Forty tenth and eleventh-grade Porum GEAR UP students recently toured the Fort Smith Museum of History. Upon entry into the museum, students were greeted by museum staff and volunteers who presented a timeline that walked through the city’s history. Founded as a military fort in 1817, Fort Smith became a fur-trading center before turning into a full-fledged city. Museum staff led the students through the museum’s first floor, where volunteers provided reenactments at the different exhibits to enhance the students learning experience. The first floor includes the William O. Darby Memorial room that tells the story of founder Darby’s Rangers

Fifty Porum High School tenth and eleventh-grade GEAR UP students recently toured NSU (Northeastern State University) in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Students began the trip with a greeting from NSU’s Tour Program Graduate Assistant Lorance Washington, presentation speaker Braydin Ballard, and tour guides Ashley Onyemechi, Savanna Zachary, and Patrick Tillman. The morning began with a presentation by current NSU student Braydin Ballard. Ballard presented students with an overview of NSU, highlighting information on how to become an NSU Riverhawk. Ballard discussed how NSU has 56 exceptional undergraduate and 25 graduate degree programs to choose from and different scholarship opportunities available. Ballard provided

Forty-five Porum freshman and sophomore GEAR UP students recently visited the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium. Students explored exhibits throughout the museum, hearing about the aviation industry by utilizing various visual aids spanning over 12 years. Next, they toured the MD-80, which was donated to the museum by American Airlines. Students also explored interactive exhibits such as the Hot Air Balloon Simulator, Space Shuttle Launch, and the Space Shuttle Robotic Arm. Last on tour was the James E. Bertelsmeyer Planetarium. The Planetarium show explored the journey to the furthest reaches of our galaxy to experience both the awesome

Eastern Oklahoma State College GEAR UP recently purchased a variety of technology items for area GEAR UP schools to assist with the schools’ needs for virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each GEAR UP school indicated its immediate need to help conduct virtual education for students. GEAR UP spent over $194,650 on laptops, headsets and Chromebooks. The technology was distributed to cohort schools based on the requested need. 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.

Forty-five Porum freshmen and sophomore GEAR UP students recently participated in a virtual college tour of EOSC (Eastern Oklahoma State College). Recruiter Karen Darby conducted an in-person presentation and a virtual campus tour of EOSC at Porum High School. Darby began by discussing some of the benefits of attending a two-year college, such as cost-saving opportunities and being close to home. GEAR UP students received a pamphlet with all the degree programs EOSC offers. Darby then introduced some of the most acclaimed programs offered at EOSC. One of the newer programs offered is the Respiratory Therapy program, a health care