"Teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions."
How LIFT Benefits Our Classrooms
Our students can only dream as big as they can see. As an educator, you are uniquely positioned to engage students in conversations about their future careers. LIFT provides educators with externship experiences where they are able to see first-hand, the technical and social skills their students may need for their desired workplace.
Program Goals:
- Bridge the gap between education and workforce through experiential learning.
- Expose educators to the true needs of our community’s industry and business partners in relation to career pathways.
- Establish relationships with fellow educators and industry leaders – creating a resource base for educators to implement innovating teaching strategies into their classrooms.
Tuition & Cost
We ask local businesses to sponsor so the program will be at no cost to participants. The number of sponsorships received will determine how many applicants will be selected to participate in the program.
Program Days & Attendance
2026 Program Dates:
- Day 1 - July 14
- Day 2 - August 18
- Day 3 - September 9** Tentative date at this time
- Day 4 - October 20
- Graduation - November 17
Attendance on all program dates is mandatory to be considered for the LIFT program. All program days will typically last from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If you know that you cannot attend the externship session on any of these dates, please consider holding your application for a future LIFT class when you can be fully committed.
Learn More
To learn more about LIFT, please contact Jessica Morris at jessica@mymurray.com or call the Chamber office at (270) 753-5171.
Program Schedule
Select program days will begin and end their days exploring different industry sectors and community resources including:
- Agriculture
- Arts & Tourism
- Business & Professional Services
- Community Organizations & Resources
- Education
- Engineering, Manufacturing & Trades
- Health & Human Services
- Law, Justice & Local Government
Participants will also attend the Chamber's "Business @ Lunch" to network with an average of 145 business and community leaders and professionals. They will hear updates from national, state, and local business and government leaders, and exploring compelling topics within our community and the region.