Colorado Uplift.
Colorado UpLift’s vision is to break generational cycles of poverty and dysfunction and build the next generation of leaders, emphasizing staff-student relationships and student-peer leadership leading to measurable impact and results.
Their Mission.
Colorado UpLift’s vision is to break generational cycles of poverty and dysfunction and build the next generation of leaders, emphasizing staff-student relationships and student-peer leadership leading to measurable impact and results. Colorado UpLift offers a comprehensive solution to the issues faced by urban youth, who participate in four components of programming – In School, After-school, Adventure, Post-Secondary, and Advanced Leadership.
Program Summary.
Colorado UpLift has an intentional many-to-many mentorship model, much like a tightly-knit extended family. Youth get support from many directions, see lots of great role models over time, can form relationships with whomever they most relate to, and can shift to others when needed. “It’s important to have a diverse staff team to be able to meet the different kids where they are,” said classroom teacher, Jessica Tran. “We each attract the kind of kid that we were, and we are in this for the long haul.” Colorado UpLift provides one-on-one, small group, and classroom-style activities to provide different opportunities for kids to engage, and mentors look for any opportunity to teach or build connections. Vic Nellum, Director, Parent & Family Engagement | Site Operations Manager – East Area Director, says “Everything we do is to set up, follow up, or improve the relationship…the relationship drives the direction.”
Demographics and Outcomes.
An estimated 4,200 youth were served 2023. Of those youth 30% are African American, 60% Hispanic/Latino, 1% Asian, 8% White, and 1% Mixed Race/Other. 90% of program participants graduate high school.