GEAR UP Program
The Berea College GEAR UP Partnership began in September, 2005 with notification of the award from NCCEP (National Council for Community and Education Partnerships). Out of the 98 funded GEAR UP programs, Berea’s was the 10th largest. In Kentucky, the Berea College GEAR UP Partnership was one of only three to be funded and the only one to be awarded to a Kentucky college or university.
The Berea College GEAR UP Partnership serves six high-poverty school districts through intensive programming and relationships with 10 schools in the contiguous Appalachian counties of Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison and Rockcastle.
The Berea College GEAR UP program reaches out to 7 high schools in 5 counties, 2 middle schools, and one elementary school. The GEAR UP program is proud to be comprised of the Berea Pirates, Madison Southern Eagles, Madison Central Indians, Lee Bobcats, Rockcastle Rockets, Jackson Generals, and Estill Engineers.
What is GEAR UP?
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) federal grant program was created in 1998 during the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to encourage more young people from low-income families to consider and prepare early for college. Currently, GEAR UP serves 1.2 million students in 47 states, the District of Columbia and three territories. The program can be found in all but three states: Idaho; New Hampshire; and North Dakota. In now its seventh funding year, GEAR UP has received almost $1.2 billion since its creation and has 280 partnership grants and 36 state grants.
The Berea College GEAR UP Partnership began in September, 2005 with notification of the award from NCCEP (National Council for Community and Education Partnerships).
The Berea College GEAR UP Partnership serves six high-poverty school districts through intensive programming and relationships with 16 schools in the contiguous Appalachian counties of Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison and Rockcastle.
Our cohort consists of all 8th and 9th grade students in our five county service region plus 6th and 7th grade at Rockcastle Middle School and all students K-7 who attend Berea Community School, a small school where all students, K-12 are located in one school building.
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