Champaign Unit 4 School District and the City of Champaign proudly launched the LIFT (Leading Individuals and Families to Transformation) program on November 4, 2021. To celebrate the occasion, elected officials, staff, and community members attended a ribbon cutting and open house tour of the LIFT Champaign facility.
LIFT Champaign is the result of an innovative new partnership between Unit 4 and the City, with Unit 4 serving as the lead entity. LIFT will focus on African American youth in grades K-12, as well as their families, who are experiencing significant challenges academically and personally. The initiative provides trauma-informed care through intensive wraparound support and connections to both school-based and community resources. LIFT is designed to ensure students and families can succeed and thrive despite difficult circumstances or challenges in their scholastic or personal lives.
LIFT Champaign has partnered with the University of Illinois Chancellor’s Office of Public Engagement and the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) to measure the success of this new initiative. Unit 4 and City officials are excited about the partnership and are looking forward to the positive impact the initiative will have on the Champaign community.