Uplift@UVA

Background: The Upward Bound Program at the University of Virginia (Upward Bound at UVA) was a precollege outreach program that served the citizens of Central Virginia by providing academic enrichment and counseling services to low-income, first-generation, college bound, high school students and their families. Upward Bound, which was originally established in 1967 in response to the 1964 Civil Rights Act is a federally funded program that has helped hundreds of local high school students enroll in post- secondary education over the last 50 years. Unfortunately, Upward Bound at UVA did not receive Federal funding for FY2023-24. Rather than let the goodwill and community relationships that have developed over the years dissipate, the University – and more specifically – Office of the Provost gave us the opportunity to continue serving the same students and families who have historically benefited from Upward Bound by awarding the funds to establish Uplift in August of 2022.

Our vision: We meet anyone where they are and help them get where they want to go.

What we do: We help people build relationships to extend their personal and professional networks and developing stronger ties with our neighbors is our primary recruiting strategy. Specifically:

• We identify and leverage the interpersonal relationships and professional networks people can draw upon to help them achieve their personal or professional goals.

• We identify and leverage the networks of relationships among people who live and work in and around the University to create institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition that enable productive outcomes.
• We help extend the benefits that flow from trust, cooperation, and reciprocity within social networks to create a shared sense of identity with shared norms and values that create value for people who are connected and those who are disconnected as well.
• We measure our success in terms of the number of personal and professional connections we facilitate and the quality of the outcomes that arise from those connections.

As part of are initiative, we plan to host multiple events at local venues and restaurants to reinforce relationships of mutual acquaintance that will enable productive outcomes. For example, we are planning to host a rooftop event at (community partner) The Quirk Hotel (www.quirkhotels.com/hotels/charlottesville) on April 18, 2024 that will bring community partners, parents, as well as UVA/Upward Bound alumni together in advance of Black Alumni Weekend hosted by The Ridley Scholarship fund and Alumni Hall.