GEAR UP

GEAR UP Resources for Class of 2023 and 2024

WSU GEAR UP Program website:  http://gearup.earlyoutreach.org/ 

The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program is federally funded by the Department of Education. One Vision Partnership IV (OVP IV) is one of the GEAR UP programs that is administered by Washington State University Tri-Cities. OVP IV was approved in 2011 and is funded for seven years. The GEAR UP programs provide services and support to the Class of 2023 and 2024 students to prepare for and succeed in high school, higher education, and their future. GEAR UP also provides professional development opportunities for teachers and staff to enhance their knowledge and work skills to assist students in pursuing and succeeding in higher education. The GEAR UP program offers activities and services to students and their families about the available opportunities for post-secondary education. Please contact the GEAR UP office for more information about the programs, services and schools.

Services for High School GEAR UP Students:

Academic Support
Preparation for College Level Coursework
*Preparation for College Entrance Exams & Requirements
*Math Tutoring for any level
*Career & College Counseling
*Campus Visits to college, universities & technical colleges
*Before/In/After School Tutoring
*College Financial Planning & Financial Literacy Programs
*Summer Camps/Programs

9th Grade Focus:

PSAT Awareness & Test-Taking
Opportunities
Tutoring

10th Grade Focus:

PSAT Preparation
Focused campus visits

11th Grade Focus:

SAT Preparation and Testing
Scholarship Resources
Personal Statement Guidance

 

12th Grade Focus:

Scholarship Resources & Assistance
College Application Assistance
Financial Aid Application Assistance
Awareness of College Academic Experience

AND MORE!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who Does GEAR UP Help?

GEAR UP provides services for students beginning in 6th and 7th grade of middle school and continues through high school and the first year of college of the eligible grades.

Who is in the GEAR UP Cohort?

All students graduating Prosser High School in 2023 and 2024 are cohort GEAR UP students.

Is There an Application?

There is no application and no cost. Prosser High School Students in GEAR UP (Class of 2023/2024) automatically receive GEAR UP services.

Resources:

  • Virtual Job Shadow: https://www.virtualjobshadow.com/login/921D24/users/

    Students, if you need your login please reach out to Ms. Lupe Ochoa lupe.ochoa@prosserschools.org

    Prepares students to meet the demands of today’s competitive workplace with VirtualJobShadow.com’s 21st century career exploration solution.

    This program equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college, career and life. VirtualJobShadow.com is a cost-effective resource GEAR UP provides free of charge to GEAR UP cohort students. This program provides students with the benefits of job shadowing and comprehensive career exploration.

  • Youth Financial Education: https://www.gesa.com/financial-education/youth-financial-education
    Time     is one life’s most valuable assets and we now have the chance to spend more together. This website provides free online youth financial education tools, videos, and games you can explore together.

  •  High School Financial Planning Program: https://www.hsfpp.org/students/student-lessons.aspx
    Plan     for the Journey Ahead with Financial Education
    Financial planning is not just about money. It’s about your journey: where you want to go, what you want to do, what your life will be like. How will you sort through all the possible pathways and make your dreams a reality?This program helps you discover tips and tools to intentionally choose your direction while navigating the unknown frontier of your financial future. Learn how to chart and adjust your route as your values and life circumstances change.

  • Washington Student Achievement Counsel: https://wsac.wa.gov/The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) is a nine-member council supported by a cabinet-level state agency. By statute, the Council provides strategic planning, oversight, advocacy, and program administration to support increased student success and higher levels of educational attainment in Washington.

  • myFuture: https://myfuture.com/

    My Future™ helps young adults plan their next steps in life by bringing together the most recently available information about colleges, careers and military service opportunities from the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, Education and Labor.

    The College Knowledge Project
    Over the past two years, a team of organizations conducted student focus groups across the state to determine ways to support College Bound students in high school. Focus groups and surveys with over 800 primarily College Bound Scholarship students from urban, suburban and rural communities found that College Bound Scholarship and the steps to prepare for college are not well understood.

    As a solution, the College Knowledge project emerged - 23 student tested and approved digital handouts that encompass 6-chapter topics: All About College & Career, Getting Ready, College Bound Scholarship, Paying for College, Applying for College, and Enrolling in College. Each handout tackles a specific subtopic and can be used flexibly as an additional student resource to compliment your programming. You can download individual pages, all 23 handouts as a comprehensive "handbook" for students, by chapter to provide a robust set of materials on a single topic or download a specific grade level packet. Additionally, many of these handouts will also be appropriate for students in middle school. All digital handouts are available in the top 5 languages spoken at home by students: English, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese.

  • Washington Career Bridge: http://www.careerbridge.wa.gov/Career Bridge is Washington's one-stop source for career and education planning.

  1. Explore Careers--See how your talents align with a career by taking a quiz.

  2. View Job Trends--Next, discover if a career is growing and how much it pays.

  3. Find Education--Finally, search nearly 6,000 education programs to find locations and costs, whether students got jobs, what industries they went to work in, and how much they were paid.

    With Career Bridge, you'll also discover:

  • Average earnings and employment outlook for each career.

  • Hot jobs for the future.

  • What you'll need to learn to get those jobs.

  • How to pay for your education.

ACT: https://www.act.org/

The ACT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The purpose of the ACT test is to measure a high school student's readiness for college and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants.

The ACT contains multiple-choice tests in four areas: English, mathematics, reading and science. ACT's writing test is optional and will not affect your composite score.

SAT: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat

The SAT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The purpose of the SAT is to measure a high school student's readiness for college and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants.

Know what to expect.

Find out what kinds of questions you’ll see on the SAT and what they measure. You can also watch videos for an overview of each test. Where do you want to start?