News Releases

Clayton seventh-grade GEAR UP students visit Fort Smith National Historic Site

Clayton seventh-grade GEAR UP students recently visited the Fort Smith National Historic Site in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Students viewed a short film about the history of the area and the fort. Following the film, students went on a tour of the museum led by John Hagan, historian and docent. The first stop on tour was the prison nicknamed “Hell on the Border.” Students learned about the unpleasant living conditions that were found in prison and

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McCurtain GEAR UP students visit the Science Museum Oklahoma

Twenty-four McCurtain seventh- and eighth-grade GEAR UP students recently visited the Science Museum Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. The two-story museum consists of a wide array of hands-on activities that allow students to have fun in an engaging way. The museum, as well as the name, has evolved since its creation in 1958. The mission of Science Museum Oklahoma, formerly known as the Omniplex Science Museum, is to enrich people’s lives by revealing the wonder and

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Antlers eighth grade GEAR UP students tour Carl Albert State College

Antlers eight grade GEAR UP students recently toured CASC (Carl Albert State College). Students were greeted by Garrett Hayes, Viking Ambassador and a sophomore majoring in Business Communications, and Samantha Lininger, Viking Ambassador and a sophomore majoring in Allied Health. Students began their tour in Hemphill Hall. It is the administrative building for CASC and houses many offices including Admissions and Financial Aid. Lininger discussed the Scholars Program and how it has helped pay for

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Coalgate GEAR UP students tour CLEET

Seventy-five GEAR UP students from Coalgate recently traveled to Ada to tour CLEET (the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training). The seventh and eighth grade students were greeted inside the K.O. Rayburn Training Center by Operations Manager Shannon Butler who gave a brief overview of the purpose and mission of CLEET. He explained that police academy training is more than just learning about firearms and fast driving. Training also involves learning constitutional law and

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Lane GEAR UP students tour the Durant State Fish Hatchery

Thirty-seven GEAR UP students from Lane recently traveled to Durant to visit the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s fish hatchery. The seventh and eighth grade students toured the facility which is the largest of the four state fish hatcheries which produces millions of fish each year for stocking Oklahoma waters. Rebecca Fillmore, a hatchery technician, greeted the students and gave a brief overview of the hatchery and its role in the Wildlife Department. She led

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Harmony GEAR UP students tour the Atoka Museum and Civil War Cemetery

Fifteen GEAR UP students from Harmony school recently toured the Atoka Museum and Civil War Cemetery. Established in 1979, the Museum covers the history of the Civil War in Oklahoma as well as the history of Atoka County. The seventh and eighth-grade students were greeted by Museum Director Cindy Wallis who began the day by asking them to sign a birthday card for a former Atoka resident who is celebrating his 100th birthday. The tour

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Spiro eighth grade GEAR UP students tour Northeastern State University

Sixty-six Spiro eighth grade GEAR UP students recently toured NSU (Northeastern State University) in Tahlequah. Students began the day at the W. Roger Webb Educational Technology Center where they were greeted by Gabby Clayton, Northeastern State University Graduate Assistant of Campus Visit Program; Kaylee Switzer, Northeastern State University Representative and alumnae; and Northeastern State University Student Ambassadors Megan Schwabe and Freeman Degraffenreid. Switzer presented students with an overview of NSU which included, how to apply

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Keota seventh grade GEAR UP students visit Science Museum Oklahoma

Fourteen Keota seventh grade GEAR UP students recently visited Science Museum Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. The two-story museum consists of a wide array of hands-on activities that allow students to have fun in an engaging way. The museum, as well as the name, has evolved since its creation in 1958. The mission of Science Museum Oklahoma, formerly known as the Omniplex Science Museum, is to enrich people’s lives by revealing the wonder and relevance of

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Bokoshe GEAR UP students tour Science Museum Oklahoma

Twenty-five Bokoshe seventh- and eighth-grade GEAR UP students recently visited Science Museum Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. The two-story museum consists of a wide array of hands-on activities that allow students to have fun in an engaging way. The museum is home to the Kirkpatrick Planetarium and Oklahoma’s hands-on science museum with more than 35,000 square feet range of science experiments, art, and history. GEAR UP students learned about various exhibits throughout the museum including CurioCity’s

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Krebs eighth grade students tour Eastern Oklahoma State College

Twenty-five Krebs eighth grade GEAR UP students and two Krebs Public School staff members recently toured Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton. Recruiter Karen Darby met students at the E. E. Tourtellotte Student Center when they arrived on campus and began the tour. Gunning Hall provided students a fun and educational introduction to careers in the medical field. The nursing program offered at EOSC has been ranked number one in the state. Students viewed equipment

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Moyers GEAR UP students explore the Museum of the Red River

Students from Moyers seventh and eighth grades recently explored The Museum of the Red River in Idabel. Leading their tour was Brian Hendershot, Head of Communications and Outreach. The museum is home to over 30,000 cultural objects. The museum houses may object from around the world and displays them on a rotating basis in the museum. The museum recently hosted their grand re-opening after several galleries had been closed due to an expansion of the

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Rattan eighth grade GEAR UP students visit the Oklahoma Aquarium

GEAR UP eight grade students from Rattan recently visited the Oklahoma Aquarium. Students visited the maze of exhibits. Students enjoyed the touch tanks where they touched crawfish and sponges. They also liked the feeding tanks where they fed turtles. There are many exhibits for students to explore. They visited Aquatic Oklahoma, where students saw prehistoric paddlefish, alligators, and feed turtles. They continued their tour with Extreme Amazon, where students viewed fish up close, crawled under

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Rattan seventh grade GEAR UP students visit the Oklahoma Aquarium

Rattan seventh-grade GEAR UP students recently visited the Oklahoma Aquarium. Students walked through the maze of exhibits on a self-guided tour. The Oklahoma Aquarium is divided into several areas that feature water life from around the world as well as here at home in Oklahoma. The most popular displays were the touch tanks that are the home to fish and sponges and the feeding tanks where students fed turtles and stingrays. Exhibits visited included Aquatic

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Antlers seventh grade GEAR UP students tour Carl Albert State College

Seventh grade students from Antlers recently toured CASC (Carl Albert State College) in Poteau. Students were greeted by Michael Walker, Viking Ambassador and a sophomore majoring in Allied Health, and Toby Huff, Viking Ambassador and a sophomore majoring in General Studies. The tour began in Hemphill Hall, the administrative building for CASC. Many offices of the institution are found in Hemphill Hall including Admissions and Financial Aid. Students were informed this would be an important

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EOSC GEAR UP’s Brianna Brassfield holds Harry Wong workshop at Indianola Public School

GEAR UP Education Coordinator Brianna Brassfield provided Harry Wong’s “The Effective Teacher” professional development to Indianola teachers recently. The workshop included The Effective Teacher, The First Days of School, and Discipline and Procedures. The presentation included what effective teachers do to cause student achievement. The workshop was provided free to the partner school faculty and administration. In 2017, Eastern received a $17 million GEAR UP grant and is serving over 3,000 students and teachers in

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Recent Professional Development workshops held at Puterbaugh and Indianola

Shown below are photos from recent Professional Development workshops provided by GEAR UP staff at Puterbaugh Middle School and Indianola Public Schools. Puterbaugh Middle School teachers watch a video during the recent Love and Logic professional development workshop presented by GEAR UP Education Coordinator Brianna Brassfield. Brassfield presented Unit 5, Developing Positive Teacher/Student Relationships. The workshop was provided free to the partner school faculty and administration. In 2017, Eastern received a $17 million GEAR UP

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Lane GEAR UP students tour Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Seventeen GEAR UP students from Lane recently traveled to Durant to tour SOSU (Southeastern Oklahoma State University). The eighth grade students were met by Transfer Student Recruiter Charles Jackson who works in the University’s Admissions Office. After a brief introduction, Jackson led the students on a tour of the campus. The day began with a tour of SOSU’s athletic facilities including the newly-remodeled baseball venue which has been renamed Mike Metheny Field in honor of

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Wilburton seventh and eighth grade students tour the Tulsa Zoo

Wilburton seventh and eighth Grade GEAR UP students recently visited the Tulsa Zoo. The 85-acre, non-profit Zoo is home to various types of wildlife. Students roamed, ran, and played while learning about various species. The Zoo has many different exhibits with animals housed in recreated natural environments. The students explored several various exhibits such as the Robert J. LaFortune Wild Life Trek. This exhibit is a four-building complex that focuses on animals from around the

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Panola GEAR UP students toured the Fort Smith National Historic Site

Panola seventh and eighth-grade GEAR UP students recently traveled to the Fort Smith National Historic Site in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Cody Faber, a Ranger at the Parks Department, was the guide. Students were led through the grounds where they saw first-hand where history was made. Students had read True Grit by Charles Portis, so they got a better understanding of the historical events. They toured the jail, Judge Parker’s courtroom, and the gallows. Students viewed

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Eastern Oklahoma State College GEAR UP team attends the 2019 Rural College Access and Success Summit

Three Eastern Oklahoma State College GEAR UP team members recently attended the 2019 Rural College Access and Success Summit at The Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Over 500 educators from across the United States attended the Summit. Team GEAR UP team members attending were Education Coordinator LaDonna Baldwin, Education Coordinator Leslie Hemphill, and Assistant Project Director Dara Self. The opening plenary began with a sophomore at Utah State University, Kendall Montoya. Montoya shared insights

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