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.

Find out more about the schools in our service region:

• Berea Community Elementary 
• Berea Community Middle School
• Berea Community High School
• Clark Moores Middle School (Madison County)
• Estill County Middle School
• Estill County High School
• Foley Middle School (Madison County)
• Jackson County Middle School
• Jackson County High School
• Lee County Middle School
• Lee County High School
• Madison Central High School
• Madison Middle School
• Madison Southern High School
• Rockcastle Middle School
• Rockcastle County High School

GEAR UP Goals:
Raising Aspirations, Building Skills, Creating a College-Going Culture

GOAL 1
To provide GEAR UP students with the educational foundation necessary to complete a rigorous curriculum and to enroll in college.

GOAL II
To increase GEAR UP students’ awareness of and access to post-secondary education.

GOAL III
To assist GEAR UP schools in providing all students with quality instruction that prepares them for post-secondary education.
In order to accomplish the goals of GEAR UP, the Berea College GEAR UP Partnership is managed by a regional staff, housed at Berea College, comprised of a Project Director, Program Coordinator, Direct Services Coordinator , Parent Involvement Coordinator, Professional Development Coordinator, Partnership Development Coordinator, Budget Analyst, and Administrative Assistant.