Are there any Incredibles fans out there?

I am an unabashed fan of Disney’s The Incredibles franchise. Yes, I am a 33-year-old adult that loves animated movies. 

Spoiler alert ahead. 

The Incredibles is a story about a family of superheroes, forced into hiding their powers, and ultimately relegated to a life of normalcy. That is, until the world needs their help to stop a villain. The Incredibles don their superhero suits, defeat the villain, and they save the day! 

Now, the…

Let me first introduce myself…

Hi all, my name is Janeé Williams and I’m the new Associate Director of Operations here at the National Council for Community Education and Partnerships (NCCEP). I’ve got to say, it has been an absolute delight joining this team and learning about all the incredible work each member does. Let me give you a little background about myself. My family is originally from Baltimore, Maryland but I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii (Aloha, GEAR UP Hawaii!). My father was in…

Can you believe the NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop is only days away? We’ve shared a lot about CBW over the past few months. In fact, you may be slightly tired of hearing about our excitement. 

Well, I can’t help it. I am excited to start my week with all of you! In preparation for next week, the team came up with a few items to help you prepare for this 3-day virtual experience. 

Find a quiet place to login. By now, many of you are well versed in this concept. Virtually…

Do you remember your first NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop (CBW)? My first CBW was in New York City. It was cold, but the weather didn't phase me.  All that mattered was that Chic-fil-A was only a few blocks away and I had the opportunity to engage with the national GEAR UP community. I was excited! CBW is only weeks away and I am feeling that same excitement again. 

2020 threw us some hard punches, but I am thrilled that I can kick this new year off with you. In preparation for what…

We’re about to take a short walk through pop culture. Stick with me, it will make sense later.

I was a fan of the sitcom Family Matters and an even bigger Steve Urkel fan when I was younger. Life of the Party is one of my favorite episodes.

Yes, I know the name of the episode.

In this episode, Steve Urkel decides to crash a birthday party. When he arrives, however, they notice no one is dancing. Steve Urkel decides to shake things up. He teaches party-goers a dance he calls the “Urkel”. Within…

I was keeping the faith hoping for an in-person CBW convening in February.  While it pains me that I will not see all of you in Phoenix, I am looking forward to our chance to connect at the first virtual CBW!

Just two weeks ago, we launched registration. Leading up to the launch, we asked many questions about what the CBW 2021 experience should be. Anticipating the potential risk imposed by COVID, we understood that we had to address not only programmatic needs but also the everyday human needs…

I am so thrilled to share this short chat with GEAR UP Philadelphia's Devon Johnson! As a Program Manager with GEAR UP Philadelphia, Devon manages multiple GEAR UP high schools, student success programs, partnerships, and stakeholders. He is a tireless advocate for every student and truly embodies the spirit of GEAR UP. In this video, Devon shares his experience with the RFP process, suggestions for selecting a topic, and recommendations for creating a great proposal. Click to enjoy!

As a community, we know that GEAR UP works. We see it every day. We see it in the students who begin to see college as a reality when they go on their first college tour. We see it in the schools when GEAR UP helps facilitate professional development for the teachers or brings dual enrollment opportunities to the students. We see it in the families when they are overjoyed that their students will be able to attend college because of scholarships and financial aid. We see it in each other, as we…

Before Pomona College, I attended The Hotchkiss School, an elite preparatory boarding school in New England on a full scholarship. As a first-generation, low-income student, who attended an inner-city middle school, I always felt out of place and unworthy of my being at my high school. Whether it be speaking up against my predominately white classmates or even interacting with faculty and students in clubs and extracurricular activity, there was always a nagging voice in my head which…