GEAR UP Team Members Train In Las Vegas
(Press Release 02-29-08)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

Four members of the Eastern Oklahoma State College GEAR UP for a Brighter Tomorrow team joined over 1,200 from across the nation as they attended the NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity–Building Workshop 2008 in Las Vegas, February 10–13. The workshop is designed to help new and experienced GEAR UP professionals effectively meet their project goals and objectives through professional development and strategic planning activities. The Capacity–Building Workshop is coordinated by the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) and is planned in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education.

The conference began Sunday as Education Coordinators LaDonna Baldwin and Fenessa Little attended a Documenting the GEAR UP Matching Funds workshop. Project Linda Morgan and Project Assistant Helen Scott attended the Annual/Final Performance Reports (APR/FPR) workshop.

NCCEP President Hector Garza and NCCEP Executive Vice President Ranjit Sidhu addressed attendees throughout the conference. Attendees from across the nation meet to hone their grant implementation practices. In addition to the numerous workshops, opportunities were available for networking with colleagues.

The team attended various workshop tracks including GEAR UP Grant Administration: Strategies for Building Stronger GEAR UP Projects; Positioning GEAR UP Programs for Long–Term Sustainability; and Maximizing GEAR UP’s Impact: Improving Student Outcomes through Research, Planning, and Practice. Afternoons were spent attending various seminars including Reform & Renewal: A Look at Projected Changes to Major Federal Education Policies; Maximizing the High School Experience; The Literacy Imperative: Strengthening the Foundation in Middle Schools; and KnowHow2Go: A National College Access Marketing Campaign.

The team also attended Addressing the Needs of Our Foster Youth; Enhancing GEAR UP’s Youth Services; Using Neuroscience to Increase Student Achievement; Improving School Culture: A Cornerstone of GEAR UP Success; From Old to New: Seasoned GEAR UP Practitioners Share Their Expertise; Grant Fund Management—The Challenges, the Regs, and Assessing Your System; and Evaluating GEAR UP: Pesky Evaluation Challenges and How to Overcome Them. Morgan also attended a mandatory meeting of all GEAR UP Project Directors with the U.S. Department of Education Program Officers.

“I really enjoyed the conference,” said Scott. “I learned so much about grant administration and the various components of the grant. The networking was fantastic.”

Eastern Oklahoma State College received a $6.7 million federal GEAR UP grant and is in its second year of implementation. Eastern has partnered with 19 area schools to provide students with additional educational opportunities.

Eastern Oklahoma State GEAR UP for a Brighter Tomorrow team members attending the NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity–Building Workshop in Las Vegas include from left: Project Assistant Helen Scott, Project Director Linda Morgan, Education Coordinator Fenessa Little and Education Coordinator LaDonna Baldwin.