Ninety-nine Eufaula High School 11th and 12th-grade GEAR UP students recently visited the Gathering Place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Gathering Place story began with the George Kaiser Family Foundation and an extraordinary dream to transform nearly 100 acres of Tulsa’s iconic waterfront along the scenic Arkansas River into a dynamic, interactive environment. The Gathering Place is a welcoming natural space where members of diverse communities can come together to explore, learn and play. After years of planning, in 2014, Gathering Place broke ground on Tulsa’s world-class park and welcomed its first guest on September 8, 2018.

As a project of the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Gathering Place believes that every child deserves an equal opportunity. Providing free educational programming is an outright commitment of the Gathering Place. GEAR UP students were able to participate in the age-appropriate curriculum provided by the Gathering place during their visit; Park Architecture-Experiencing the Built Landscape. Students identified a variety of architectural features inside the Gathering Place and reflected on how the mission of the park resonates in the design. The students enjoyed the activity and said it was very educational and enlightening.

The students really enjoyed the Cabinet of Wonder. Containing unique curations from around Tulsa and around the world, the Cabinet of Wonder Allures quest, inspires gazing, fosters creative thought, and stimulates conversations among visitors.

The field trip was sponsored by Eastern Oklahoma State College’s GEAR UP program. Eastern received a $17 million federal GEAR UP grant in 2017, and will serve more than 3,000 students in 39 area schools for seven years.