GEAR UP Works!

Pep rally helps students “GEAR UP” for the future

GEAR UP Architect Fattah Will Join GEAR UP Family Night at Sixers Game

PHILADELPHIA, March 8, 2012 — Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), architect of GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), the decade-long national success story that prepares low-income students for college, will participate in a special Philadelphia celebration of GEAR UP Family Night at the 76ers game at the Wells Fargo Center Friday, March 9.

Nationally, GEAR UP has served 12 million students in 49 states and several U.S. territories with almost $4 billion in federal resources since Fattah won enactment of the program in 1998. A video chronicling the story of GEAR UP’s creation can be found HERE. The nation’s most successful college readiness program also serves as a model for efforts to prepare students for college in other nations. President Obama’s proposed budget includes $303 million to continue GEAR UP.

Philadelphia and other communities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have received $57 million to provide GEAR UP programming since 1999. There are grants that serve students and school districts statewide, and partnership grants have been awarded to Philadelphia, Lancaster and Lewisburg.

On Friday night, Fattah will join students and staff of GEAR UP Philadelphia for GEAR UP Family Night activities before, during and after the Sixers’ NBA game against the Utah Jazz - tipoff at 7:05 p.m. Some of GEAR UP’s best and brightest students will be recognized throughout the evening. The fun-filled and informative evening for up to 2,500 GEAR UP students and caregivers is an outgrowth of GEAR UP Philadelphia’s partnership with the Sixers.

“I’ve been coast to coast and border to border - and all across Philadelphia — to raise the profile for this much needed program that improves the life chances and nurtures the dreams of students from low income and under-served backgrounds,” Fattah said.

“Many of these youngsters, as early as sixth grade, attend schools in the inner city or rural communities that are short of the resources they need for a full, life-advancing educational experience,” Fattah said. “GEAR UP provides an opportunity for these young people to compete for excellence and career advancement with students from the wealthiest suburban districts.

“This is energizing work for me,” Fattah said. “There is nothing as fulfilling as meeting these bright young people and telling them yes, you can compete, yes, you can succeed, and if you work hard you will attain a college education with all its rewards and challenges.”

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GEAR UP Architect and President Agree on Program’s Significance

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High graduation rate wins Wa-Hi state recognition

BY RACHEL ALEXANDER

Walla Walla High School was one of 48 schools in the state to receive a 2011 Achievement Award for having a high extended graduation rate. Achievement Awards are given by the Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and they honor schools which perform well in each category of the state’s High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE), as well as those with accomplishments in other areas. This is the second year that Wa-Hi has been honored; last year, they were recognized for closing the achievement gap.

“I was very excited for our staff and students to be honored with this award,” said Wa-Hi Principal Pete Peterson in an email.

Wa-Hi’s extended graduation rate is 97 percent, which is significantly higher than the state average of 82.7 percent. It is also higher than neighboring 4A schools such as Richland, Pasco and Yakima High Schools, which have extended graduation rates of 88 percent, 79 percent and 89 percent, respectively.

These numbers are no accident. They represent a district-wide effort to provide academic support and career and college guidance for students. Rather than simply making sure that students finish high school, Wa-Hi works to ensure that students have post-graduation plans.

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Grant to help college-bound New Bedford students

By Charis Anderson

The state has received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support a program focused on helping low-income students prepare for college.

The program operates in 16 schools across the state, including New Bedford High School and Normandin Middle School.

The initiative, known as Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, not only provides college preparation and access services to middle and high school students in seven high-poverty communities but also provides scholarship assistance to students who go on to college.

“This program and others like it are instrumental in helping us provide students with the tools they need to succeed in higher education and beyond,” state Education Secretary Paul Reville said in a statement.

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More coverage on HI Grant - $3.4M grant to help Hawaii low-income students

HONOLULU (AP) — A $3.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will help Hawaii’s low-income middle and high school students prepare for college.
The University of Hawaii said Wednesday the money will help continue GEAR UP Hawaii, a program that has been preparing low-income youth for college success since 2000.
University officials say the grant will allow the program to serve students into their first year in college by providing support to transition into postsecondary education.

More coverage on HI Grant - University of Hawaii awarded $3.4 million for low-income students

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact: Kristen Bonilla, (808) 956-5039
Public Information Officer, External Affairs and University Relations

HONOLULU (September 28, 2011) - The University of Hawai‘i has been awarded $3.4 million in 2011-12 to increase the number of low-income middle and high school students statewide who are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education through GEAR UP Hawai‘i, the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs from the U.S. Department of Education.

The federal GEAR UP program provides seven-year, matching grants to states and partnerships for services that improve access to and success in higher education at high-poverty middle and high schools statewide. GEAR UP Hawai‘i has been serving Hawai‘i’s low-income youth since 2000, preparing them for success in college.

“This grant will allow us to continue the important work of GEAR UP in Hawai‘i. Since 2000, the University of Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i Department of Education have partnered closely together to serve Hawai‘i’s students, who have benefitted from GEAR UP programs that support the transition of students from K-12 through post-secondary education,” said Linda Johnsrud, University of Hawai‘i Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost. “GEAR UP Hawai‘i’s work is aligned to the university’s Hawai‘i Graduation Initiative, which promotes successful completion of college.”

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