If you’re like me, you probably read about 250 to 300 words a minute, and that is good, because I am going to try to take just about 2 minutes of your time to explain the “Two-Minute Rule” of time management.

The “Two-Minute Rule” of time management was created by David Allen in his book, Getting Things Done. The rule simply states that “if you determine an action can be done in two minutes, you actually should do it right then because it’ll take you longer to organize it and review it than you…

Last month, you might recall that we launched a new blog series featuring seasoned GEAR UP practitioners (click here to read the kick-off interview with Teena O.). This month, we are excited to share an interview with the one and only Lois Bramwell‍. 

Admittedly, when the idea was shared with the NCCEP team, I was not surprised by the number of times that Lois Bramwell’s name came up. What can I tell you about one of my favorite GEAR UP champions? Lois is fierce. She is committed to her students…

You may have read in today’s Digest or on the NCCEP website that the NCCEP Board of Directors unanimously voted to cancel the 2020 NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference, scheduled for July 19-22, 2020 in Washington, D.C.  

Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a decision that all of us at NCCEP strongly support, but we are still all disappointed. We spent the past year organizing an amazing program that drew upon the expertise, wisdom, and generosity of the GEAR UP community. Above all, we will…

When we first started seeing stay-at-home orders, school closures, and then school closures for the rest of the year, we all went through a roller coaster of emotions.

            What does this mean for us?

            What does this mean for our work?

            And ultimately, what does this mean for our students and families?

There were many things we suddenly had to navigate all at once:

• How do we stay safe?
• How do we stay healthy?
• How do we change how we work?
• How are our students…

Meteorologists are forecasting snow. Yes, you read that right. Some regions of the US are expecting snow—in Spring! While reading this, you may feel a strong desire to check weather.com. That’s ok. You’re doing something that we all do, you are consulting experts.

Looking to the experts is a skill that we develop almost out of instinct. We instinctively look for help, direction, solutions, and suggestions. It is what families do as they help students with schoolwork, it is what I do when I…

Searching ‘conference call etiquette,’ using Google yields 8,640,000 results. There are a lot of opinions about etiquette and conference calls! If you are working from home, video conference calls have taken the place of meetings – whether you like them or hate them, they have truly become part of the routine.

The staff at NCCEP passed around this video, which is a goofy take on conference calls, but certainly hits close to home in the accuracy of the experience. In the Washington DC area, we…

Kelly Pappas: Hello everyone! My name is Kelly Pappas and I am the Associate Director at NCCEP and I want to thank everyone who is watching or reading this post. We have a very special guest with us here today. She’s not only the guru of Data and Evaluation for GEAR UP, but also a dear colleague of mine, Chrissy Tillery. Chrissy, thanks for joining today.

Chrissy Tillery: Thank you Kelly.

Kelly: For those people who many not know, tell us about your role with NCCEP.

Chrissy: Sure! I…

It was July 2017, and I just walked out of an NCCEP team meeting with Alex Chough‍ regarding the soft roll-out of the Quad. For immediate next steps, I was tasked with preparing my first in-person Quad presentation scheduled to take place during the Directors Meeting at the upcoming NCCEP annual convening.  

I was provided ten minutes on the Directors Meeting schedule to share an overview of the Quad and highlight the key features that the Quad had to offer.  

Now, fast forward to that 2017…

My affiliation with GEAR UP began in 2004 when I joined NCCEP for the first time.  Early on, I learned that the GEAR UP community is a generous and committed group. That is true of many, and it is certainly true of Teena Olszewski‍.

That is why when we decided to launch this series titled, “Lessons from the Experts”, I asked Teena to be our inaugural interviewee.  

In this monthly interview, I will reach out to a GEAR UP professional that has served in a leadership role for over two grant cycles.…