Resources for GEAR UP Alumni

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federally funded program, enacted as part of the 1998 Higher Education Act, that works in collaboration with teachers, community members, students, and families to significantly increase the number of low-income and first-generation college bound students who are prepared to enroll and succeed in apostsecondary program.

The 1999 GEAR UP grant served over 350 students in two cohorts –theHumboldt High School classes of 2005 and 2006. In 2005, St. Olaf College was awarded a new GEAR UP grant to expand its services to include 850 students in the class of 2011 at Humboldt Junior High
School, Battle Creek Middle School, and Hazel Park Academy, and is currently following the class through high school graduation at Harding and Humboldt High School.

The GEAR UP college advisor programming provides services in collaboration with partnerships at the college level. College advising services include individual advising, career exploration, financial aid workshops, class selection, study skills, and tutoring. In addition, the GEAR UP college advisor will assist graduates with re-enrolling in post-secondary options if they have discontinued enrollment at their initial college. GEAR UP will stay in contact with program graduates through phone calls, emails, annual reunions, social networking sites and a quarterly alumni newsletter.

Click on the links below to check out our GEAR UP Alumni Newsletters from this year. Newsletters are full of information and resources designed to help GEAR UP program graduates.

GEAR UP Graduate Newsletter, May 2011

GEAR UP Graduate Newsletter, February 2011