Launching November 4th, the LIFT program will serve African American youth, and their families, in Unit 4 schools who are experiencing academic and/or personal challenges. The program will provide “trauma-informed care through intensive wraparound support and connections to both school-based and community resources.” LIFT stands for Leading Individuals and Families to Transformation. According to the website, the program has four goals:
- LIFT Youth and Families out of crisis
- LIFT Academic Achievement
- LIFT Futures through College and Career pathways
- LIFT Hope and Aspirations to Save Lives
LIFT will be housed in the former Novak Academy building on Randolph St. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor’s Office of Public Engagement and the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) will be involved with the initiative, measuring the outcomes and evaluating the success of the program.
The public is invited to a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, November 4th at 4 p.m. Those wanting to attend are encouraged to RSVP. If you are interested in helping, you can donate time, money, or items from their wish list. Contact Katrina Kindle for more information on donating.
Top photo from Novak Academy Facebook page.