports successful transition to more physically demanding environments.
Flagship Equestrian & Horsemanship Program
Location: LUCK’s 60-acre farm (approximately 30 minutes from East Cleveland)
Once youth demonstrate readiness and interest, they may enter LUCK’s flagship equestrian program, structured across three progressive stages:
Program Stages:
- Skill Building – foundational safety, observation, and communication skills
- Introduction to Horsemanship – hands-on care, handling, and groundwork
- Riding Fundamentals – mounted instruction, balance, and control
Services include:
- Ground-based and mounted instruction
- Progressive responsibility in horse care (stall cleaning, feeding, grooming, tacking)
- Optional advancement to horse showing for interested participants
- Instruction in barn operations and resource efficiency
Social-Emotional Learning & Life Skills Integration
Across all programs, LUCK embeds social-emotional learning (SEL) and personal development into experiential instruction.
Core focus areas include:
- Trust building and relationship skills
- Communication and teamwork
- Emotional regulation and self-awareness
- Addressing unconscious bias and perspective-taking
- Leadership and responsibility through animal-assisted learning
SEL instruction occurs both on the ground and in the saddle, reinforcing learning through lived experience rather than classroom abstraction.
Progressive Pathways & Choice-Based Advancement
LUCK’s services are opt-in and youth-directed, allowing participants to:
- Begin in urban, low-risk environments
- Advance at their own pace
- Choose whether to pursue horsemanship, agriculture, riding, or showing
- Build confidence before scaling to more complex settings
Programs are offered on an income-based sliding scale. We will offer a membership as well.
