GEAR UPLENT K-8 CAP GRANT INFORMATION
Your School's GEAR UP Contact Information:
Joseph Carr - GEAR UP Cluster Coordinator
503-916-2000 x71045
jcarr2@pps.net
Click here to transfer to Lent K-8 School’s website.
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What is GEAR UP? Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federal grant from the Department of Education that provides funding for college awareness and readiness. The grant is meant to help change a school’s culture so that teachers, students, and families are always looking at higher education as the end result of a student’s schooling. This could be technical college, trade school, community college, or four-year degree programs. Either way, students expect to move beyond their high school graduation, and this expectation is instilled in them at an early age. |
GEAR UP will provide valuable experiences to help prepare students for a career and higher
learning. Some examples are:
1. Two college visits per year, for both students and parents.
2. Two family events, hosted at Lent, involving guest speakers and workshops that focus on career and college preparation (and food!).
3. Assemblies with guest speakers.
4. Visits to additional colleges or community businesses.
5. Job shadowing.
6. A yearly Summer Challenge Camp.
GEAR UP Sponsored Family Events this Year
On Thursday, May 24, GEAR UP collaborated with Lent staff to host Lent Literacy Night. GEAR UP set up an information table so that families could take home literature about the grant program and ways to prepare for college with their students. GEAR UP also facilitated a workshop with several cohort students. The workshop focused on what careers the students were interested in and discussing what it would take, schooling-wise, to enter that career field. It was evident that many students did not know what it specifically takes to enter any number of fields. This is not surprising considering their age, but they will be exposed to this knowledge for the next six years through their involvement with GEAR UP. Be on the lookout for GEAR UP family events and take advantage of the resources provided by the program.
GEAR UP College Visits
On Monday, June 4, Lent students traveled to PSU for a college visit. Upon arrival, students embarked on the PSU Scavenger Hunt. This was a way for them to see the campus and explore different highlights while learning a bit about the history of the campus. Students then took the Portland Street Car from the PSU campus area to the OHSU Air-Tram.
Students walked around the OHSU lobby where college students were lounging and eating their lunches. Lent students ate their lunches here, getting the feel for a quick bite between classes. We then took Air-Tram and Portland Street Car back to the PSU campus.
Finally, we took a bus from PSU to Powell's Bookstore. Here, students were given some time to browse one of the best college tools in the country: the biggest bookstore in the United States. Overall, students got to see some important sites in downtown Portland, utilizing public transportation and Powell's, just like the thousands of college students who take advantage of these resrouces every day.
Other GEAR UP Benefits for Lent
GEAR UP is providing a few things to enhance the college environment and academic rigor of Lent:
1. Two Triple-Beam Balances.
2. A collection of college pennants and memorabilia.
3. New library materials this year and next, and a software program called Naviance (click here for more info), all centered on career and college exploration.
