Eight GEAR UP teachers from partner schools recently attended a three-day ACT Prep workshop presented by Princeton Review. The workshop helped boost knowledge of test prep and lesson plans to use throughout the school year. During the workshop, participants were given techniques and tools to help their students improve their scores on the ACT. Each teacher who completed the workshop received an instructional kit, ACT kits for each GEAR UP student enrolled in their class,

Thirty-three Spiro 11th grade Eastern Oklahoma State College GEAR UP students recently toured Connors State College in Warner, Ok. The tours began with Jessica Langston, Director of Recruitment and Enrollment Services, talking with the students about what is needed to become college students. They heard about how to apply to college, how to apply for financial aid and scholarships, the importance of their GPA, and admission requirements. She discussed what degree programs, athletics, and extra-curricular

Fifty-two Math and science teachers from GEAR UP partner schools recently participated in a two-day Texas Instruments training at Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton. Training sessions included topics such as how to integrate the TI-Nspire Navigator Systems effectively into their classroom instruction, ways to assist students in preparing for the ACT, using python coding language and more. The sessions were conducted by Texas Instruments Specialists Jeff Lukens, Sandra Hocutt, and Doug Roberts. These trainings

Three hundred sixty-two junior and senior GEAR UP students from 31 schools recently traveled to the Expo Center in McAlester, OK, to participate in an ACT workshop sponsored by Eastern Oklahoma State College’s GEAR UP program. The workshop was presented by Chad Cargill, Founder, and President of Cargill Consulting, Inc. As a high school student, Cargill discovered that many scholarships were based on ACT scores; therefore, he took the ACT a total of eighteen times,

Sixteen GEAR UP seniors from Antlers High School recently traveled to Okmulgee, OK, to tour the campus of Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT). Kimberly Huntsberger, Campus Tour Coordinator, greeted the students and gave a brief overview of college life and the unique programs offered at OSUIT. After the introduction, Huntsberger guided students on a walking tour of the campus, including the dormitories, Cowboy Café dining hall, Student Union, and Covelle Hall Wellness Center.

Sixteen local educators from partner GEAR UP schools recently participated in Ruby Payne’s Emotional Poverty train the trainer certification event held at Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton, OK. The program provides tools for educators to address and reduce anger, anxiety, and avoidance along with how to manage the “classroom dance” that occurs between the educator and the students. Over her distinguished career, Payne has worked as a teacher and principal, written K–12 curricula in

In celebration of the upcoming National GEAR UP week, over 700 juniors and seniors from eastern Oklahoma recently traveled to Wilburton High School to participate in a motivational speaking event featuring Carlos Ojeda Jr, founder and CEO of Coolspeak: The Youth Engagement Company. Carlos shared with students his personal journey and the struggles he faced as a young person growing up in a New Jersey inner city. Gang violence prompted his immigrant parents to move

Ten area high school math and science teachers recently participated in a Texas Instruments workshop at Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton. GEAR UP provides technology and training to math and science programs within the partnering schools in Southeast Oklahoma. The workshops were designed to help teachers integrate the TI-Nspire Navigator Systems and rovers effectively into classroom instruction, which helps students explore, understand and connect the principles of science, math, coding engineering design, and electronics.