LM Jan 2023_hi

Don’tWant toLeave The biggest takeaway from an operations standpoint is that once students arrive at LIFT, they don’t want to leave. Hild is already trying to figure out how students can spend more time at LIFT while fulfilling graduation requirements. Mattoon High School seniors Jason Skocy, Berit Haldorsen and Luke Perry said attending LIFT is always their favorite part of the day. Ian Gardner, a junior at Charleston High School, felt the same way. Skocy is enrolled in the Leadership Institute pathway. He picked that pathway to better understand the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and apply the lessons to his future career. Haldorsen is taking finance classes at LIFT that she believes will provide her with a leg up in college. As part of requirements for LIFT, each student creates a leadership portfolio that can be shown to college advisers. In addition, the students create a capstone project showcasing what they learned and do community service projects. “I want to be a financial advisor, so this training has really helped me,” Haldorsen said. “What I also like about LIFT is it feels like the day is done after my fourth period, and I get to come here. We are all very close, and it feels like a family here.” Gardner, the junior at Charleston, drives to Mattoon each day to study robotics. In a few short months, he has learned how to program a robot to pick up blocks and move around.

The robot Gardner operates uses the same programming system found in many automotive and manufacturing plants, his teacher, Dan Compton, noted. “He will be able to walk in right out of high school and understand how to use the equipment,” Compton said. “That’s the type of skills employers are looking for.” ProgramsAreMore Important ThanaBuilding Both Condron and Hild said Mattoon CUSD #2 was extremely fortunate that Consolidated Communications was looking to sell its building. Having a building that size helped generate excitement in the community and provided space to create an expansive program. However, school districts looking to launch a similar initiative don’t need 50,000-square feet, Condron and Hild said. For the HVAC course, for example, students build a model where they have to wire a blower to a thermostat on a sheet of plywood. Much of the work for audio/visual production can be done on a phone or laptop, and the Leader in Me component does not require substantial space. “I really believe schools can provide similar opportunities in classrooms across our state,” Condron said. “The key has been the partnerships we have forged with businesses and community members. It has opened up doors for students.” To learn more about LIFT, visit https://www.mattoon.k12.il.us/o/lift.

7 LM January 2023