Life, Independence and Future Transition · Ages 15 to 21
L.I.F.T.
Learning for life beyond the classroom.
Life, Independence and Future Transition prepares students to take part as fully and independently as possible in the communities, workplaces and adult lives they choose. L.I.F.T. opened in October 2024 at Grossnickle Hall on the university campus as a major expansion of AHM’s transition programming, in a setting that looks and feels like a typical high school, with a culinary arts room and a consumer and family science room.
Five ways we learn
Learn. Live. Work. Connect. Build a future.
Every L.I.F.T. day touches more than one of these. A cooking lesson is also math, communication, safety and teamwork.
Learn
Functional academics · Communication · Technology · Self-advocacy · Problem solving
Live
Cooking · Household and personal routines · Organization · Money and purchasing · Daily living · Decision-making
Work
Career exploration · Work habits · Task completion · Following schedules · Workplace communication · Employment readiness
Connect
Community-based instruction · Campus experiences · Public spaces · Recreation · Social participation · Community navigation
Build a future
Transition planning · Employment · Adult services · Education and training options · Community participation · Independent or supported living · Self-determination
Why it works
Real skills. Real environments. Real possibilities.
Students do not just talk about making a purchase, cooking a meal, or clocking in for a shift. They do it, in a real kitchen, a real store, a real office, and on a real university campus, with the coaching and the communication supports they need to do it more independently next time.
A week at L.I.F.T. might include
Cook
Planning, preparing and serving a meal in the culinary arts room.
Navigate
A campus errand or a trip on public transportation, practiced step by step.
Work
A work rotation with a schedule to follow: office, inventory, food service or retail tasks.
Budget
A lesson in money, purchasing and comparing prices, then a real purchase in the community.
Connect
Recreation, a community partner visit, or time with peers on campus.
Plan
A transition-planning meeting where the student leads, in their own words or on their own device.
Life is bigger than graduation
Life is bigger than graduation.
Students build skills that support greater choice and participation in everyday life. Some adults may live independently. Others may use family, residential, personal-care or community supports. Independence is not measured by doing everything alone.
Work
A job, a work routine, a role that matters.
Learn
College, training, a class, a new skill.
Live
A home life with the right supports.
Communicate
A voice that is heard everywhere.
Choose
Choices about the small things and the big ones.
Connect
Friends, family, teammates, neighbors.
Travel
Getting where you want to go.
Belong
A community that knows you.
Who L.I.F.T. is for
Students ages 15 to 21 in AHM’s secondary and transition program who are ready for a high-school-style setting focused on independence, work skills and life after graduation. Placement is planned with your family, your child’s IEP team and your sending district.