Forty-four GEAR UP Juniors from Atoka High School recently traveled to Durant, OK, to tour the newly constructed Choctaw Cultural Center.  The day began with Sam Harley, Choctaw Cultural Educator, greeting the students and leading them to the Kowi Chito Theater. They viewed films depicting Choctaw artistry such as basket weaving and weapon making. After the introduction, Cultural Educator Sarah De Herrera and Public Programmer Eli Williams led students on a guided tour of the center. Students explored the Choctaw Gardens exhibit, which provides sights and sounds of the Mississippi homelands as they existed hundreds of years ago. The tour

Thirty-six GEAR UP Sophomores from Atoka High School recently traveled to Tishomingo, OK, to tour the campus of MSC (Murray State College). The day began with Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator Katie Carroll greeting the students and giving a brief overview of college life, encouraging students to consider a small campus for their post-secondary education. After the introduction, Carroll and her team guided students on a walking tour of the campus, including the dormitories, dining hall, Student Center, and the Health Science Center. Students explored the library and Student Success Center which provides tutoring, group study rooms, academic coaching, and technological

Fifty-two junior EOSC (Eastern Oklahoma State College) GEAR UP students from Atoka High School recently traveled to Okmulgee to the campus of OSUIT (Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology), where they participated in Career Encounters, a one-day event demonstrating the university’s hands-on technical and applied science programs. Upon arrival, students received a schedule and an overview of the day’s activities. They were allowed to choose from over fifty presentations and demonstrations from all four academic schools and experience the various programs offered at OSUIT. Activities included learning proper kitchen safety and flavor profiles while making pizza in the Culinary Arts

Sixty-two Atoka freshman and sophomore EOSC (Eastern Oklahoma State College) GEAR UP students recently participated in an educational field trip to historic downtown Atoka, Okla. GEAR UP Education Coordinator Denise Lovell began the tour with an overview of the town’s history and its role in Oklahoma history. Students took a walking tour of Atoka’s downtown area where they learned about the history and architecture of the current buildings. Several downtown structures are dated before statehood and were federal government buildings used for the Dawes’ Commission to register native tribal members and make land allotments. Other facilities, such as the Masonic

Seventy-four freshman and sophomore EOSC (Eastern Oklahoma State College) GEAR UP students from Atoka Public Schools recently participated in a virtual college tour day. GEAR UP Education Coordinator, Denise Lovell, began the tour by discussing how to choose a college based on location, size, cost, academic programs, and scholarships. Next, Karen Darby, Admissions Recruiter, for EOSC met with students on the Atoka campus and gave them an overview of Eastern and the many opportunities the college offers.  With locations in Wilburton, McAlester, Idabel, and Antlers, the school is readily accessible to students in southeastern Oklahoma and is more affordable than many