About

About Uplift:

Uplift@UVA is hybrid program sponsored by the Office of Executive Vice President and Provost, which serves high school students in a target service area that spans seven counties, Charlottesville and Waynesboro.

Uplift@UVA has its roots in the Upward Bound Program at the University of Virginia. First established in 1967 in response to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Upward Bound at UVA served as a pre-college, academic support program. Upward Bound was designed to better serve the citizens of Central Virginia by providing academic, cultural, and counseling services to low-income, first-generation college bound high school students utilizing an academic year component as well as a summer residential program on Grounds. For over 50 years Upward Bound enhanced academic and motivational skills enabling students to enroll in post-secondary education and to be successful members of society.

Upward Bound at UVA did not receive Federal funding for FY2023, but its best practices and goals needed to carry on. Rather than letting the goodwill, community relationships, and reputational capital that had been developed over the years dissipate, a strategy was created to continue serving the same populations of students and families that historically benefited from the program. For that reason, Uplift@UVA was founded in August of 2022. Furthermore, Uplift is able to cast a wider net by going beyond preparing high school students for completion of secondary and postsecondary studies utilizing a hybrid model which includes work readiness, career planning and development, and giving Uplifters access to social capital. Therefore, advancing, and reimagining the Upward Bound program from the late 60’s and making Uplift more suitable to navigate the challenges and opportunities of today’s landscape. Thanks to the support of the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, Uplift@UVA has broadened the legacy of Upward Bound at UVA.

Mission:

To prepare high school students for completion of secondary and postsecondary studies, work readiness, and career planning and development.

Vision:

To promote a just and inclusive society, we meet learners where they are and help them get where they want to go.

Goals:

Our primary goal is to serve high school students who are first generation college bound and from low-income families, with an overall goal of reaching all students requiring the support services the program provides.

Uplift supports the University's 2030 strategic goals to:

• Look for ways to better serve our community, the Commonwealth, and beyond with the ultimate goal of creating a general sense that we are all part of the same community.
• Build bridges across lines of difference and promote an environment that is welcoming and inclusive, so that it is easier for our neighbors to interact with the University.
• Be good partners with the surrounding communities; whether they are engines of economic growth; and whether they reach students, of any age or walk of life, who do not have the good fortune to enroll as full-time students.

"Our relationship with Charlottesville and the surrounding counties is critically and mutually important. Our success as a university depends in no small part on the strength of those communities, and on the strength of our relationship with them. We will reach our potential as a university only if we partner with our neighbors to ensure that the Charlottesville region is an attractive and equitable place to live. At the same time, as an anchor institution we must take seriously our responsibility to be a good neighbor and employer."

• Create economic and social opportunities that promote social and economic mobility.
• Prepare members of the local community to be servant-leaders, lead in a diverse and globally connected world, and lead meaningful, satisfying lives.
• Tap into our alumni and provide them with opportunities for life-long learning as they serve others and help them navigate their way through a fast-paced and changing economy.
• Create opportunities for meaningful interactions inside and outside of the classroom among faculty, students, and staff by offering internships and international experiences.
• Improve our research infrastructure, make it easier for faculty to work together, and focus particular attention on addressing some of the world’s most critical challenges.

Join us on this remarkable journey as we create a brighter future, one “Uplifter” at a time.