GEAR UP: Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs
Syracuse Gear Up, a collaborative effort between Syracuse University and the Syracuse
City School District, is a program designed to increase the graduation rate and college
attendance of students from sixteen schools in Syracuse. The program will follow this
year's seventh and eighth grade students at eleven middle schools including: Beard,
Blodgett, Clary, Danforth, Frazer, Grant, Huntington, Levy, Lincoln, Roberts and Shea.
Syracuse Gear Up will follow the students through their time in high school at Corcoran,
Fowler, Henninger, Nottingham and Central Technical High School (CT).
Syracuse Gear Up is also aligned with community agencies and business partnerships. The community agencies have been provided technology for these sites to be used by Gear Up students and families for study and career/college search. Business partnerships include
SUNY Upstate Medical University, LeMoyne College, Onondaga Community College and Partners
for Education and Business, a consortium of over 100 local employers in Central New York,
all serving students in their college and career search.
The Gear Up program will affect almost 3,500 students and is funded by a $3.4 million grant from Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) and an $8.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
In The News
Teachers in the workplace: Syracuse University GEAR UP sends Syracuse teachers to intern at high-tech companiesMonday, July 17, 2006
Several Syracuse City School District teachers and classroom staff will learn how to build a computer from Seneca Data professionals at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 18, as they take part in a professional development program offered by Syracuse University GEAR UP, in partnership with Partners for Education & Business Inc. (PEB).
Seneca Data, located in North Syracuse, is one of seven local high-tech companies participating in the program. Each company will provide classroom teachers the opportunity to learn about the skills necessary for success in today's technology-driven workplace. The teachers will incorporate the technology and skills observed in their workplace experience into lessons plans in their particular content areas. The lesson plans will be videotaped and distributed to school districts and other GEAR UP partnerships.
The project is funded by a grant from the National Council on Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) and AT&T through the NY GEAR UP initiative. In addition to Seneca Data, participating local high-tech companies are CDM Engineers, CXtec, Laboratory Alliance of CNY, Solvay Paperboard, United Radio and WSTM-TV.
Each company provides the teachers with an overview of the company's history, training and employment methods, careers employed within the company, and products/services offered. The teachers visit several departments and attend team meetings within the company, along the way keeping a journal to identify the multiple skills they observe for each career area as well as specific skills needed to perform complex tasks.
During their internship at Seneca Data, the teachers will not only learn how to build a computer but also see product-testing methods for insuring quality standards and view the warehouse operations in order to understand product flow.
"The integration of the classroom and the workplace is of paramount importance to instruction and to students," says Lena Kochian, director of SU GEAR UP. "They want to see the relevance and to make the connections. This program fits extremely well with the mission of GEAR UP -- helping students to get motivated to excel in their academics and to be prepared for college and careers upon graduation." The GEAR UP program is a discretionary grant program, through the Division of Student Support & Retention at Syracuse University, designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education.
The mission of Partners for Education & Business Inc. is to assure the quality of education and the economic vitality of Central New York by promoting, developing and coordinating the involvement of schools, post-secondary institutions, businesses, employers, government and the community to enable students to become productive, responsible and contributing members of the community. For more information, call 448-1012 or visit http://www.pebcny.org.
JURASSIC PARK: The Study of Ancient Life
Friday, July 7, 2006
This Paleontology Course is Specifically Developed for SU Gear Up 7th Grade Students in order to support NY State Regents Earth Science and Living Environment. The week-long class takes place at LeMoyne College and at various geological sites throughout Central New York.
LeMoyne College instructor Dr. Lawrence Tanner will instruct the course that runs from July 10 through July 14.
Light a Candle for Literacy
Saturday, June 3, 2006
Today SU GEAR UP sponsored Light a Candle for Literacy, a program designed to increase the awareness of the importance of literacy, counteract the summer reading loss in children and help parents understand the importance of reading to their children daily. Over 450 adults and children participated in the event, held at the South Presbyterian Church on the south side of Syracuse. The program involved a literacy parade, literacy information session, and free books and dictionaries were distributed to the children who attended the event.
Scott Freeney, an academic counselor for the Syracuse University football program speaks with students attending Gear Up summer school. He brings advice that he uses with current team members, which includes making academics a priority. He also has a basketball signed by the 2002-2003 SU Men's National Champion Basketball team. The message he delivers to the class using the ball - each signature represents a person who had to graduate high school first in order to get the chance to go to college.
Rosamond Gifford Zoo Hosts First Annual Zoo Career Day
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo, in conjunction with Partners for Education and Business Inc., and Syracuse University GEAR UP, hosted the First Annual Zoo Career Day last week. Zoo Career Day was established to educate local students, including those from Roberts and
