Original Post Date: February 25, 2022

During my years as the Director of Research and Evaluation responsible for three GEAR UP partnership grants in Oklahoma, I would often start my annual APR kick-off meetings with reference to Andy Williams’ Christmas classic It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. While thinking about the APR season does not, for most GEAR UP professionals, conjure images of “marshmallows for roasting” or “caroling out in the snow”, NCCEP has a number of resources…

Original Post Date: February 11, 2022

Here in the GEAR UP community, we take student success very seriously. Making sure our students have what they need for a bright future is why we come to work each day and go above and beyond.

Yet, these efforts don’t pull from bottomless wells. To better help students, we each need to occasionally refill our own well so that we can bring our best self to support students and families.

Professional development opportunities are a great way to pause and…

Original Post Date: January 28, 2022

NCCEP’s Career & College Clubs has gone through three ACT impact studies, with the most recent study published in the fall of 2021. We wanted to examine the efficacy of the program and curriculum…basically does it really do what we say it does? And it does! I am so excited to share these positive results with the GEAR UP community.

This latest report, Examining the Efficacy of Career & College Clubs, was done in collaboration with ACT and Alliance…

Original Post Date: December 17, 2022

How much is data apart of your GEAR UP experience? How often do you discuss data with your colleagues? What role does data play in your decision making? Katie Hill, Jackie Mania, and Thomas Cech discuss these questions and more during our most recent On the Ground podcast, Prove: Give Your Data A Voice.

They also remind us, that data is for everyone! As such, data conversations must include the perspective of every team member.

When I was a GEAR UP…

Original Post Date: December 10, 2021

As prior GEAR UP coordinators we, Danielle Walker, and I, know the challenges and inspiration that you face every day. The hardest part of joining the NCCEP team was leaving our students and families. But we brought with us a unique coordinator perspective that we apply to our daily work. Over the past year NCCEP has created ample initiatives to address the professional development and support needs of GEAR UP coordinators. With the addition of multiple Stu…

Original Post Date: November 19, 2021

More than just an event. Not your typical conference experience. A truly immersive learning opportunity.

Each year at the NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop, GEAR UP professionals convene to grow, share, and find ways to better support students. You can visit this page to learn about the elements of the event (Burst Sessions, Workshops, and more).

Here, I want to share a few of reasons why the Capacity-Building Workshop is worth attending: 

1. Every…

Original Post Date: November 5, 2021

We have learned a lot over the past year! What better way to share your discoveries, experiences, and aha-moments than by submitting a proposal to present at the NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference in Washington D.C., July 17th – 20th, 2022. 

The NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference is like an overnight camp for GEAR UP professionals. In addition to networking with colleagues, every attendee will walk away with ready-to-use templates and methods for engaging…

Original Post Date: October 25, 2021

NCCEP Board service is an integral part of GEAR UP community involvement and one of the most influential roles within NCCEP. With the 2021 NCCEP Board of Directors Election in full swing, I wanted to be sure that everyone has the complete picture of the NCCEP Board of Directors experience. 

With that, I do hope that having this opportunity to hear directly from your fellow GEAR UP directors will encourage you complete and submit your 2021 NCCEP Board of…

Original Post Date: September 29, 2021

As the two newest members of the NCCEP team, we are eager to support the GEAR UP community. As the Director of Research and Evaluation, Jackie will help assess what’s working in college and career readiness, and as the Director of Practice, Dana will help identify and share solutions to common challenges. 

We are passionate about what we do. However, what we do is ultimately based on why we do this work. So, we asked ourselves and other members of the…