Most people, especially parents and students, have heard the term GEAR-UP, but not everyone knows what it stands for or the goals of the federally funded education program.

GEAR-UP is the synonym for “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs,” according to Clinton County’s Supervisor of Instruction Paula Little, who helps coordinate the program, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and is administered by Berea College to participating school districts.

Little said the primary mission of the GEAR-UP initiative was to build academic skills, helping students become more familiar with post-secondary options and opportunities. Students have the opportunity to become ready for college, or other post-secondary education options such as technical or trade schools and misc.

GEAR-UP is in the middle of a five-year, renewal option grant cycle period and this year is focusing on students in grades six through nine–last year for example, the grades targeted were five through eight and next year, will be grades seven through 10. “The program continues as students progress through school,” Little noted.

The program works with these groups of students and attempts to form educational programs to assist students in obtaining their own goals of knowing how to pursue a two- or four-year post-secondary education, or technical school training beyond high school.

Miranda Stockton is employed as Academic Specialist for the program. She works at both the Clinton County Middle School (75 percent of the day due to three grades being involved) and 25 percent at the high school working with CCHS freshmen.

Stockon main focus, according to Little, is to provide “tutoring and intervention” for students who are below their grade level, especially in the areas of Reading and Math, with much emphasis on Mathematics. She provides these services on a daily basis at each school.

The GEAR-UP program strives to make each student in the district ready to pursue a post-secondary education, she said.

A large portion of the program is hands-on for students as well, as many students in the district have been exposed to the college setting experience by touring college campuses, taking tours, attending summer camps, field trips to the schools, etc.

Little concluded about the GEAR-UP program that parents have also received more information about post-secondary opportunities for their children, adding, “We hope to see continued improvement in all academic areas and assuring all students reach the point of being able to continue their educational experience beyond high school.”