Eastern Wyoming College is pleased to celebrate National GEAR UP week September 21-15.

The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federally funded, competitive grant program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. GEAR UP serves low-income, minority, and disadvantaged students and their families from underserved communities who might be the first person in their family to go to college.

GEAR UP provides six- or seven-year grants to states or partnerships to deliver support and resources to students and their families, starting no later than the 7^th grade (middle school), through high school and onward to fulfill their dreams of attaining a postsecondary education. GEAR UP includes interventions such as tutoring, mentoring, rigorous academic preparation, financial education and college scholarships to improve access to higher education. The program is built around public-private partnerships, enlisting the formidable resources of government, business, and community groups to support low-income students as they prepare to enter and succeed in college.

The Eastern Wyoming College GEAR UP program is a partnership of the GEAR UP Wyoming State Grant and National Council for Community and Education. The EWC program serves 350 students each year throughout the EWC service area. EWC GEAR UP has served over 4,500 students in those communities since 1999 (Hulett, Moorcroft, Sundance, Upton, Newcastle, Glenrock, Douglas, Glendo, Guernsey, Wheatland, Yoder, Lingle-Ft. Laramie, Torrington, and EWC GU Freshmen).

The Honorable Randy Adams, Mayor of Torrington, Wyoming, did a Proclamation on September 15^th at the Torrington City Council week, recognizing National GEAR UP week and the EWC GEAR UP program.

For more information on the EWC GEAR UP program, contact Director Judy Brown at 307.532.8269.