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GEAR UP
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs

If you’re a student, parent, guardian or educator, you can increase college and career readiness with GEAR UP Waterbury as your partner. A federally funded grant program through the USDOE that helps empower local students to think beyond what they see today. GEAR UP CT provides the tools, resources, and programs to help students starting as early as middle school to increase their success in education

Through GEAR UP, we currently serve the class of 2025 across the City of Waterbury at Crosby High School, Kennedy High School, Wilby High School, State Street School, Enlightenment School, Waterbury Arts Magnet and Waterbury Career Academy.

What is GEAR UP?

If you’re a student, parent, guardian or educator, you can increase college and career readiness with GEAR UP CT as your partner. A federally-funded grant program through the USDOE that helps empower local students to think beyond what they see today. GEAR UP CT provides the tools, resources, and programs to help students starting as early as middle school to increase their success in education.

GEAR UP CT is currently serving the Class of 2025 in the following partnership’s: East Hartford Public Schools (East Hartford High & CIBA) and CT State Manchester; Meriden Public Schools (Platt & Maloney High School) and CT State Middlesex; and Waterbury Public Schools and CT State Naugatuck Valley (Crosby High School, Kennedy High School, Wilby High School, State Street School, Enlightenment School, Waterbury Arts Magnet and Waterbury Career Academy).

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.

GEAR UP is...

A partnership program between the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities, Waterbury Public Schools, and CT State Naugatuck Valley to support the Class of 2025. Our goal is to increase the number of students prepared for and ready to succeed in college!

FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

Get support, advice, and resources to help your student succeed in high school, and to prepare for their future after high school graduation.

SERVICES & PROGRAMS

• Academic Support Services
• SAT Prep
• Social-Emotional Support
• Financial Literacy & FAFSA Assistance
• Family Engagement 
• Summer Programming
• College & Career Exposure
• After-School Programs
• First Year College Support

SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarship opportunities will be made available upon successful completion of the program. GEAR UP supports students to complete the required Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). GEAR UP can help you find local, national, and sponsored scholarships based on your individual needs.

NEWS IN GEAR: Spring Break College Tour

During Spring Break, forty GEAR UP students and six chaperones participated in a four-day college tour of schools in Springfield, Boston, and Newport.

Students visited seven campuses, including Westfield State University, Springfield College, Western New England University, Harvard University, Boston University, Mass Art, and Salve Regina University. In addition to these college tours, students ate in campus dining halls, participated in team-building activities, and experienced life in each city to help them along the path of finding the right "fit" when exploring colleges and universities.

GEARUP Summer Highlight

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.

GEAR UP Scholarship FAQ

GEAR UP WEBSITES:

GEAR UP CTGEAR UP EAST HARTFORDGEAR UP MERIDEN

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