LIFT Central Illinois

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Mattoon, IL
LIFT Central Illinois

LIFT is a regional innovation and technology center available to High School Juniors and Seniors.

08/24/2026

The face you make when you’re back at Little Leaders Daycare for another great year! 😍

08/21/2026

The 2026-27 school year officially kicked off on August 12. Students arrived ready to learn, explore new skills, and prepare for what’s ahead. 🏫

We’re excited to see what all they will accomplish this year! 💛

08/20/2026

We loved welcoming students and families to LIFT for Orientation Night! Guests had the opportunity to tour the building, explore our career pathways, and meet our facilitators as they prepared for the new school year. 🤝

Thank you to everyone who joined us! We’re looking forward to a great year at LIFT! 🎉

08/06/2026

Summertime is a great time to reflect on the hard work that defined this past school year. 🏆🎥

Back in May, we were thrilled to see the LIFT Communications News team earn 1st place in the Video Story category for their coverage of last fall’s "Day of Service." The accolades didn't stop there either!

Our Editor-in-Chief, Stella Rankin, was also honored in Springfield for earning a spot on the IJEA All-State Journalism Team. Stella is a 2026 graduate who worked in the Communications Program for two years. She was honored by the IJEA for her work as the lead writer for LIFT TV News, a digital broadcast available on the LIFT YouTube Channel. Stella not only wrote for the news, but she also contributed by anchoring, recording voiceovers, and communicating with students and staff to assemble each episode of LIFT TV News. The video stories submitted to the IJEA's video story contest earned 1st and 2nd place in the school category for under 500 enrollment.

Cooper Spencer also shared honors with Rankin in that category as the lead videographer and editor for both videos.

Congratulations again to the entire team for their dedication and talent throughout the year! 🎉

08/05/2026

📅 Save the Date! Our Orientation Night will take place on Tuesday, August 11 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. 🎒

Tour the building, learn about pathways, and meet facilitators.

07/30/2026

What does it take to start a career in Child Care at LIFT? A whole lot of dedication! 📝

Before LIFT Child Care students ever step into a daycare setting for hands-on learning, they complete extensive training and earn 9 professional credentials and certifications required for the field. From Early Childhood Education coursework and Mandated Reporter Training to SIDS prevention, trauma-informed care, child health and safety, and more, these students gain the knowledge and skills needed to care for young children with confidence. 🍼

We're incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication these students put into earning these credentials and preparing for their futures. A special thank you to our partners at Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) for providing training that helps our students earn several of these valuable certifications.

Students also have the opportunity to get a head start on their college education through dual credit courses with Lake Land College, allowing them to begin earning Early Childhood Education college credits while still in high school.

We love this photo of Kamryn Jean, Demi Followell, and Maggie Ghere celebrating one of the 9 credentials they earned this past school year. 🖤💛

07/28/2026

Looking back on a memorable day in May!🏅

These LIFT students teamed up with Arabella Prater for her Capstone Project, volunteering at the annual Eastern Illinois University Special Olympics Field Events. Even though it was a cold and windy day, our students and the athletes had an incredible day full of spirit and teamwork! 🤝

07/23/2026

As we take a breather this summer and gear up for the upcoming school year, we’re looking back at the meaningful work our students accomplished last semester.

We are so proud of LIFT IT students Aiden Albin, Kaeden East, and Mason Simms, who spearheaded a fantastic Capstone Service Project cleaning up litter at Lytle Park in Mattoon. Beyond just tidying up the park, they focused on the power of teamwork and the importance of civic responsibility. Their hope was to inspire others to take pride in our community and make a positive difference.

Their dedication is a great reminder of the impact we can make when we work together. We can’t wait to see what kind of impact our students will make next year!

07/22/2026

Meet Logan Thompson! 👏

Logan was one of our LIFT Leadership students this past semester. Through a paid internship with Legacy Harley-Davidson in Effingham, Logan put classroom learning into action by creating marketing materials that helped promote the dealership's community events. 🏍

Opportunities like these help students build skills, confidence, and a strong foundation for their future careers Thank you, Legacy Harley-Davidson, for your partnership! 🤝

07/19/2026

📸 Meet Cooper Spencer and Adrienne Muchow of Mattoon Community Unit School District 2.

This past semester, Cooper and Adrienne successfully completed paid internships with , where they gained valuable hands-on experience while working on real company projects and developing career-ready skills in a professional environment.

As part of their internships, they presented to Rural King's upper management, sharing what they learned, the experiences they gained, and the impact they made during their time with the company.

We're proud to celebrate this incredible accomplishment and are excited to share that both Cooper and Adrienne accepted positions with Rural King! Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement! 👏 🎉

Address

121 South 17th Street
Mattoon, IL
61938

Website

https://www.mattoon.k12.il.us/o/lift

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