Fifty-three 10th and 11th-grade GEAR UP students from area partner schools recently attended Eastern Oklahoma State College’s GEAR UP College Matters Summer Camp. GEAR UP worked with FOCUS Training to design and deliver a four-day, three-night leadership camp. Students participated in various leadership activities focused on team building, improving communication skills, preparing and finding the right college, financial aid and scholarship search, and active community involvement. The overall goal of the activities was to establish strong, impactful leaders and prepare for the future after high school. Each year, GEAR UP summer camp participants complete a community service project. This year,

Twenty-eight Junior and Senior GEAR UP students from Area Public Schools recently participated in S.T.E.M. Camp at Eastern Oklahoma State College, showcasing careers and education.  Students from Antlers, Bokoshe, Canadian, Clayton, Coalgate, Hartshorne, Howe, Keota, LeFlore, McAlester, Panama, Porum, Poteau, Quinton, Rattan, Savanna, Spiro, Talihina, and Wilburton spent three days on the EOSC campus learning about different S.T.E.M. Careers and growing in their education as well. Many area organizations partnered with GEAR UP to make this week a success. City of Wilburton, Oklahoma Forestry, Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Wilburton, Wyoming State Parks, and Eastern Oklahoma State College all

One hundred thirty-four students and guardians recently participated in a two-night three-day charter bus trip across Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. The trip was sponsored by EOSC GEAR UP (Eastern Oklahoma State College Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), and allowed partner schools’ students and their parents or guardians to tour colleges and universities they would not typically visit, the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum, and a behind the scene career exploration at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. The tour began at Eastern Oklahoma State College (EOSC) in Wilburton. Participants toured the campus and learned about programs and