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.…

If you know me, you know that I end every discussion or presentation with, “Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!” I am a huge believer in the power and influence of social media, especially within our GEAR UP community. Before we faced this current health crisis, much of my time, personally and professionally, was dedicated to building up our GEAR UP community online and building up your toolkits to engage online successfully. Social media has the power to move mountains and can be a key…

It’s almost spring, bees are buzzing, birds are chirping, and we are all likely Zooming. Can you think of any other season like the one that we are experiencing? This new season, of re-imagining student engagement, re-establishing our professional norms, and re-working practices that we have used for years is a challenging one. As we tackle these challenges, we must remember that the skills we developed as coordinators are always in season.

I joined a GEAR UP team of determined, scrappy, and…

You might be like me, constantly searching online for keywords like “community updates”, “engaging with students online”, or “how to stay sane while working from home.” Working from home under our current conditions is a new and often uncomfortable reality. Add to that, many others are working from home, most of the students we serve are staying home, and the families we serve are struggling through this time. Given all of this, finding the right resources online can be daunting. There is an…

President Trump recently announced social distancing guidelines being extended until April 30^th. Although many anticipated this happening, hearing a formal, nation-wide announcement solidified our new reality. I shared the news with my three children, 10, 8, and 5.

Later that night, my son was struggling emotionally. He didn’t understand why. He hadn’t yet realized the implications of his current and future environment. We sat and shared about what we were feeling, what we can do to help each…

The saying “It takes a village” truly captures the essence of what family engagement in education requires.  

In my case, growing up in Puerto Rico, it was more than my parents, siblings, and grandparents.  My village included godparents, neighbors, and friends, all of whom played an active role in my education and formation.

Today, inspired by my family’s growth and the next generation, I am actively involved in the development of my nephews and nieces – and their children.  So far, I…

As I began writing about the critical information for seniors that I believe is of value at this crucial time, I could not help but first think about what it must feel like to BE a GEAR UP senior right now.

That was me during my senior year of high school, and if all of this was going on, then, as it is now, I might have been thinking:

 What exactly is social distancing? And how am I supposed to navigate the final steps of the college application process? Where am I going to find the money to…