Litchfield Initiative

Mission:
To develop partnerships with the community of Litchfield that benefits local business, educational institutions and the community at large. The Initiative intends to develop programs to educate our youth to have successful careers and to be leaders in the community and beyond.

Partners in the Litchfield Initiative:
Litchfield Schools, Litchfield Alumni & Friends, Litchfield Industrial & Business Community, The City of Litchfield, The Litchfield TIFA Board, Jackson Area Manufactures Association, Litchfield Rotary Club, The Economic Partnership of Hillsdale County and parents of students.

Litchfield Alumni Donations for Curriculum Enhancements;
In the last three years the Litchfield Alumni have donated just under $30,000 toward curriculum improvements in reading, math and now writing.  As of 1/13/2012 the Alumni  have donated  $8,906.89 of  this year’s goal of $10,000 .

JAMA:
Jackson Area Manufactures Association is a key partner to the Litchfield Initiative.  They will provide instructors for our career & technical courses.  Many classes qualify for duel enrollment with Jackson Community College.  JAMA will hold two additional classes in Litchfield, Engineering is Elementary , and Marvelous Machines for Elementary Students

Richard E. Krohn Center for Excellence:
The Industrial Arts/ Agriculture building is going to reopen in March of 2012. With the help of a $90,000 grant of Litchfield’s Tax Increment Financial Authority, (TIFA) Classes in Welding will soon begin There are plans for more classes in Robotics ,  CNC machine programming,  Blue print reading,  team building,  and problem solving.  Litchfield students may attend tuition free and will be the first in line for the classes.  Adults sponsored by the Litchfield will be second for enrollment followed by students and adults from other areas.

Litchfield School’s  Lego Team:
Lego’s league is a world- wide robotics tournament for elementary and middle school students . Our local Rotary Club sponsored our team in their first year of competition.  The team finished 28^th in a field of 35 at the state level.  Next year Litchfield Schools plans to enter three teams for the competition.

Job Shadowing:
Litchfield High School Seniors have completed two semesters of job shadowing at local businesses.  Some examples of jobs that students participated in are:  Accounting, Agri-business, Dental Hygienists,  Physician’s assistant,  plumber,  marketing,  human resource,  and retail business.

Tours of Businesses:
This program gives both students and teachers a real experience in just what businesses do to incorporate best practices in their field

Guest Lectures:
As part of the Litchfield Initiative several successful professionals, managers and entrepreneurs have lectured and interacted with Litchfield High Students in the class room.