Accelerating to College
GEAR UP Gradkids began in 2000 in Scott and Cocke counties
For 17 University of Tennessee freshmen, the first few weeks of college life actually felt like home. That's because for the past few years, UT has become a familiar setting for the students, who took part in the GEAR UP Gradkids project, a federally funded UT program designed to encourage students to pursue higher education.
Christine Bieniek, now a freshman at UT, participated in the GEAR UP Gradkids program from the seventh grade until her high school graduation. “I come from a large family, so my parents were unable to give my educational future their full attention,” said Bieniek, who is a first-generation college student. “With the help of GEAR UP, I was able to focus on what I needed to and they made sure I got things done on time.”
Peggy King, UT project director for GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, said the university’s College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences applied for the grant so that more students in low-income areas would be able to go to college.
“We started the project with the students in the seventh grade for the purpose of early intervention,” King said. The GEAR UP Gradkids project began during the 2000-2001 school year with 14 schools in Scott and Cocke counties.
Working with the same group of about 600 students from before they entered high school proved to be a winning method for the Gradkids program. College enrollment rates in Scott and Cocke counties are nearly 15 percent higher overall and 45 percent higher in one school than before the Gradkids program began in the area.
Sarah Lewis began GEAR UP in 2001 and is now a UT student
In addition to studying at UT, students from the Gradkids program are also attending Harvard, Tennessee Tech, Florida State University, and Air Force Academy, among other postsecondary learning institutions.
Joshua Strange, also a first-generation college student and freshman at UT, says the Gradkids program helped students decide in favor of attending college. “The GEAR UP Gradkids program helped me to decide which university would be good for me,” Strange said. “Thanks to Gradkids, I found out I’m a perfect fit right here at UT.”
During the early years of the project, King and the other Gradkids staff focused on academics and improving students’ performance on the Tennessee Gateway exams. The program later shifted focus to college selection and preparation as students progressed through high school.
GEAR UP Gradkids activities included tutoring, educational field trips, college visits, and teacher enrichment workshops.
“The two trips to the Space Center in Alabama were highlights of my Gradkids experience,” said Bieniek, who has an interest in political science and accounting. “I also enjoyed listening to guest speakers because it gave us an opportunity to see what kinds of careers are available to us with a college education.”
Steve Costner, a Gradkids coordinator in Cocke County, says the Summer Academy gave students a variety of educational opportunities.
“During one summer program, we spent two weeks at Walters State [Community College, Morristown, Tenn.] and had a crime scene investigation, visited a police academy, and learned about photography, music, math, and science,” said Costner, who has worked with the Gradkids program for six years.
“We’ve had a chance to see some significant and very positive changes in many of the young people who participated in the program.”
UT also played a significant role in the students’ education before they entered college. Gradkids students participated in a variety of hands-on projects with professors and graduate students in the agriculture, anthropology, and chemistry departments, including DNA fingerprinting, the analysis of proteins, and forensic anthropology.
“The Summer Academy was probably one of the best things we did through the program,” King said. “We’ve been very fortunate to have the support we received through UT.”
Daniel Cogburn attended a forensic anthropology academy at UT in 2004
During the six-year grant period, GEAR UP Gradkids received nearly $5.6 million for project activities, with half of the funds awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, and the other half generated through a 100-percent match from partnerships with businesses, UT, and other supporters. Many of the matched dollars were in personnel, equipment, materials, donations, and in-kind services.
Gradkids students performed higher than the state and school averages on the Gateway exams and chose the college prep tracks of study in high school more than the students who were not in the program. Gradkids students also entered college at a higher rate than the previous average in their area.
Project evaluator Gary Skolits, of the UT Institute for Assessment and Evaluation, believes the GEAR UP Gradkids program has strong national implications because of the project outcomes and data.
King is happy the program has made a positive difference in the lives of the Gradkids students.
“I’m really proud of them,” King said. “There are a lot of kids who probably would not have made it to college were it not for GEAR UP.”
Although funding for the GEAR UP Gradkids program ends in 2007, Skolits believes the elements of the program can be sustained in Scott and Cocke counties.
“The best practices for the program are the summer academy, involvement from community partners and universities, and one-on-one interaction between teachers and students,” Skolits said. “Students can continue to succeed as these practices are continued.”
Perhaps the value of the program is best understood by the students who participated in GEAR UP Gradkids.
“Peggy King, Steve Costner, and Kevin Byrd were all such great cheerleaders for my classmates and me,” Bieniek said. “They understood what potential we all had and constantly encouraged us to do better. Without their support, I don’t think any of this would have been possible.”
—Chavvah McCoy
