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What is GEAR UP CT?

“The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)" initiative is one of the largest and most effective programs focused on increasing the college and career readiness of low-income students in communities nationwide. GEAR UP is a highly competitive grant program that helps empower local partnerships comprised of K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, state agencies, and community organizations to achieve three strategic goals.

GOALS

1. Increase postsecondary expectations and readiness of students.

2. Improve high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment rates.

3. Increase student and family knowledge of postsecondary options, preparation, and financial aid.

SERVICES (NOT LIMITED TO)

• Tutoring / Mentoring
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• College Awareness / Virtual Tours
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• Testing Preparation
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• Summer Programming
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• Career Planning / Workshops
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• College Planning
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• Financial Aid Workshops

SUCCESS

GU strives to build capacity within the local communities that are being served to ensure students have the opportunity, skills, knowledge, and confidence upon high school graduation to successfully pursue higher education [Certificate Programs, 2- or 4-year degree] and/or workforce opportunities that will enable them to achieve their career and life goals. GEAR UP teams are committed to working alongside local school districts and partner colleges where all students are empowered and equipped with an education and the skills to succeed in a diverse and global society.

What is GEAR UP CT?

1. Increase postsecondary expectations and readiness of students.
2. Improve high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment rates.
3. Increase student and family knowledge of postsecondary options, preparation, and financial aid.

Services include but not limited to:

• Tutoring / Mentoring
• College Awareness / Virtual Tours
• Testing Preparation
• Summer Programming
• Career Planning / Workshops
• College Planning
• Financial Aid Workshops

GEAR UP builds capacity within communities to ensure that underserved students have the opportunity, skills, and knowledge to successfully pursue the education and training that will enable them to achieve their career and life goals. Our committed GEAR UP teams along with partner colleges and school districts will work towards a future where all students are empowered and equipped with the education and training needed to succeed in a diverse and global society.

If you are a student, parent, guardian or educator, you can increase college and career readiness with GEAR UP CT, a federally-funded grant program that helps empower local communities to inspire students to think beyond what they see today. GEAR UP CT provides the tools, resources and programs to help low-income students starting as early as 7th grade in East Hartford, Meriden and Waterbury increase their success in education.

DO YOU HAVE A GAME PLAN?

CT STATE (CONNECTICUT COMMUNITY COLLEGE)

The GEAR UP CT-East Hartford Mentoring Program/Job Shadow Event offered the opportunity to student mentees on Thursday, March 28, 2024, to visit onsite with their mentors at Dilligence Training in East Hartford. As part of the college & career learning through GEAR UP, students met with Dilligence Training owners and staff to learn more about becoming an athletic trainer and running a business as an entrepreneur. They learn through GEAR UP how to connect careers to postsecondary awareness through the CSCU/CT State system. GEAR UP CT elevates the work and supports many state initiatives through local programming for students with male mentoring being an important area to keep young men of color in school, on-track to graduate and achieving their dreams.

Business owners Devonte Dillion and Terrell Huff grew up together, went to school together and now are business owners who manage and operate Dilligence Training ("DT") in East Hartford. GU young men participate in the "Male Mentoring Program" through Dilligence Training under GEAR UP CT-East Hartford. Mentees and Mentors meet twice a week afterschool to offer an environment for young male students of color to connect with leaders and coaches alike. Through this mentoring program students have learned how to build positive relationships with adults and peers, be accountable for their actions, and incorporate respectful behaviors. Through this mentoring program, the young men in GEAR UP are learning to lead lives filled with leadership, empowerment, advocacy and to remain resilient through difficulties they often face in/out of school. Dilligence Training has created opportunities for the GEAR UP students to learn about living a healthy lifestyle through eating healthy and how to create a wellness plan that supports them in developing social emotional connections. During the site visit, GEAR UP mentees learned about standard operations with opening the facility each day, overseeing personal training sessions, marketing/video operations, and learned how to make healthy protein shakes in the Vita Lab.

During the career awareness visit, GEAR UP students met with East Hartford Mayor Connor Martin; GEAR UP CT Project Director Christina Lapierre; Harry Amadasum, Jr. East Hartford Town Councilor; John Morrison, East Hartford Town Councilor; and spoke on camera to Nkwa Asonye of WFSB - Channel 3 Eyewitness News.

To learn more about Dilligence Training: www.Dilligencetraining.com

Darchelle Hutchins, GU EH Local Program Coordinator; Lesley Mara, AVP Systemwide Initiatives and Sponsored Programs • Academic & Student Affairs; Marisol Salaman, GU CT Fiscal Manager; Jennifer Allen, GEAR UP Wtby Grant Compliance Officer; Michael Savage, GU EH CCR Coordinator

What a team at the April 20 media event at Platt High School in Meriden, CT: Scott Burrell, NBA Champion; Christina Lapierre, State Program Director for GEAR UP CT; Fatima Islam, GEARUP student; Alice Pritchard from CSCU, and NCAA and WNBA Champion Morgan Tuck.

What a team at the April 19 media event at Platt High School in Meriden, CT: Scott Burrell, NBA Champion;Christina Lapierre, State Program Director for GearUP CT; Fatima Islam, GEARUP student; Alice Pritchard from CSCU, and NCAA and WNBA Champion Morgan Tuck.

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GEAR UP CT - YouTube

GEAR UP WEBSITES:

GEAR UP EAST HARTFORD GEAR UP MERIDEN GEAR UP WATERBURY

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Students say the GEAR UP Summer Program helped prepare them for college - NBC Connecticut

Dozens of rising high school juniors in Waterbury took a summer program that allowed them to earn 3 college credits. Two students who took classes about business and computer-aided design discuss what the course meant to them.