Look Up To Cleveland (LUTC), now entering its 39th year, is a foundational program that gets high schoolers interested and invested in the community and inspires them to become change makers.
Over the course of its 38-year history, Look Up graduates have gone on to become City Council Members, nonprofit Executive Directors, high-ranking executives in local corporations, motivational speakers, Mayor of Cleveland, and a host of other professions where they are making a difference in Northeast Ohio. Many of them credit their LUTC experience as the catalyst for their dedication to serving the community.
Justin Bibb (LUTC 2004)
Mayor, City of Cleveland
Mayor Bibb served as honorary Co-Chair of Accelerate 2024 and in his remarks share that without his Look Up To Cleveland experience, “I wouldn’t be standing here before you today as the youngest Black mayor in Cleveland’s history.”
Hear his comments about LUTC (1:00 minute) >
Richaun Bunton (LUTC 1998)
Executive Director, University Settlement, Inc.
“Because of LUTC, I came to value the rich history of our wonderful city. I remember participating in neighborhood tours and being able to explore the uniqueness of each are we visited. That is an experience that I hold dear because it sparked my interest in community service and social action.”
Michael Goldberg (LUTC 1987)
Executive Director, Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship, Case Western Reserve University
“LUTC exposed me to amazing classmates from across the city who taught me so much about what Cleveland had to offer. It played a big role in my return to the city after being away for 20 years.”
The LUTC Class of 2025, the 39th class, starts their journey on October 21 with an opening retreat. The 49 students hail from high schools across Cuyahoga County, including:
- Beaumont School
- Benedictine High School
- Berea Midpark High School
- Cleveland Central Catholic High School
- Cleveland Heights High School
- Magnificat High School
- Cuyahoga Heights High School
- Gilmour Academy
- Hathaway Brown
- Hawken Mastery School
- Hawken Upper School
- Independence High School
- Laurel School
- Magnificat High School
- North Olmsted High School
- North Royalton High School
- Padua Franciscan High School
- Rocky River High School
- Richmond Heights High School
- Saint Joseph Academy
- Shaker Heights High School
- Solon High School
- Edward High School
- Strongsville High School
- University School
- Villa Angela – St. Joseph High School
- Warrensville Heights
We’re excited for the next seven months with these young leaders as they develop their leadership skills, and deepen their awareness and appreciation for the neighborhoods, institutions, and people of Greater Cleveland. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish for our city and our region over the coming years.
Keeping Looking Up!
To ensure Look Up To Cleveland is accessible to all, a nominal tuition is paid by the participating schools. The program is mostly funded through grants by local foundations, corporations, and other philanthropic entities. We are grateful to those organizations, as well as those individuals who have dedicated many years to ensuring the program thrives and provides students with the best experience possible, including Allan Krulak, Allen Waddle, and Bob Varley. Their investment in our youth over the past 39 years has paid dividends for our region.