GEARUP is a federal program designed to help students in economically disadvantaged and poor performing school districts with college readiness and awareness.  Its goal is to improve the number of students who attend college.

The Gen-1 House is a local program designed to help economically disadvantaged first-generation college freshmen to successfully transition from high school to the university.

At the University of Cincinnati, the Partner for Achieving School Success (PASS) center in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services is responsible for administering both the GEARUP Program and the Gen-1 House. Obviously, these two programs are inextricably linked. The first is designed to help low-income students gain access to college, while the second is designed to ensure that they are successful once they arrive on the college campus.

CECH PASS, GEARUP, and the Gen-1 Theme House are pleased to announce that eight former GEARUP students have been accepted into the Gen-1 House for the 2009-2010 academic year. Those former Cincinnati GEARUP Success Partnership students who are now residents of the Gen-1 House are:

• Tariah Andrews
  
• Joycee Black
  
• Robert Golsby
  
• Le’aira Nelms
  
• Rafael Robinson
  
• Isa Shakir
  
• Keshar Smith
  
• Shanaid Smith
• Tracy Steagall

Best of luck to these GEARUP graduates with their college education and experience as they begin their freshman year at the University of Cincinnati!

For additional information regarding CECH PASS, GEARUP, or the Gen-1 House, please contact:

Steffi Cappel, CECH PASS Executive Director, at 556-3611

Denise Hewitt, GEARUP Program Coordinator, at 556-3714 or visit its website

Judy Mause, Gen-1 House Program Coordinator, at 556-3619 or visit its website

2009 Summer Camps a HUGE Success!

The 2009 edition of GEARUP’s Summer Camps proved to be an overwhelming success.  Held during the month of July, the camps received rave reviews from students, their parents, and GEARUP staff.

Over 250 GEARUP students participated in at least one of the week-long camps with most campers attending multiple camps and many enrolled in all four!

This year’s Summer Camp program included:

• Fine Arts Camp
• Great Outdoors Camp
• Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) Camp
• A Bit of Everything Camp

Fine Arts Camp featured acting lessons with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and the Children’s Ensemble Theatre, a performance of Romeo and Juliet, a live puppet show presented by Madcap Puppets, and a puppet-building workshop in which campers designed and built their own puppets.

Great Outdoors Camp provided campers with the opportunity to ride a horse, go fishing, and visit a working farm.  Also included were a field trip to the Cincinnati Zoo and an Ohio River boat ride.

STEM Camp studied the city’s bridges, toured a water treatment facility and a paper mill, and visited Northern Kentucky University and its planetarium.  Hands-on science projects involved egg-drop and paper airplane competitions.

A Bit of Everything Camp visited several area attractions including the Wright-Patterson Air Force Museum and the Newport Aquarium.

All-in-all, campers enjoyed a wide variety of fun, interesting, and intellectually stimulating activities that enriched their summer. 

All 5th, 6th, and 7th graders in any of the 31 GEARUP K-8 elementary schools during the 2008-2009 academic year were eligible to attend – if they had officially ‘enrolled’ in GEARUP SCORES! by returning the CPS Parent Consent Form, the GEARUP Commitment/Release Form, the Parent Survey, and the Student Survey.

Participants received free transportation, lunch, GEARUP book bags, and GEARUP t-shirts.

Plans are already underway for next summer. GEARUP students and their parents will want to check this website regularly for updates regarding the 2010 edition of GEARUP’s Summer Camps!

GEARUP Welcomes New Staff

GEARUP SCORES! welcomes fourteen new staff members as it begins the 2009-2010 school year. As a result, the new GEARUP program is now fully staffed with sixteen Academic Specialists, six College Access Specialists, six Dropout Prevention Specialists, and one Parent Involvement Specialist. This team of twenty-nine specialists brings a wealth of diversity, experience, and expertise to the program.

GEARUP is pleased to introduce:

• Denise Hewitt as the new Program Coordinator;
• Audra Fields, Julie Frazee, Gary Lumpkin, Leslie Lyles, Kareem Moncree-Moffett, Bobby Thompson, and Aziza Turner as Academic Specialists;
• Sonya Davis, Tiana Rollinson, and Javin Tucker as College Access Specialists; and
• Sharon Brown, Kelly Pflum, and Mariella Richardson as Dropout Prevention Specialists.

These new staff members join and strengthen a multi-talented group of professionals already working in the thirty K-8 GEARUP schools in the Cincinnati Public School District.  GEARUP staff has previously served as teachers, counselors, administrators, and licensed social workers as well as architectural engineers, interior design specialists, and relief workers in foreign countries. Additionally, some have been college athletes, coaches, church musicians, and licensed pilots!

Regardless of their individual backgrounds, a common thread that unites this GEARUP staff is a shared and deep-seated commitment to and passion for working with today’s youth. GEARUP specialists fully realize that the services they provide and relationships they build will make a significant difference in each child’s life.

As a result, GEARUP is confident that the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in the GEARUP schools are sure to receive high quality services designed to ensure academic, personal, and social success for students.  And, that this success will lead to each and every student graduating from high school and enrolling in a post-secondary educational institution.