GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs
From 1999 through 2012, Fairmont State was proud to participate in a program designed to GEAR UP middle and high school students and their families for higher education.
Through federal grants, a total of $52 million over 12 years, Fairmont State served up to 56 schools in 14 West Virginia counties.
GEAR UP was designed to:
- Demonstrate the importance of education in today’s world
- Encourage all middle and high school students to set high educational and career goals
- Help students learn how to prepare, enter and succeed in college of other post-secondary training
- Provide parents with the information and resources they needed to stay involved in their students’ education and to help them lay out plans for the future
- Provide teachers with the tools and training needed to raise both academic expectations and student achievement in the classroom
As part of the partnership grant students had access to resources and programs to help them succeed beyond graduation. They included:
- Tutoring and mentoring programs
- After-school enrichment programs
- Educational/cultural field trips
- College campus visits and tours
- Computer scholarship
- Career exploration opportunities
- Access to hands-on science and technology
- ACT preparation classes
- Leadership experience
- Awards and recognition programs for positive reinforcement
- Specialized summer camps
- College admissions orientation
Parents and families were also given opportunities, at no cost, to help foster their child’s success beyond high school. Those opportunities included:
- Monthly workshops covering parenting teenagers, applying for financial aid, drug and alcohol prevention and more
- Community education classes to improve computer skills
- Campus bus tours
- Parent leadership training sessions
Further questions regarding Fairmont State’s GEAR UP program can be directed to:
Amie Fazalare
Amie.Fazalare@fairmontstate.edu
304-367-4867
Christy Burner
Christy.Burner@fairmontstate.edu
304-367-4251