GEAR UP Iowa readies for upcoming school year at annual Kick Off
As GEAR UP Iowa prepares to launch its 18th year serving students in partner school districts, GEAR UP Iowa coaches, staff, educators and partners gathered to officially kick off the school year with a day of discussion and collaboration to support students across the state.
Held under the theme “Lighting the Way,” the GEAR UP Iowa Kick Off at the Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny campus focused on strengthening connections, expanding opportunities and helping more students and families see a clear path to postsecondary and career success.
GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs and is a federally funded program. In partnerships with local school districts, students and their families receive services aimed at preparing them academically, financially and inspirationally to enroll and succeed in postsecondary education and training beyond high school.
The program’s current cohort, GEAR UP Iowa 3.0, is a seven-year project that partners with 13 school districts to serve approximately 7,500 members of the Class of 2029 through their high school graduation and into their first year of postsecondary education or training.
“We look forward to another exciting year ahead and to seeing continued progress toward GEAR UP Iowa’s goals as more students become engaged,” said GEAR UP Iowa Coordinator Amber Miller. “I hope participants gain fresh insights from other districts and partners that they can bring back and implement in their own schools.”
A significant portion of the day focused on supporting special student populations, including English language learners, students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans and advanced learners. The session highlighted the importance of ensuring that GEAR UP Iowa’s efforts reach students who may face additional barriers as they prepare for postsecondary education.
“A lot of the time we look at the big picture and forget that each cohort is made up of all these different students, and we need to focus on every student, not just the larger student body,” said Dayle Pretz, a GEAR UP Iowa coach at Columbus Community Schools. “Every student has something that I need to focus on. It's a challenge we face every day to make sure that each student is getting what they need to succeed.”
Putting the lessons into action, small groups of attendees were assigned a ‘student’ with a profile from one of the special populations. They strategized on how to accommodate that student across GEAR UP Iowa’s service areas of academic assistance, advising, college and career exposure, family knowledge and skills-based learning.
“I feel like having the opportunity to sit and work on an activity where you have a certain student in mind gives it more accountability and responsibility to make sure that you are giving the attention to the student that the student deserves,” said Heather Evans, Assistant Director of Admissions and Outreach at Eastern Iowa Community College.
For instance, one team was assigned a student named ‘Luis,’ an ELL student in 10th grade, with a strong work ethic who excels in math. His needs include English academic vocabulary and reading comprehension, while his postsecondary interest is in engineering or the skilled trades. Using this information, the team crafted a framework plan to use GEAR UP Iowa resources and programming to help Luis succeed in his coursework and set him up for postsecondary success.
“It’s a good reminder of some of the extra supports that students might need,” said John Preston, a GEAR UP Iowa coach at Hoover High School in Des Moines. “You can think of kids in your school that mirror these students and the specific supports you have that would tie in with this scenario. With so many students, it can be hard to remember that everybody's going to need something a little different.”
The Kick Off also included a presentation from four GEAR UP Iowa students who recently participated in the Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) in Washington, D.C. The students expanded on the lessons and networking opportunities they gained from the experience and how they hope to use them to help serve fellow students in the upcoming school year.
Connecting with students and families remained a central theme throughout the afternoon. A session on “Reaching Students and Families” was paired with a College Coach Texting Competition, underscoring the importance of creative, engaging communication and outreach.
“Many of us are in the same position where we're looking for creative ideas to be able to bring back to our schools to excite students and their families for GEAR UP,” Evans said.
Taking those ideas and making them actionable items was also a significant focus, with time devoted to turning conversations into meaningful next steps in schools and communities through collaboration.
“Everybody is working toward that common goal, and we're all here to do that,” Pretz said. “The beginning of the school year is coming, and just knowing that you have the support and that everybody out there is working hard to bring these services to the students.”
In working toward that common goal, the annual Kick Off continues to offer GEAR UP Iowa partners an opportunity to reflect on progress while preparing for the year ahead.
“It is truly bringing people together,” Evans said. “We look forward to it every year, and it's absolutely imperative that everyone comes together because it does get minds moving and brings us all back together with the opportunity to share ideas.”
From supporting special populations to engaging families, connecting students with opportunities and maximizing resources, the event emphasized a shared goal of helping Iowa students build the knowledge, confidence and connections they need to pursue their futures.
“GEAR UP Iowa provides an extra layer of services, people, time and resources to students,” Evans said. “I’ve seen the impact of GEAR UP Iowa in the number of activities and resources that it's provided, and then also accessibility for students that expands opportunity."
For more information on the GEAR UP Iowa program, visit the Department’s GEAR UP Iowa webpage.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
