Since her son was one year old, Andrade has worked tirelessly to advocate for children with neurodiversity. As her son got older and bounced from school to school, Andrade saw a glaring need for different educational resources and lesson plans for the neurodiverse population. She became one of the founding teachers of LiFT Academy, leaving her secure job to start this new venture. In 2013, LiFT opened its door for the first time, with a mission to inspire and empower people with neurodiversity to learn, thrive and succeed. Since its inception Andrade has jumped in head first, doing anything from teaching, creating unique lesson plans for her students, and scouring the area for inexpensive supplies for LiFT's classrooms. What started as a dream for children like Daniel to get an education and learn different life skills has since become a successful school in the Tampa Bay area.
The grant tonight will be used to implement new features in LiFT's new classrooms. This space will allow LiFT to double the number of students served, as well as foster a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment. LiFT provides a space that is sensory friendly, encourages collaborative learning, and promotes meaningful interactions among peers and educators.
Andrade became the 473rd Lightning Community Hero since Jeff and Penny Vinik introduced the Lightning Community Hero program in 2011-12 with a $10 million, five-season commitment to the Tampa Bay community. Through tonight's game, in total, the Lightning Foundation has granted $24.75 million to more than 600 unique nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2021, the Viniks announced that the community hero program will give away another $10 million over the next five seasons.
