PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Pinellas County nonprofit university is doing what it can to help a specific niche of students: young adult special needs students who have graduated from high school and need help transitioning into becoming independent adults.
- LiFT (Learning Independence for Tomorrow) University opened 4 years ago
- Students learn skills that will hopefully lead to jobs, independence
- University also helps with internships, job placement
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LiFT University in Seminole has filled a unique gap and is growing, according to Director Lois Mays.
“We want to help them find their place,” she said. “We want to help them identify their purpose.”
Mays said when the nonprofit university first opened 4 years ago, there were 3 students enrolled. This school year, there are 20 students attending ranging in age from 17 to 22 years old.
“We want these young people to understand they are not a problem in our community,” said Mays. “They are the solution to many of the problems that are out there.”
Learning vital skills
Students at LiFT University learn life skills that lead to jobs and independence. For example, Mays said many parents of young adults with special needs don’t want to teach them how to drive.
“There aren’t many parents that want to give their kids a chance to drive,” she said. “We say we’ll take that off your plate.”
The students first learn how to drive by using golf carts. The school also recently got a bus to take students on field trips.
On Tuesday, the men played a basketball game at Seminole High. Students also go grocery shopping twice a week.
“Teaching them to use money wisely equips them to face the world in a way that they can feel independent,” Mays said. “We teach them the adult prep skills, we teach them not just about cooking but the nutritional value.”
What students say
Student Hannah Torop, 18, from Largo, said she loves LiFT University.
“Cooking is also one of my favorite things to do here every week,” she said. “How to be independent and how to live on your own when you‘re not living with your parents.”
Mays said they also prepare students for a career by helping them get internships. Student Gabrialle Martin, 22, from St. Petersburg, said her internship at Great Explorations Children’s Museum led to a full-time job offer.
“There’s not a lot of programs out there that you can gain a job from,” she said. “Coming to LiFT U has changed my life completely.”
LiFT University tuition costs $15,000 per year. Mays said there are scholarships available for families who need it.