What's Up?

Up is a series of four programs that build on one another from elementary school to high school and beyond, providing our east side youth with the job and life skills they need to become successful leaders on the east side.

Elementary School

In Power Up, elementary age students play games, begin to work as a team, and learn fundamental concepts like cause and effect. Runs every Thursday during the school year from 5:15 to 6:45pm.

Contact hello@theliftcdc.org for more information.

High School

In Level Up, high school students build on their skills by learning job readiness, financial literacy, emotional intelligence, community involvement, and even basic software development. Students earn Lift Dollars for their work, which they can spend at our Lift Store, where they can buy everything from school supplies and sports equipment to clothing, driver's training, and electronics. Students earn interest on saved Lift Dollars, have taxes withheld from their pay, and fill out tax returns at the end of the school year. Runs every Tuesday during the school year from 6:30 to 8:30pm.

Contact hello@theliftcdc.org for more information.

The Plaza Theater

In Show Up, leadership skills are put to the test in on-the-job experience at our local community movie theater. At The Plaza Theater, which is owned by Woodland Hills Church and operated in partnership with The Lift, students will interact with the public for the first time, learn to manage money, and see how a small business is run.

Apply online or contact Julie at j.wright@theliftcdc.org for more information.

Leadership Development Interns

The final stage. In Change Up, young adults who have been through at least one of our programs are invited to join The Lift as paid leadership interns, working closely with staff to manage programs and develop their own unique interests, eventually reinvesting what they learned in our east side community.

Contact Sandra at s.unger@theliftcdc.org for more information.

Relationships First

The Lift grew out of a desire to foster relationships between people from different backgrounds, and that value continues today. We’re proud of our programs. But even with the greatest tools at our disposal, nothing changes if we don’t look our kids in the eye, know their names, and communicate through our words and actions that we are there for them no matter what.

Beat Change

Students in Show Up are paid to attend a twelve week life skills program that uses an art-based curriculum to work on skills such as conflict resolution, delayed gratification, healthy self esteem, growth in self awareness, emotional intelligence, and healthy relationships. Many Lift community members go through the class as well, and just this year we've begun teaching a condensed version of the course to our Level Up students.