West Virginia GEAR UP Student Leadership Academy inspires and educates students

This fall, hundreds of West Virginia GEAR UP students from across the state traveled to the state's capitol for the Student Leadership Academy. The event featured keynote speaker, Robert Anthony, a U.S. Amputee Soccer player, U.S. Paratriathlete, U.S. Sitting Volleyball A2 player, Para Spartan competitor, and American Ninja Warrior competitor. His message focused on persevering through struggle and adversity.…

Dual-enrolling daughter inspires mother to get degree with help from Tennessee Reconnect

At one of GEAR UP Tennessee’s schools, a mom and daughter are attending the same college and enrolled in two different sections of the same Introduction to Art course. Reagan Majors is a senior at Clinton High School and in her second year taking dual enrollment courses at Roane State. Meanwhile, a state grant is helping her mother, Kristi McMahan, earn an associate degree in accounting.

“This is exactly…

Concord University holds camp on journalism and media

Some people have to wait until their college years to learn how to be a journalist, but thanks to a partnership between GEAR UP Southern West Virginia and Concord University, some kids got to start their training a little earlier than usual. Concord is home to a journalism media camp that teaches middle school students how to shoot video, edit their footage, and even give interviews. Jessica Lilly, the organizer for the camp and…

Dunkirk, Jamestown Middle School Students Participate in Leadership Academy

New York GEAR UP students attended a youth summer leadership academy, during which they participated in team-building activities, engaging group discussions, and personal development assignments.

Maplewood High School launches skilled construction career pathways program for seniors

GEAR UP Nashville has partnered with a local organization, Music City Construction Careers (MC3), to provide their pre-apprenticeship program at Maplewood High School. As part of this pioneering partnership, MC3 will be offering its nationally certified 120-hour Apprenticeship Readiness Program as a dedicated school day course for students seeking a direct route into construction apprenticeships after high…

West Virginia teens move in at Marshall for GEAR UP U!

More than 150 rising eighth and ninth graders from 11 West Virginia counties participated in GEAR UP U! at Marshall University. Students had the opportunity to live like real college students. Students slept in dorms on the Marshall campus, ate in the dining hall, took classes, and participated in leadership activities with Seeds Training.
 
In addition, West Virginia GEAR UP hosted over a thousand middle school students for the STEM…

Skiatook High School Celebrates National GEAR UP Week 2023

Oklahoma schools will celebrate the impact of the state’s GEAR UP college and career readiness and success program. GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) currently partners with 10 school districts and seven regional colleges and universities throughout Oklahoma. The program helps prepare nearly 12,000 middle and high school students for college success through college campus tours, ACT test…

Schenectady school district to host college readiness program for eighth graders

Summer programming in GEAR UP is one of the key activities impacting student outcomes. Schenectady City School District in New York held a college preparatory experience this summer to expose students to GEAR UP and college. “I support any program that prepares our students for beyond the K-12 years,” Schenectady School Board President Bernice Rivera said. “Anything we can do, especially to partner with other…

Exploring Boundless Horizons: Appalachian State GEAR UP’s Unforgettable Summer of College Bus Tours

This summer, over 230 enthusiastic, rising 10th-grade students from the Appalachian State GEAR UP program embarked on six exciting quests to explore various campuses and programs of study across North Carolina. From marine biology at Cape Fear Community College to Industrial Design at North Carolina State University, the carefully planned itineraries offered students an opportunity to envision…