Leadership Experience for Academic Directions (LEAD) is a program that was developed as a service learning program for teacher candidates in preparation for the teaching career. As youth populations continue to diversify and as the issues impacting youth continue to surface, it is the responsibility of educators, administrators, and the governments to provide all the opportunities for youth to succeed academically, socially, and personally. Teachers especially are instrumental in making this happen; therefore, it is imperative that teachers come into the profession with the cognitive and non-cognitive skills to motivate youth to succeed.

The Handbook of Research on Leadership Experience for Academic Direction (LEAD) Programs for Student Success is a critical scholarly book that explores the many facets of the teaching profession as they relate to working with at-risk youth and helping them reach their full potential. This book provides the groundwork for programs that will succeed at the K-12 education level and at the teacher education level. Featuring a range of topics such as human capital, mental health, and social learning theory, this book is essential for academicians, teaching professionals, administrators, professional development educators, policymakers, researchers, and students.