GEAR UP is eye opener to students unsure of college Middle School students learn benefits of college by studying life without it SELMA*The only book required of one of Megan Shaner's GEAR UP lessons is a checkbook. Shaner had her 7th grade students at Selma Middle School to compare the living expenses of a high school graduate to that of a college graduate based upon the average salary of individuals with a high school diploma to those with two- and four-year degrees and beyond. "It was eye-opening to them," Shaner said, "They don't think about the lifestyle they want versus how much schooling they want to go through. They don't have any idea of their own money yet." Exposing students to the concept of college and higher education is the purpose of the GEAR UP program. GEAR UP, an acronym for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is designed to reduce the dropout rate and increase the rate of postsecondary education matriculation by informing students who might not see college as an option about the benefits of higher education. Budgeting is only one example of how Shaner has helped her students make that connection. The students will also take field trips to college campuses throughout the year. "It's exciting to see their faces when we visit a campus," said Shaner. "Most of these kids have not had these experiences before. They've not seen what it's like and they don't have relatives who've been to college." Rose Pittman, GEAR UP coordinator, at North Johnston Middle School, has been helping her students to understand the advantages and disadvantages of private colleges and public universities and the cost differences in the two. Pittman has collaborated with Johnston Community College so that her students can attend institutes with professors from the college. Pittman also hosted a technology boot camp for her students and participated in a career day. She's currently in the process of planning a summer program for her students as well. GEAR UP is funded in six Johnston County schools through a state and federal grant. The State GEAR UP grant includes Selma Middle School and Smithfield-Selma High School. The Partnership GEAR UP grant includes North Johnston Middle School, North Johnston High School, Benson Middle School and South Johnston High School. Students from both schools also get to hear from guest speakers and participate in many activities that promote college awareness. The core of the program comes from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, written by Sean Covey. According to Shaner, the book has helped lay the groundwork for the program and it has helped the students to understand that how they see things affects their ability to succeed. Shaner said Covey's books will help maintain the concept of the program, even after the grant ends. GEAR UP is currently in its second year in Johnston County. It is a six-year grant that begins no later than seventh grade and follows students through high school. "We wanted something to leave behind and that will be our legacy," Shaner said of the books. Students are assigned a copy of the book, but it remains in the classroom so that it can be used again and again. Students are also assigned an accompanying workbook, which is theirs to keep. The most exciting part of the program, Shaner said, is the student surveys. Students are asked to rate 10 questions describing how they feel about college. The initial results indicated that many of the students didn't think college was a possibility for them. After a visit to a college campus, the answers to the same 10 questions "were so drastically different," Shaner said. "It's overwhelming the change in the students. You should see their faces when I say we're going to visit a college. Now, everybody wants to go." And, having everyone want to go to college is what GEAR UP is all about.
