GEARUP (Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness in Undergraduate Programs) is a federal college awareness and readiness initiative for economically disadvantaged youth administered through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Post-Secondary Education. GEARUP’s overarching goal is to increase the number of economically disadvantaged youth enrolled in post-secondary educational institutions.

GEARUP SCORES! will accomplish this goal through:

• academic preparation of students in math, science, and literacy,
• active engagement of students in college-access opportunities, and
• support of parents, families, and students with resources that ensure students remain in school and develop the confidence, skills, and positive attitude to become college graduates.

Specific support services will include academic intervention, college awareness and advising activities, dropout prevention counseling/mentoring, and parental involvement training/support provided by a full-time staff of 34 skilled and dedicated professionals.

GEARUP SCORES! is a local partnership that delivers college awareness and readiness programs and services to a cohort of over 5000 Cincinnati Public Schools students currently in grades 9-11 in  the following high schools: Aiken, Dater, Gamble Montessori, Hughes STEM, Oyler, Riverview East, Shroder, Taft, Western Hills, Withrow, and Woodward. GEARUP SCORES! will continue to provide services through the 2013-14 school year.

GEARUP SCORES! is supported by a six-year, $18.4 million grant from the US Department of Education and by community partners. The primary partners in GEARUP SCORES! are:

• the University of Cincinnati (UC),
  
• Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS),
  
• the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative (CYC),
  
• Cincinnati State Community & Technical College and
  
• Parents for Public Schools of Greater Cincinnati (PPSGC).
  

Partners providing additional support include the Enquirer, Clear Channel, the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Partner for Achieving School Success (PASS) Center in the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) serves as the partnership’s lead agency and provides administrative and fiscal leadership and oversight. Bob Suess is the GEARUP Project Director and Denise Hewitt is the GEARUP Program Facilitator.

 
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