Start planning for National GEAR UP Week!

National GEAR UP Week will be September 23-27 this year which gives you plenty of time to start thinking ahead. We will be celebrating GEAR UP's successes statewide with videos, the release or our annual report, and possibly an event for legislators and partners!

How will you celebrate?

Hold a GEAR UP Week at your school and get students starting to think about their plan after high school! It’s an opportunity to kick-off the year with fun and exciting activities (but without a lot of energy on your part!) that encourage a college-going culture in your school and community. The updated GEAR UP WEEK Toolkit has everything you need - instructions, posters, announcements—to put on a week of programs designed to get the word out about GEAR UP and the importance of going on to college. It even includes tips on holding a parent and community "friendraiser" to help get the word out about GEAR UP.

You can  hold your GEAR UP Week at any point during the first few months of school; just pick a day or week that works for you!

GEAR UP Week Toolkit - What's YOUR plan?

Start the school year off right with a GEAR UP Week with the theme What’s YOUR plan? at your school! It’s an opportunity to kick-off the year with fun and exciting activities (but without a lot of energy on your part!) that encourage a college-going culture in your school and community. Schools across the country will be celebrating National GEAR UP Week from September 10-14, but you can use these materials at any time that works for you. This toolkit has everything you need—instructions, posters (for editable posters, e-mail dana_beck@ous.edu), announcements—to put on a week of programs designed to get the word out about GEAR UP and the importance of going on to college. Choose to do them all, or just some of the activities—or create your own (maybe a Friendraiser - or some of these 10 ideas?)!

One activity we HIGHLY encourage you to do with your students is write postcards about their plans and the impact of GEAR UP that can be sent on to your elected officials. You will be receiving postcards in the mail soon for students to use.

We will be posting photos, videos, and quotes from students about their plans for after high school during the week of September 10-14 that were taken at our Student Leadership Event.

Student Paths College and Career Curriculum

We are pleased to announce a renewed partnership with Student Paths to provide your high school students with their timely peer-to-peer publications about college, career and life readiness as well as companion curricular pieces to use in advisory, home room, GEAR UP club, or wherever makes the most sense. You can view a sample at www.studentpaths.com/spring2012/pacificnorthwest, and lesson plans and the content plan and calendar for this academic year are available upon request.

Promising Practice: Developing a College and Career Center

One important resource in creating a college-going culture in a school is an accessible, comfortable, and functional College and Career Center. Many GEAR UP schools are doing this well, including Reedsport Community Charter School and Elkton Charter School (in photos). Taft 7-12 is also using Facebook to have an online presence.

Looking to create a new center or revamp an existing one? Use our new Developing a College and Career Center toolkit to start the process. Check the bulletin for additional information and a webinar.

Promising Practice: Coffenberry Middle School 5 R Contests

Students and teachers at Coffenberry Middle School have an opportunity to earn prizes and recognition while focusing on the 5 R's with a series of contests at their school. From an essay contest on Rigor to a Homeroom Door Decorating contest just in time for the holidays (see photos - also emulated at Taft 7-12 and other schools), the school is visibly showing a college-going culture! Check out the flyers and information they use in order to start a similar contest at your school. 

Question of the Week: Promoting a College-Going Culture

If I walked into your school’s front hallway, what are three things I would see that tell me you are promoting a college-going culture?

The Question of the Week is an opportunity for coordinators to share their insights, successes, and challenges.  Post a comment to share your ideas!  Have a question you want to ask others?  Submit it to dana_beck@ous.edu.