NY Alert
Information and inspiration for administrators, counselors, teachers, and partners of New York’s GEAR UP Program
Published by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities
Vol. 4 No. 2
2009
Student Success Stories
N
ew York State’s GEAR UP students are a diverse and inspiring
group of individuals with varied interests. Students from Rome
Free Academy found out about careers in caring for animals at
Syracuse’s Rosamond Gifford Zoo, while Bronx Institute at CUNY
Lehman College GEAR UP students learned about teamwork during a
program at the Bronx Zoo. City School District of Albany students
were inspired to write about their ambitions during a College Quest
tour of four independent college campuses, and St. John’s University
GEAR UP students are progressing toward making a college education
a reality. A couple of high school students in the Yonkers City School
District admit to having been on the “wrong track” at one time, but
inspired by GEAR UP teachers, mentors, tutors, and activities, have
now gained the confidence and discipline needed to prepare for
college. Students in GEAR UP programs across the state are performing
scientific experiments, studying Korean and other languages,
designing magazine covers, cleaning up parks, writing poetry, touring
college campuses, viewing art exhibitions, learning about biology and
the environment on field trips, and improving their math skills,
among many other activities.
You can read about such students, and others equally as inspiring, in
this issue of In Gear II. What they all have in common is the willingness
to use the resources GEAR UP offers to discover and build on their
interests, succeed academically, and learn how to pay for college, while
having a good deal of fun along the way. Every student involved in
GEAR UP can be a success story, and in time inspire
others to achieve their own victories.
— Susan Nesbitt Perez
Vice President, Outreach Programs and Financial Aid
Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities
Inside: Learn about the inspiring activities at each of the GEAR
UP programs in New York (listed by grant lead organization):
* NYGEAR UP grantees. ^ Federal GEAR UP grantees.
Note: Some organizations received more than one grant, signaled by the number of symbols after their name.
Bronx Institute (BI) GEAR UP Network at CUNY Lehman College^^^ .......................2
City School District of Albany (CSDA)*........................................................................6
CUNY Brooklyn College Community Partnership (BCCP)*.........................................7
CUNY MGI GEAR UP^ ..................................................................................................7
Discovery Institute/CUNY College of Staten Island (CSI)^..........................................8
Dowling College^ ..........................................................................................................8
Long Island University/Brooklyn* ................................................................................9
New Rochelle City School District* ..............................................................................9
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)*....................................................................10
Rome City School District* .........................................................................................11
St. John’s University*^^...............................................................................................12
SUNY Binghamton University^ ..................................................................................13
SUNY Cobleskill*^ .......................................................................................................14
SUNY Jamestown Community College (JCC)* ...........................................................14
SUNY Nassau Community College^ ...........................................................................15
Syracuse University*^ ..................................................................................................15
Yonkers City School District* ......................................................................................16
Resources. Focus on Scholarships and Financial Aid ..........................................17
GEAR UP in New York: Program Sites and Contact Directory ......................18-20
NYGEAR UP Fall 2009 Events. .............................................................................. 20
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federal
grant program that awards grants to states or to
local partnerships consisting of at least one college
or university, at least one low-income middle
school and one high school, and a minimum of
two other partners (such as community
organizations or businesses). Each GEAR UP
partnership provides services to a cohort of
students at high-need schools, beginning no later
than grade 7, and follows these students through
high school. Services may include: academic
preparation; tutoring and mentoring; admissions
and financial aid awareness activities for students
and parents; college visits; career awareness; and
professional development for staff.
In 2005, New York State received its second
federal GEAR UP grant, called “NYGEAR UP II.”
This new grant followed on the heels of the
1999-2005 GEAR UP grant, and is again
administered by NYSHESC. After a competitive
process, NYSHESC awarded its NYGEAR UP
funds to 11 community partnerships. In
September 2005, these partnerships began
providing services to a cohort of 7,285 students.
These students, in grade 10 in academic year
2008-09, will be followed through 2011
(contingent on federal funding).
The federal government also awarded six-year
grants directly to five community partnerships
in 2005. These “Federal GEAR UP” partnerships
began providing services to more than 5,000
students in grades 6 or 7. In 2006, three
additional partnerships received six-year federal
GEAR UP grants to serve an additional 5,192
students in grades 6 or 7. Most recently, in the
2008 competition, three partnerships in the state
were awarded new six-year grants. See pages 1820 for a list of GEAR UP programs and contacts
in New York State.
A group of key partners in the state’s
NYGEAR UP program provides additional
services to GEAR UP in New York State. These
“State Partners” include: the Commission on
Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu),
the Association of Proprietary Colleges (APC),
City University of New York (CUNY), State
University of New York (SUNY), the College
Board, and the New York State Financial Aid
Administrators Association (NYSFAAA).
In Gear II NY Alert newsletter is published by the
Commission on Independent Colleges and
Universities, a partner in NYGEAR UP, New York
State’s GEAR UP program. The editors have made
every effort to ensure accuracy; errors or omissions
are unintentional.
▼
Program and Activity Highlights
Focus on GEAR UP Student Stories
Bronx Institute GEAR UP Network Student Stories
This essay was submitted by Amy Chou, a Bronx Institute Project Associate in the Bronx Institute
GEAR UP Network at MS/HS 241.
Reflecting on the Bronx Zoo
by Dalmi Bonilla, 10th grade GEAR UP student,
Urban Assembly School for Applied Math and
Science MS/HS 241
M
y initial expectations for the Bronx Zoo
were very different than the outcome. I
thought that we were only going to learn about
the Bronx Zoo and its animals. But as time went
by, I loved being in the class because I was
learning about animals as well as seeing cool
fossils of the animals that we were learning
about. I learned so much about the different
kinds of animals and the way they try to live in
different locations, and how some of them take
care of their children. In addition, we got to
work with different people on a cool project
about various animals. I also enjoyed meeting
new people and making new friends.
Every time I went to the class, I learned
something different and interesting. This
program changed my point of view about
many animals. For example, I knew that
many animals were becoming extinct, but I
didn’t know until after the course that it was
mostly because of what people were doing
to their habitats. I learned that every animal
needs each other to live and make the world
a better place. This program is valuable
because it made me think about the purpose
of animals in the world and why is it so
helpful to save every animal on the planet.
We learned cool things every day and
would share them with our friends, who
were all impressed by what we were learning.
I was shy at the beginning of the class, but
working with different people and learning
about who they are helped me open up and
get to know them well. Working with them
in a project made me reflect and brainstorm
new ideas on how we can work as a team to
help everything run smoothly. My group
consisted of four people, Michael, Latoya,
Dominick, and me. In the beginning, we
were not working as a group but realized
that we didn’t have as much time left. With
only three days to finish our project, we
worked together to finish it, and we received
positive reviews from everyone in the end. I
believe this was a good program because I
had the opportunity to learn different
things, work well with others, and
understand other people’s ideas.
Bronx Institute (BI)
GEAR UP Network at
CUNY Lehman College
▼
GEAR UP in New York State
Bronx Institute GEAR UP 10th
Grade Activities
• Global Kids: Mayoral Control of New
York City’s Public Schools
May 19, 2009
35 10th grade students from Fordham High
School of the Arts HS 437 participated in a
workshop about the New York City
Department of Education.
• Syracuse University Admissions
Presentation
May 20, 2009
Dr. Lonnie Morrison, Syracuse University
Director of Metropolitan Admissions
Programs, presented to 68 10th grade
students from Urban Assembly School for
Applied Math and Science HS 241. Topics
included discussions about transcripts,
SAT/ACT, extracurricular activities,
cumulative GPA, writing the personal
statement, and how to stand out as an
applicant.
• New York Hall of Science Workshop
May 27, 2009
68 10th grade students from Bronx
Leadership Academy HS 525 took part in a
living environments class and DNA
workshop at the New York Hall of Science
in Corona/Flushing Meadows, NY.
• College Roads
June 1, 2009
50 10th grade students from Mott Hall HS
252 reviewed different paths to college and
the choices made by students.
• Advanced Placement Meeting
June 2, 2009
5 10th grade students from Celia Cruz
Bronx High School for Music were
recommended for AP classes. With their
parents, they met with school staff, faculty,
and GEAR UP to hear an overview of the
AP program at their school and learn about
the benefits of taking AP classes.
• Visit to Clearpool Educational Center
City School District of Albany NYGEAR UP students visit the National Baseball Hall of
Fame in Cooperstown, NY on June 29, 2009, during the 2009 Commission on Independent
Colleges and Universities’ College Quest.
2
June 5 – 7, 2009
The adventure-based programs at Clearpool
helped 8 10th graders from HS 440 develop
life skills such as problem solving,
leadership, and group effectiveness. Many
of the programs encourage collaboration
among participants, who develop more
self-esteem and interpersonal skills that will
serve them throughout their lives.
Submitted by Annie Deroy, a Bronx Institute GEAR
UP Network Project Associate at DeWitt Clinton
HS. Because of the personal nature of this story, the
student chose to remain anonymous.
Having an Impact
by Anonymous, 10th grade GEAR UP student,
DeWitt Clinton HS
T
SUNY Binghamton University GEAR UP 9th and 10th grade students visit the Ice Center
at SUNY Broome Community College on March 28, 2009.
my life. I know not to lose her, because she
is one out of a million. I stopped cutting
classes and stopped smoking. She made
such a dramatic effect in my life. I felt really
good about myself because people look and
treat me differently. I find that my parents
trust me and appreciate my presence more.
My mother seems to smile when she looks
at me knowing that I am playing my part.
It’s quite strange the ways a person can
have an effect on your life. At times, I close
my eyes and think there is a God and
without that God I would not know where I
stand today. My dream is still there to
become a mechanic and open my own
shop one day. I believe that if I can do it
any person can. If you put your mind to it,
always think about what’s best in life and
look ahead, anything is possible. I never
realized that, but it is true. Sometimes it
takes just that one push for you to realize
and see what’s on the other side of the
mountain. For me, it’s that place where the
sun always shines.
“It’s quite strange the ways a
person can have an effect on
your life.”
– 10th Grade Bronx Institute GEAR UP student
▼
here are hundreds of students who cut
school each day for irrelevant reasons such
as drinking, smoking, hanging out, going to
parties. I was one of them. I entered DeWitt
Clinton High School in September 2007, yet
hardly showed up for class. I would prefer to cut
school to go and hang out with friends. I
thought that would give me a better life, but
little did I know that not only were my friends
a bad influence upon me but my future was
also going down the drain.
Some days I would sit down and think
to myself, what am I doing with my life.
Things continued to be the same, and
somehow I managed to get through
freshman year. As sophomore year arrived
my daily routine continued. I would come
in for a few classes, sometimes none, and
then leave to hang out. Around November
of 2008 I found out that my mom had been
diagnosed with breast cancer and would be
taking chemotherapy every week. Knowing
this caused me to lose more and more
interest in school. Having to see my mother
in so much pain when coming home from
the hospital made my mind explode. She
was the one taking the chemo, but I was the
one feeling the pain. I smoked as my
primary source of getting through that pain.
I would smoke until my mind felt relaxed.
I had been a part of GEAR UP, a program
that motivates students to go to college. I
never took much interest in it though. One
day, I met Annie Deroy, the GEAR UP
associate at Clinton, who had a talk with
me. I told her about my life and my hate for
school. We worked out a plan that I would
come to school and improve my grades in
order to become a better person in life. She
told me to stop being so negative to myself.
Look at the positive things in life. In mine,
there was not much.
In December 2008, I met my girlfriend.
After getting together with her, my whole
life changed. She became the way of getting
through my pain and also became my
motivation in school. She gave me lots of
love and happiness that I never felt. I found
myself smiling and laughing more than
ever. I found myself getting up out of bed
with a smile on my face at the thought of
going to school.
I saw a change in myself. I found that
my grades were improving, my teachers
were complimenting me, and telling me
that my girlfriend is a positive influence in
South Bronx GEAR UP
8th Grade Activities
• Introduction to the Cell
January 18, 2009
350 8th grade GEAR UP students practiced
scientific problem solving aboard the
BioBus, a lab on wheels sponsored by Cell
Motion Laboratories, Inc. Dr. Ben DubinThaler, BioBus scientist and educator, helped
the students analyze, prepare, and perform
experiments.
• Learning Leaders Workshop:
Transition to High School
January 20, 2009
Learning Leaders presented a workshop for
parents of 8th grade GEAR UP students
focused on making the high school
transition, covering the admissions process,
planning for high school, and tips for
student success.
• Travels of a Botanist
January 21, 2009
15 8th grade honors students explored
botany at the New York Botanical Garden,
visiting the Haupt Conservatory, learning
about herbaria, making a herbarium sheet,
creating their own plant press, and
preserving a live specimen.
• Careers in Environmental Conservation
February 6, 2009
Staff from the NYS Department of
Environmental Conservation presented to 27
8th grade GEAR UP students about forester,
fish and wildlife technician, and
environmental conservation officer careers.
Summer camp scholarships were offered to
selected students.
3
Preparatory Coursework
Helps a High Performing
Student Reach His Potential
Learning About Korea
Featured Student: Oluwatosin Onabanjo, 8th
grade GEAR UP student, John Philip Sousa MS
142
H
O
luwatosin Onabanjo has consistently been
on the Principal’s List at Sousa MS.
Oluwatosin was one of the recipients of our
Home Laptop Loan program in 2008. This year,
Oluwatosin completed the South Bronx GEAR
UP Kaplan Specialized High School Exam Prep
course on the campus of Fordham University.
He passed the exam, and in March was
accepted into the Bronx High School of
Science. Oluwatosin also took the Test for
Admissions into Catholic High Schools
(TACHS) and received a score of 97 out of 100.
Oluwatosin participated in a Kaplan SAT
Prep course offered by South Bronx GEAR
UP. His score of 490 in reading and 470 in
math qualified him for acceptance into the
Center for Academic Achievement at The
Johns Hopkins University.
At present, Oluwatosin has been
accepted at the Brooks School, a college
preparatory day and boarding school
located 30 miles outside of Boston. He is
also awaiting notification from the A Better
Chance (ABC) College Preparatory Schools
Program, which recruits and places students
who complete the ABC application and
pass the required Secondary Schools
Admissions Test (SSAT). The future seems
bright for this rising 9th grader.
Featured Student: Hamidou Kane, 8th grade
GEAR UP student, John Philip Sousa MS 142
amidou Kane received a scholarship
from the Foundation for Korean Language
and Culture to visit Korea in July 2009.
Hamidou is excited to spend the summer in
Korea. He has been studying Korean at Sousa
MS 142 for two years. Last year, he participated
in the Korean Festival in New York City. The
Korean class dressed in traditional Korean
clothes, called “hambo.” They also sang
traditional and popular songs in Korean.
Afterwards, they participated in a Korean
Cultural Parade in Korea Town. Hamidou
attends Korean class with a small group of
students before school starts. On most days, he
does not leave school until 7 p.m. because he
takes advantage of extra time working with
teachers; he also attends a GEAR UP Kaplan
algebra course.
Hamidou hopes to learn more about
Korean culture and agriculture while living
with a host family in Korea. “In Korea, many
of the children are focused, and the teachers
are very strict and disciplined,” he says. “If I
learn how to discipline myself while in
Korea, then I will be better in school in
America.” He added, “Also, the food is very
delicious and healthy.” He looks forward to
meeting a pen pal who lives in Korea.
In the fall, Hamidou plans to attend
Manhattan High School of Economics and
Finance. “I’ll probably take Italian in high
school since they don’t offer Korean,” he said.
He is already planning his next visit to Korea
as an exchange student while in high school.
If you put your mind to it,
always think about what’s best
in life and look ahead,
anything is possible.
– 10th grade Bronx Institute GEAR UP student
▼
▼
South Bronx 8th Grade GEAR UP Student Stories
Submitted by Jeffrey F. Horne, a Bronx Institute Project Associate working at John Philip Sousa MS 142.
Bronx GEAR UP 7th Grade Activities
• After-School Accelerated
Mathematics Class
January 26 – March 30, 2009
18 7th grade students from Pablo Casals
MS 181 received academic enrichment in
advanced concepts in geometry, algebra,
and math operations.
• Women in Science Club
February 23 – June 30, 2009
42 7th grade Isobel Rooney MS 80 students
participated in this after-school science
club, engaging in hands-on lab projects.
• Science Club
March 10 – June 23, 2009
This after-school science club enhances the
7th grade curriculum. 40 7th grade
students from Urban Assembly School for
Applied Math and Science MS/HS 241
engaged in hands-on projects and
experiments, with a focus on chemistry.
Team teaching provides students with 1
teacher for every 15 students.
• Building Bridges
March 18 – May 27, 2009
7th grade students from Mosholu
Parkway/MS 180 were introduced to
engineering by building model bridges,
working in groups to draw up blueprints
and design bridges.
• Junior Achievement Finance Park
June 3, 2009
71 7th grade students from P.O. Edward R.
Byrne MS 101 were assigned fictional jobs,
incomes, families, and expenses, then asked
to develop and adhere to appropriate
budgets. Capital One Bank associates guided
the students on this financial journey.
St. John’s University GEAR UP students observe and hold wild rescued animals at the
Center for Science Teaching and Learning/Tanglewood Preserve, Rockville Centre, NY, on
February 16, 2009.
4
▼
Bronx GEAR UP 7th Grade Student Stories
Submitted by Naomi Ray-Schoenfeld, a Bronx Institute Project Associate working at the Bronx School for
Law, Government and Justice MS 505.
GEAR UP Science Month at MS 505
Featured Students: Kathya Marte and Nathalie Taveras, 7th grade GEAR UP students, Bronx School
for Law, Government and Justice MS 505
M
ay was a month filled with
experiments,
field trips, and scientific exploration for the
7th grade GEAR UP students at the Bronx
School for Law, Government and Justice (MS
505). The Bronx GEAR UP grant-funded
“Science Month” was designed to inspire
students to excel in the sciences by providing
hands-on and interactive scientific
experiences. Science Month included (1) a
three-day visit from the BioBus, an
environmentally friendly, solar and vegetable
oil-powered bus equipped with microscopes
that serves as a mobile lab; (2) four visiting
lab workshops from the Hall of Science,
including labs titled Micro Madness,
Delicious DNA, Cool Craniums, and Forensic
Frenzy, and a visiting Owl Pellet Dissection
workshop from Liberty Science Center; (3) a
field trip to “Bodies: The Exhibition” and the
African Burial Grounds in downtown
Manhattan; and (4) a trip to New Jersey’s
Liberty Science center.
Nathalie Taveras, a high performing
Latina student at MS 505 who was recently
accepted into the ENLACE Latino Collegiate
Society, a competitive college prep program
for Latino/a students, had trouble
determining her favorite part of Science
Month. She loved the visiting science
workshops because she felt that the handson focus allowed her to really understand
the concepts. “My favorite part of science,”
she stated, “is when we get to do hands-on
experiments. When we only use textbooks
to learn, which is what we usually do in
school, I find it hard to really understand
the concepts. ” Nathalie especially liked
Liberty Science Center’s visiting Owl Pellet
Dissection lab because she was able to apply
what she learned in class about human
body systems to owls.
As one of the 30 students selected to
spend a half-day on the BioBus in addition
to the one period overview that every
student attended, Nathalie also really liked
the work that she did with microscopes. She
was nervous at first, because she expected to
spend the time taking notes and watching
the scientist do the work, but was pleased
when she learned that she would also get to
be a scientist. Her group of eight students
collected water samples from the school fish
tank and rain puddles and looked at them
under the microscope. Through this
experiment, they learned about cells,
bacteria and amoebas. “Before my time on
the BioBus, I thought that scientists were
boring, old white men with beards in big
white coats, but when I got to know Dr. Ben
(the creator of the BioBus), I realized that
scientists don’t have to be that way. Also,
when you get to learn by doing activities,
science isn’t boring at all. It’s actually really
fun.”
Kathya Marte was also very excited about
Science Month. Like Nathalie, Kathya was
also recently accepted into the ENLACE
program. Science is one of Kathya’s favorite
subjects. When she grows up, she hopes to
be a psychiatrist so that she can combine her
interests in science and in helping other
people. “School plays a big role in my life,”
she stated, “No one in my family has ever
gone to college. I want a better life. I think
that ENLACE will help me achieve this
goal.”
Not surprisingly, Kathya was thrilled
about the opportunity to attend the
“Bodies” exhibition. She was shocked by
how little she knew about the human body
and how much more she has to learn. “The
‘Bodies’ exhibit made me feel very grateful
to have a healthy body,” she stated, “I have
so much more to learn.” Science Month
changed her perspective about science,
because she now understands that science
can be fun and that there is a lot that even
scientists have yet to discover. “Science is
everywhere,” she added, “It’s why every
time we jump in the air, we fall down.” Not
only does Kathya feel confident that she
will be the first in her family to attend
college, but she believes that it is important
that she strive to be a woman in science.
“Men always get the credit,” she said, “but
it is very important that women have the
opportunity to participate and to get the
credit that they deserve for their
discoveries.”
City School District of Albany NYGEAR UP students at Ithaca College’s Phillips Hall
Campus Center on June 30, 2009, during the 2009 Commission on Independent Colleges
and Universities’ College Quest.
5
Life
by Trishana Smith, 10th grade NYGEAR UP student, Albany HS
Greetings fellow teens, I’m here to represent
The hope and dreams of a generation spent.
My eyes are forward, my mind is clear.
College bound I am, but no need to fear.
Stumble I may on life’s highway —
Couldn’t get up, but I’m still here
Moving towards my dreams,
Yes I may
As far and deep as the Honeoye Lake
Tana Brown
by Amani Franklin, 10th grade NYGEAR UP student, Albany HS
Not only am I a person, but I am me.
A writer, an artist, a resource, and a presenter wrapped in one.
Look what I have become throughout each year of my life,
It’s not over yet,
There are more chapters still to come.
Being successful is what I’m all about
I am a star and I’m ready to break out.
2009 cIcu NYGEAR UP
College Quest for City
School District of Albany
NYGEAR UP
O
n June 29, 2009, 16 rising juniors from the
City School District of Albany (CSDA) set
off by bus on the first leg of their 2009 College
Quest, a tour sponsored by CSDA and the
Commission on Independent Colleges and
Universities (cIcu) that took them to four of
New York State’s private colleges. They were
accompanied by eight chaperones, including
CSDA and cIcu staff. Each participant received a
binder of materials with information about each
college visited, historical background about the
regions around those campuses, outlines for the
“Team Challenges,” codes of conduct, pre-and
post-surveys to fill out, information about
financial aid, and copies of several informative
publications, among them cIcu’s Affording
College and Your College Search.
The first stop was Utica College, located
in New York’s Mohawk River Valley, where
the group toured the campus, had an
information session with admissions
personnel, and enjoyed lunch on campus.
In the afternoon, the students traveled to
Cooperstown, where they were treated to a
tour of the Baseball Hall of Fame, then
continued on to Ithaca College, arriving in
time for dinner on campus. Throughout the
trip, the students met in teams and worked
on “Team Challenges” that focused on
preparing for college. For their first
challenge, each team created an avatar (alter
ego) of an Albany High School junior
City School District of Albany NYGEAR UP students pose with moose mascot at Utica
College on June 29, 2009, during the 2009 Commission on Independent Colleges and
Universities’ College Quest.
6
City School District of
Albany (CSDA)
▼
▼
CSDA NYGEAR UP Student Stories
Submitted by Alexandra Guerrero, Director of CSDA NYGEAR UP. Amani Franklin and Trishana Smith
participated in the 2009 College Quest with 14 other CSDA students on June 29 – July 2, 2009. These
pieces were produced for their Team Challenge.
CSDA NYGEAR UP Activities
• Annual Martin Luther King, Jr.
Luncheon at SUNY University at
Albany
February 5, 2009
15 NYGEAR UP students, 1 NYGEAR UP
coordinator and 1 Albany High School
North House assistant attended this event.
• Bryant & Stratton College Visit
March 11, 2009
24 NYGEAR UP students, 1 NYGEAR UP
coordinator and 1 Albany High School staff
member toured this proprietary college.
• NYGEAR UP Book Club
February – June 2009, biweekly
18 NYGEAR UP students, 1 NYGEAR UP
coordinator and 1 Albany High School
librarian met to discuss books they were
reading.
• Annual African-American History
Month Step Show
February 13, 2009
28 NYGEAR UP students, 1 NYGEAR UP
coordinator and 1 Albany High School
librarian participated in this event.
• Career Development Workshops
May 8 and 14, 2009
Craig Donoghue of SUNY University at
Albany Career Services offered workshops
on careers to CSDA NYGEAR UP students.
• African-American Heritage College
Tour
July 7 – 9, 2009
20 NYGEAR UP students, 1 NYGEAR UP
coordinator, 3 Albany High School staff
and 1 parent toured Morgan State
University and Bowie State University, both
in Maryland, and Howard University in
Washington D.C. They also visited the
National Great Blacks in Wax Museum in
Baltimore, MD and took an “Egypt on the
Potomac” field trip in Washington, D.C.
planning to go to college in New York State,
including such details as which colleges
their avatar hoped to attend, its academic
interests, extracurricular activities, and
financial aid needs. Each team prepared to
take these avatars through the college
search and admissions process.
Ithaca College hosted the group for two
nights. There they enjoyed a full day of
activities that included breakfast, a campus
tour, an information session, and lunch.
The afternoon was spent attending a mock
college class in marketing and law, a “green
screen” demonstration at the college’s Roy
H. Park School of Communications, and a
presentation by HEOP and C-STEP staff.
After team meetings and dinner, each team
presented the challenges they had
completed.
On July 1, the College Quest left Ithaca
and headed for Wells College in Aurora,
New York, a small town on Cayuga Lake.
Their visit included an extensive campus
tour, lunch in Wells College’s historic
dining hall, and a chance to sit in on an
information session for accepted students.
The next stop was Seneca Falls, where the
group visited New York Chiropractic
College. Students learned about the human
body in the Anatomy Lab and watched a
demonstration of a chiropractic adjustment.
Following dinner on campus, the group
departed for Albany. During the trip home,
students completed their surveys and
worksheets, and winners of the second
Team Challenge – to create a banner that
depicted the college dreams and ambitions
of each team’s members – were announced.
Responses from students on their postsurveys revealed that the tour was a success.
The students appreciated learning more
about HEOP, C-STEP, and financial aid, and
also enjoyed staying in a college dorm.
They all agreed that visiting colleges
encouraged them to aspire to a college
education.
Submitted by Diane Reiser, Chief Operating
Officer of the Brooklyn College Community
Partnership at Bushwick and Erasmus High
Schools.
Featured Student: Stevenson Catul, 10th grade
NYGEAR UP student, Academy for Urban
Planning/Bushwick Campus High School.
teven is an active participant in many BCCP
programs. He regularly attends our Learning
Studio both during his lunch hour and after
school. He is a member of our video program
and regularly works with video artist Clarissa
James. Steven worked as a paid intern with
BCCP. In that role he successfully worked with
younger students in a local middle school,
teaching them to do video while serving as a
role model.
S
Featured Student: Kevin Stewart, 10th grade
NYGEAR UP student, High School for Youth and
Community Development/Erasmus Campus.
evin is an active participant in BCCP
programs. Each year BCCP publishes a
journal of work done by students in all of its
programs, the Project Peace Journal. In
addition to Kevin’s regular attendance in
BCCP after school programs at Erasmus, he
traveled regularly to CUNY Brooklyn
College campus to help design the cover
and worked closely with the artist who put
together this year’s journal.
K
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CUNY MGI GEAR UP students work
together on a team problem during the
semifinals of the Middle Grades Math
Team Competition on February 5, 2009, at
CUNY William E. Macaulay Honors
College.
CUNY Brooklyn College Student
Stories
CUNY Brooklyn College Activities
• CUNY Brooklyn College Art Lab Visits
January – May 2009, monthly
300 NYGEAR UP students participated in
these visits, which aim to help students
imagine themselves in college and feel
more comfortable on a college campus.
• BCCP Video Screening
June 11, 2009
75 BCCP NYGEAR UP students and 15 staff
participated in a video screening where
BCCP video club members showed their
work to fellow students. Each school’s
video program edited and chose the work
to be screened for peers. The screening took
place in the CUNY Brooklyn College
library’s state of the art screening facility.
CUNY Middle Grades
Initiative (MGI)
GEAR UP
▼
▼
CUNY Brooklyn College
Community
Partnership (BCCP)
GEAR UP Activities
• Family Trip to Vassar College
April 27, 2009
CUNY MGI GEAR UP students from all 12
schools in the consortium visited Vassar
College with their parents. The trip
included a campus tour, a Q&A session
with faculty and admissions staff, and a
panel discussion with Vassar College
students at the ALANA Center, Vassar’s
multicultural campus center.
• Middle Grades Math Team
Competition
February 5, 2009 (semifinals); May 27, 2009
(final competition)
Four math teams from Frederick Douglass
Academy II, Henry Street School for
International Studies, Hostos-Lincoln
Academy, and Queens Gateway to Health
Sciences School competed in both
individual and team events to demonstrate
their skill in solving math problems. The
competitions took place at the CUNY
William E. Macaulay Honors College.
City School District of Albany NYGEAR UP students at the Roy H. Park School of
Communications television studio at Ithaca College on June 30, 2009, during the 2009
Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities’ College Quest.
7
GEAR UP Activities
• Liberty Science Center Show at
CUNY CSI
March 26, 2009
209 8th grade students and 10 teachers
from Dreyfus IS 49 were treated to “Science
Sportacular (Newton’s Laws),” a
presentation by the Liberty Science Center
of Jersey City, New Jersey, as part of its
Traveling Science Program. The show
demonstrates the application of Newtonian
physics to the world of sports. The
audience saw how a pitcher makes a
baseball curve, how a quarterback throws a
spiral, how a bicycle or motorcycle stays on
a track, and even how helmet safety can be
demonstrated by someone lying on a sharp
bed of nails.
• Science Lab and Career Workshop at
CUNY CSI
April 21, 2009
72 7th grade students and 3 teachers from
Dreyfus IS 49, along with 3 GEAR UP
Discovery Institute Teaching Scholars, took
part in this event. The students were
divided into two groups, each of which
took turns participating in a science lab and
exploring the New York State Department
of Labor’s CareerZone site
(www.nycareerzone.org).
Dowling College
▼
▼
Discovery Institute/
CUNY College of
Staten Island (CSI)
Dowling College GEAR UP
Student Stories
Submitted by Frank Pomata, Assistant Director of
Dowling College GEAR UP.
GEAR UP Students Clean
Up Local Park
April 18, 2009
Featured Students: Xavier Boston, Shaunice
Ferebee, Tavia Gardner, Lasheca Lewis,
Deaniqua Phillips, Lineker St. Hilaire,
Paradise Taylor, 10th grade GEAR UP students,
Wyandanch Memorial High School
A
group of students interested in community
service from Dowling College’s GEAR UP
Program at Wyandanch Memorial High School
selected a service project from among three
projects proposed by Assistant GEAR UP
Director Frank Pomata. The students chose to
conduct a “Park Clean-Up” at Wyandanch Park,
with the help of the Town of Babylon
Beautification Program. On Saturday, April 18,
parents, along with Wyandanch HS faculty and
staff, joined the students and community
members in this community service effort,
making it an intergenerational endeavor. On
May 7, Newsday published a full page story
and photo collage about this event as part
of their “FutureCorps” series focusing on
student service projects on Long Island.
Dowling College GEAR UP students participate
in the Second Annual Readathon at
Wyandanch Memorial HS on May 2, 2009.
Poetry Coffeehouse
March 27, 2009
Featured Students: Diana Edouard,
Dashamelle Edwards, Fatimah James,
Natasha Morgan, Rashidi Nicholls,
Shaahquan Rogers, 10th grade GEAR UP
students, Wyandanch Memorial HS
I
n the fall of 2008, Lance Dillahunt, an
English and ELA teacher at Wyandanch
Memorial HS, suggested that an event
showcasing student poetry be arranged. The
first Poetry Coffeehouse was held on Friday,
March 27 and featured poems written by
students, poetry by faculty and staff, and videos
of celebrities such as Alicia Keys and Denis Leary
reading poems. Four students, including Diana
Edouard and Rashidi Nicholls, were voted “best
poets” by the audience. Dowling College GEAR
UP tutor Derek Stevens helped Mr. Dillahunt
organize and present the program.
Second Annual Readathon
May 2, 2009
“You give a little and you get a
lot back from doing a service
project like this.”
Featured Students: Blanca Diaz, Fatimah
James, Somalia Sexton, Trenidi Thomas,
10th grade GEAR UP students, Wyandanch
Memorial HS
– Deaniqua Phillips, Wyandanch Memorial HS
Dowling College GEAR UP student
O
Dowling College GEAR UP students from Wyandanch Memorial HS, along with parents,
faculty, and staff, get ready to clean up Wyandanch Park on April 18, 2009.
8
n Saturday, May 2, Wyandanch HS
students, parents, faculty, and staff took
turns reading passages from The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, a novel
by British writer Mark Haddon about an
autistic boy who is falsely accused of killing
a neighbor’s beloved dog and must then
find the real perpetrator. Lance Dillahunt,
who originally proposed this program,
selected this book since the narrator,
although close in age to the student readers,
has a dramatically different perspective
because of his autism. The group was joined
by students not in the GEAR UP cohort and
by Beth Passaro, Program Coordinator for
MGI GEAR UP at CUNY Queens College,
who is interested in using this program with
her students. Copies of the novel were
purchased with GEAR UP grant funds from
NYGEAR UP state partner the Association of
Proprietary Colleges.
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Long Island
University/Brooklyn
NYGEAR UP Activities
• Homework Assistance
• Math Academy
January 31, 2009 – June 13, 2009
To improve students’ math skills, 5 NYGEAR
UP tutors and 1 NYGEAR UP project director
provided tutoring in Math B, Algebra, and
Geometry to 10th grade NYGEAR UP
students from Benjamin Banneker Academy
and Science Skills Center HS.
• English Academy
February 7, 2009 – April 25, 2009
NYGEAR UP 10th grade students from Science
Skills Center HS and Benjamin Banneker
Academy reviewed basic English grammar,
sentence structure, paragraph formation, and
essay writing in order to improve their writing
skills and prepare for the SAT.
New Rochelle HS NYGEAR UP students visit the United Nations with Pamela Minyard,
founder of GIOLAI, and Camille Edwards-Thomas, Director of New Rochelle City School
District NYGEAR UP, on March 10, 2009.
• Parent Empowerment Workshop:
Anger Management
June 5, 2009
In an ongoing effort to equip parents
with useful life skills, NYGEAR UP offered
an Anger Management Workshop with
Dr. L. Mzuri Hudson. 12 parents of
Science Skills Center HS and Benjamin
Banneker Academy 10th graders
participated, along with 1 GEAR UP
project director and 2 assistants. Parents
left the workshop with handouts and Dr.
Hudson’s “Get a Grip!” CD, eager to use
the techniques they learned.
New Rochelle City
School District
February 17, 18, and 20, 2009; April 29,
2009; May 11, 2009
26 10th grade students from Benjamin
Banneker Academy for Community
Development and 25 10th grade students from
Science Skills Center HS visited 5 colleges
during the spring of 2009. GEAR UP Project
Director Kemoy Briscoe, along with 1 GEAR
UP graduate assistant and 1 Benjamin
Banneker Academy counselor, accompanied
the students to the campuses of CUNY
Brooklyn College, CUNY City College, SUNY
College at Old Westbury, Columbia University,
and Bard College. The students had a great
time on each of the 5 visits and are now more
aware of the similarities and differences among
city, state, and private colleges and universities.
• Regents Exam Review Workshops
May 18 – June 11, 2009, Mondays through
Thursdays and Saturdays
NYGEAR UP 10th grade students from Science
Skills Center HS and Benjamin Banneker
Academy prepared for Regents exams in
Global Studies, Geometry, and Chemistry with
16 NYGEAR UP tutors and 1 NYGEAR UP
assistant. Students took sample Regents exams
using Barron’s Regents Exams and Answers and
reviewed their responses with the tutors.
▼
• College Visits
New Rochelle City School District
NYGEAR UP Student Stories
Submitted by Camille Edwards-Thomas, Director
of New Rochelle CSD NYGEAR UP.
Featured Students: Emily George and Sandra
Honigman, 10th grade NYGEAR UP, New
Rochelle HS
O
n March 10, 2009, students involved in the
GIOLAI (Girls Institute of Leadership and
Integration) GLAM (Girls Leadership and
Mentoring) program attended the Sister to Sister
10th Annual United Nations Day and got a tour
of the UN. Their visit coincided with a session
being held by the UN’s Commission on the
Status of Women that focused on the equal
sharing of responsibilities between women and
men in relation to HIV/AIDS. Students took part
in round-table discussions with representatives
from around the world and were asked to write
about what they learned from the session for an
essay writing contest. Emily George was selected
as the first prize winner, and Sandra Honigman
won second prize. Emily later presented her
essay at the 2009 NYGEAR UP Conference, held
at the Westchester Renaissance Hotel in West
Harrison, NY, April 20 – 22, 2009.
▼
January 26 – June 11, 2009, Mondays through
Thursdays
NYGEAR UP 10th grade students from
Benjamin Banneker Academy and Science
Skills Center HS reviewed homework, class
assignments, and notes with 5 NYGEAR UP
tutors and 1 NYGEAR UP assistant to check
their understanding of the material.
Subjects covered included Global Studies,
English, and Spanish.
NYGEAR UP Activities
• Saturday Math and Science Academy
January – May 2009
25 NYGEAR UP students focused on science
and math in small group learning activities
designed to prepare them for Regents
exams. They also mastered new concepts
and practiced exercises in critical thinking.
• Visit to SUNY Fashion Institute of
Technology (FIT)
February 2009
NYGEAR UP students and their parents
toured the SUNY FIT campus and attended
workshops on admission.
• Family Conference Day
March 28, 2009
During this workshop, 80 NYGEAR UP
students and their families discussed their
preparation for college. Parents shared
resources and research ideas, and students
talked about academic successes,
enrichment programs, and volunteer
opportunities.
• Tour of SUNY Stony Brook University
April 2009
NYGEAR UP students and parents toured
SUNY Stony Brook University and listened
to an EOP presentation.
• College Fair and College Night
April 1 and 2, 2009
During the College Fair, representatives
from colleges and universities offered
information about the institutions they
represented and answered students’
questions. College Night offered panels and
workshops with representatives of several
colleges for students and their parents.
9
▼
Rochester Institute of
Technology (RIT)
NYGEAR UP Activities
• Keuka College Tour
Photo by A. Sue Weisler/RIT
April 30, 2009
Keuka College is an institution that features
small class sizes and a superior academic
support system. This 3-hour tour included
visits to dorms, classrooms, the library, a
fitness facility, and lunch. Of the 20 10th
grade East HS NYGEAR UP students who
went on the tour, 4 said they would apply
to Keuka.
• Mardi Gras at Henry’s Restaurant
Rome City School District NYGEAR UP
students learn about careers at the
Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, NY on
April 2, 2009.
10
Rochester Institute of Technology NYGEAR UP student Cordero Rivera serves the first of
four courses at the “Mardi Gras at Henry’s Restaurant” luncheon on May 19, 2009. 15
students from the East High School Academy of Hospitality and Tourism planned, cooked,
and served the meal.
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May 19, 2009
15 students in the East HS Academy of
Hospitality and Tourism, one of several
sections within the school that emphasizes
professional training and hands-on
experience, planned, coordinated, cooked,
served, and hosted a four-course Mardi Gras
luncheon at Henry’s Restaurant at RIT. The
event’s purpose was to highlight various
programs offered at East HS that are
affiliated with the National Academy
Foundation, an organization that offers
students mentoring and professional career
training. The guests included more than 50
people from RIT, the Rochester Central
School District, local businesses, and
community organizations. They all enjoyed
a meal of chicken étoufée and red velvet cake.
RIT NYGEAR UP Student Stories
Submitted by Denise Lynn Smith-Oquendo, NYGEAR UP Coordinator at Rochester Institute of
Technology.
Featured Student: Chavon Thomas, 10th grade
NYGEAR UP student, East HS
Featured Student: Jalen McGill, 10th grade
NYGEAR UP student, East HS
C
J
havon Thomas is a wonderful student; her
openness, honesty, and quest for higher
academic achievement are outstanding.
Chavon strives to maintain a 4.0 GPA in all her
subjects. During the second marking period,
Chavon was struggling with science; she did
not obtain the grade she wanted and felt she
needed help to solve this issue. Chavon also
recognized that she might not be the sole cause
of her grade and suggested either the teacher or
the curriculum as part of the problem. My
initial thought was how bold and bright of this
young person to state that she might not be
solely responsible for this difficulty.
Chavon and I put our heads together,
went to her counselor, and after that to her
teacher. By the end of the next marking
period and school year Chavon had
improved her grade in science.
Chavon gained skills from 7 Habits of
Highly Effective Teens, including how to “be
proactive.” She recognized a problem,
brought it to the attention of those who
could help, and even suggested possible
causes of the problem while advocating for
herself.
alen McGill is one of those students who
could dominate the airwaves of any
nationally syndicated radio show. He has the
“gift of gab.” Jalen has a wonderful personality
and other students gravitate to him when he
enters a room. He was not thinking very much
about college when I spoke to him in April of
this year. He was vague about what his goals
were and what he wanted to do.
We continued to work together during
our 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens training
sessions and I could see that he was
becoming more interested in college or at
least exploring the possibility.
In June of this year, Jalen was invited to
speak at a local church, Mt. Olivet Baptist
Church, during “Scholarship Sunday.” I was
so proud to hear Jalen talk. He of course
kept us all entertained, but most important,
he said that he could not wait to be on the
stage with the Scholars in two years. He
spoke of his plans to complete high school
successfully and attend college directly after
high school. As he spoke, he glanced at me
and nodded his head in thanks.
I look forward to seeing Jalen graduate
from high school and go on to college. Jalen
has proved that he can set goals and has
learned skills that will help him achieve
those goals.
At the Zoo
On April 2, 2009, 35 NYGEAR UP students from
Rome Free Academy attended a Career Day at
the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, NY. Here
is one student’s story about the experience.
by Brittany Westcott, 10th grade NYGEAR UP
student, Rome Free Academy
G
EAR UP has been very beneficial to
students here at Rome Free Academy.
Throughout the year there have been many
opportunities to go on field trips to various
colleges, and places to explore different career
opportunities. I have been involved in many of
the GEAR UP activities, one of which was the
Career Day at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.
Learning about all the career paths at the zoo, I
was amazed at the number of career choices
that are available to me. Broadening my
knowledge, I listened to presenters speak about
the variety of groups that work at the zoo, what
it took to be employed there, and the growing
competition between the people trying to
obtain a job at the zoo. They also highlighted
the importance of attending college, which is
what GEAR UP is all about.
Capital Region College
Visits
O
n April 29, 2009, several NYGEAR UP
students from Rome Free Academy went
on a field trip to various colleges in the Albany
area. Students were given the opportunity
to see three very different schools: The
College of Saint Rose, SUNY Hudson Valley
Community College, and Siena College.
The trip not only enlightened students
on the various forms of education available,
but also gave them a glimpse of the
opportunities they have outside of Rome.
Many students had never been outside
Rome, and mentioned the excitement they
felt at being in a different location. They
spoke with various college representatives
and had an opportunity to see how college
students live in Albany. They also visited the
best sports facilities on each campus. The
students were exhausted at the end of the
day, but appreciated seeing a different city.
“GEAR UP has been very
beneficial to students here at
Rome Free Academy.
Throughout the year there
have been many opportunities
to go on field trips to various
colleges, and places to explore
different career
opportunities.”
– Brittany Westcott, 10th grade NYGEAR UP
student, Rome Free Academy
Rome City School
District
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Rome City School District NYGEAR UP Student Stories
Submitted by Matt Holupko, NYGEAR UP Coordinator for the Rome City School District.
NYGEAR UP Activities
• Family Day at Rome Free
Academy/Rome City School District
Reading Extravaganza: The Art and
Science of Reading
March 7, 2009
5 NYGEAR UP students volunteered to
work with younger children and help out
with various activities at this event. They
also had an opportunity to meet
representatives from local colleges and
businesses.
• Cazenovia College Visit
March 19, 2009
29 NYGEAR UP 10th graders toured both
the town of Cazenovia and the Cazenovia
College campus, sat in on a session about
the admissions process, and ate in the
cafeteria with college students.
• Tour of Air Force Research
Laboratory at Griffiss International
Airport
March 20, 2009
9 NYGEAR UP students, 8 technology
teachers, 1 NYGEAR UP coordinator, and
the superintendent of the Rome City
School District explored careers available
locally at the Air Force Research Lab at
Griffiss Business and Technology Park at
Griffiss Airport, once a U.S. Air Force base.
Activities included a cybercrafts
presentation, a walk through the anechoic
chamber, and a presentation in the visual
lab. Students had an opportunity to
operate robots using computer technology.
• Neptune’s Garden: Exploring the
Secrets of the Deep Undersea
March 23, 2009
David G. Gallo of the Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institute offered an exciting
presentation on the ocean at Mynderse
Academy in Seneca Falls, NY. 16 Rome Free
Academy students, 2 Rome Free Academy
teachers, and 1 NYGEAR UP coordinator
learned about organisms that live in the
ocean, saw video about the discovery of
the Titanic, a venture Dr. Gallo participated
in, and heard about careers in sea
exploration.
“I never knew science could be
so much fun!”
St. John’s University GEAR UP students visit SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology on
February 19, 2009.
– A SUNY Binghamton GEAR UP student after
attending the “Expanding Your Horizons”
conference at Cornell University
11
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St. John’s University NYGEAR UP and GEAR UP Student Stories
Submitted by Felicia Harper, Assistant Director of St. John’s University GEAR UP.
St. John’s University
Featured Student: Ericka Bautista, 10th grade
NYGEAR UP student, Long Island City HS.
Ericka Bautista has been part of St. John’s
University GEAR UP since the beginning and
has developed into a confident and focused
young woman. She aspires to be the first in her
family to attend college and is determined to
achieve her ambition. She writes about her
dream in the essay below.
by Ericka Bautista
EAR UP has changed my life completely.
Thanks to GEAR UP I have learned a lot
about college. I’ve learned how to apply for a
scholarship in order to be admitted into the
college.
I’m so glad to know I have GEAR UP on
my side because they will always be there
when I need them. I know that they’ll help
me if I have problems at school or if I need
help with any subject. GEAR UP is a great
program that Long Island City High School
offers, and I still don’t understand why
more students don’t take advantage of it.
GEAR UP changed the way I look at
going to college because with the program I
learned about different colleges that are out
there. Thanks to GEAR UP I learned that
nothing is impossible and that if I really
want to, one day I’ll go to the college I
dream of going to, which is Princeton.
G
GEAR UP has also shaped the way I look
at going to college because of the trips and
all the helpful paying for college
information.
Featured Student: Luis Sanchez, 10th grade
GEAR UP student, Long Island City HS
he GEAR UP program represents growth,
and Luis Sanchez is the epitome of its values
and mission. Although he is soft-spoken, Luis
has the ability to light up a room with his
insight and humility. He is not only what a
good student should be academically, but he
also reflects what a model citizen should be.
Outside the program, Luis continues to
represent what GEAR UP stands for by
becoming involved in the national Youth
Venture initiative by raising awareness in his
community about hunger and homelessness.
T
“I learned that because our
body is made of many
systems, smoking causes
serious problems.”
– Marcos Garcia, a 10th grade St. John’s
University GEAR UP student
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How GEAR UP Has Shaped the Way
I Look at Going to College
NYGEAR UP and GEAR UP Activities
• Birds of Prey/Curtin University of
Technology
February 16, 2009
During this presentation, given at the
Center for Science Teaching and Learning
at the Tanglewood Preserve in Rockville
Centre on Long Island, 20 St. John’s
University GEAR UP students observed
rescued hawks, owls, and forest animals
and were able to touch and hold them. The
students also spoke to a college
representative from Curtin University of
Technology, an Australian university, and
were given a virtual college tour.
• Seton Hall University and Princeton
University College Visits
February 17, 2009
35 St. John’s University GEAR UP students
toured Princeton University and Seton Hall
University, received information from both
universities, and were able to compare the
characteristics of the two institutions while
picturing themselves in a collegiate
atmosphere.
• SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology
and “Bodies: The Exhibition” Trip
February 19, 2009
50 St. John’s University GEAR UP students
visited “Bodies: The Exhibition” at the
South Street Seaport in New York City,
where they learned about human anatomy,
the muscular system, the circulatory system,
the stages of life, and the effects of
substance abuse on the body. The group
also toured SUNY Fashion Institute of
Technology, where they viewed another
exhibition, “Gothic: Dark Glamour,” and
received information about SUNY FIT’s
programs and special accommodations for
students.
• NYGEAR UP 2009 Conference
St. John’s University GEAR UP student Luis Sanchez.
12
April 21, 2009
15 St. John’s University NYGEAR UP and
GEAR UP students and staff attended the
annual NYGEAR UP conference, held this
year at the Westchester Renaissance Hotel.
Students were honored for their creativity
and for implementing community service
projects. They also learned about the ACT
and engaged in a quiz bowl with other
GEAR UP attendees. The St. John’s Youth
Venture awardees were Xia Rehmat, Jericho
Bowers, Andrew Chang, Luis Sanchez, and
Marsha Mitchell. Other 2009 St. John’s
University NYGEAR UP student awardees
included Kia Joseph, Manal Janati, and
Ruhala Miah.
• College for a Day
April 30, 2009
65 St. John’s University NYGEAR UP and
GEAR UP students each shadowed an
undergraduate student at St. John’s
University and attended college classes,
receiving both a college experience and an
opportunity to build relationships with
current St. John’s students.
“I really enjoyed the lessons
my mentor taught me. She
shared her personal
experiences and it gave me a
new perspective on myself.”
– Farrah Civil, a 10th grade St. John’s University
GEAR UP student
SUNY Binghamton
GEAR UP Student Stories
Submitted by Amanda Brechko, Andre Hankey,
and Ali Phinney, Student Assistance Coordinators
for SUNY Binghamton University GEAR UP.
Career Expo at SUNY
Binghamton University
April 7, 2009
Featured Students: Kelsey Howard and Tausha
Bush, 10th grade GEAR UP students,
Binghamton High School
n Tuesday, April 7, 42 GEAR UP students
from Binghamton HS attended a Career
Expo at SUNY Binghamton University. All were
asked to complete a brief questionnaire about
what they had learned. Two students, Kelsey
Howard and Tausha Bush, not only filled out
the questionnaire but also created a comic strip
depicting their experience (see picture above).
For going beyond what was expected of them,
they received extra credit in English.
O
Image from the comic strip drawn by SUNY Binghamton University GEAR UP students
Kelsey Howard and Tausha Bush after attending the SUNY Binghamton University Career
Expo on April 7, 2009.
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▼
SUNY Binghamton
University
GEAR UP Activities
• SUNY Broome Community College
Visit
March 28, 2009
9th and 10th grade GEAR UP students from
Binghamton HS toured the SUNY Broome
Community College campus and went ice
skating at the campus ice rink.
• Expanding Your Horizons at
Cornell University
April 25, 2009
“Expanding Your Horizons” is a one-day
conference, held annually at Cornell
University, for girls in grades 7 to 9. The
goal is to stimulate interest in math and
science through hands-on activities, by
providing female scientist and
mathematician role models, and offering
information about careers related to math
and science. Each girl participates in 3
workshops organized by Cornell students
and faculty, and a special session on
educational and career opportunities is held
for any adults accompanying them. 9
Binghamton HS 9th grade GEAR UP
students attended the conference. One
student stated, “I never knew science could
be so much fun!”
• Visit to Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca, NY
May 13 and 14, 2009
10th grade SUNY Binghamton University
GEAR UP students walked the trails at
Buttermilk Falls with their science teachers
to observe nature in preparation for the
New York State Earth Science Regents exam.
One student said, “The waterfalls were
beautiful! It was really cool to see the
things that we’re studying!”
SUNY Binghamton University GEAR UP 10th grade students pose with their teachers at Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca, NY on May 13, 2009.
13
▼
SUNY Cobleskill
NYGEAR UP Activities
• Overnight College Exploration Trip
April 28 – 29, 2009
37 10th grade SUNY Cobleskill NYGEAR UP
students from Charlotte Valley CS and Fort
Plain CS, along with 11 parents, guidance
counselors, and teachers, accompanied 3
NYGEAR UP tutors and 1 director on a trip
to 5 college campuses. The group visited
Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY
College at Brockport, SUNY College of
Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY
Upstate Medical University, and Syracuse
University. Many of the students especially
enjoyed the respiratory therapy and human
anatomy presentations at SUNY Upstate
Medical University.
• Visit to SUNY Oneonta Biological
Field Station
• College Classes at SUNY Cobleskill
▼
March and April 2009
59 10th grade NYGEAR UP students from
Charlotte Valley CS, Fort Plain CS, Laurens
CS, Middleburgh CS, Stamford CS, and St.
Johnsville CS attended one or two classes at
SUNY Cobleskill and ate lunch in the
Champlin Dining Hall. Students
commented that the math and chemistry
classes were very similar to the classes they
are taking in high school.
GEAR UP Activities
• SUNY Cobleskill Campus Visits
March – May 2009
Approximately 100 GEAR UP 9th grade
students from Stamford CS, South Kortright
CS, Fort Plain CS, Laurens CS, and St.
Johnsville CS visited SUNY Cobleskill at
different times during the spring of 2009.
Each group enjoyed a tour of the campus
and a demonstration by histotechnology
lab instructor Richard Sparling. The group
met with two professors in the Early
Childhood department, and toured the
child care facility on campus. Students also
feasted at the Champlin Hall lunch buffet
and ended the day with visits to and
presentations at the equine and dairy
complexes.
14
Author and motivational speaker Chappale Linn Burton speaks to SUNY Jamestown
Community College NYGEAR UP students and Jamestown youth service workers on
February 2, 2009.
• Parent Information Nights: Financial
Aid 101 and How To Pay for College
February through May 12, 2009
GEAR UP students and their parents were
treated to either a BBQ chicken or a
chicken and biscuit dinner, followed by a
presentation on financial aid basics, how to
pay for college, a general overview of the
FAFSA, and printed information about
financial aid. Possible future workshops,
such as a line-by-line FAFSA workshop,
were also discussed.
• New York State Trooper Presentations
May 7 and May 28, 2008
New York State Police Trooper Nelson
Torres gave students at Laurens CS, Morris
CS, South Kortright CS, and Stamford CS a
lively and enjoyable presentation about
being a New York State trooper. Among the
subjects covered were the educational
requirements, detective work, forensics,
undercover work, and traffic supervision.
Students were invited to work with Trooper
Torres in some of his demonstrations,
which were a big hit. Trooper Torres plans
to visit schools again next year and
continues to offer support to GEAR UP
schools to inform students about this career
choice.
SUNY Jamestown
Community College
(JCC)
▼
May 13, 2009
39 10th grade SUNY Cobleskill NYGEAR UP
students from Middleburgh CS, along with 3
teachers and tutors, visited the SUNY
Oneonta Biological Field Station in
Cooperstown, NY. They encountered wildlife
near the pond on Thayer Farm and also
boarded the barge Anondontiodes to explore
and monitor the health of Otsego Lake.
NYGEAR UP Activities
• Boundless Possibilities Workshops
with Chappale Linn Burton
February 2 – 3, 2009
Chappale Linn Burton, therapist,
motivational speaker, author of How to
Choose Happiness…Most of the Time: 30
Ways in 30 Days and a Jamestown native,
presented his “Boundless Opportunities”
workshops to 30 Jamestown HS and
Dunkirk HS students and 60 area youth
service workers. He also spoke to 200
Jamestown HS teachers, 2,200 Jamestown
HS and Dunkirk HS students at assemblies,
and 80 SUNY JCC roundtable members at a
breakfast, sharing his tragic personal story
and the challenges he met. Mr. Burton
presented exercises designed to promote
goal-setting, self-discipline, self-esteem, and
confidence. His workshops aim to motivate
students, and the adults who work with
them, to acquire leadership skills and aspire
to academic achievement, based on the
concept that any student can create
boundless possibilities for his or her future.
• Rites of Passage (ROP) Art Exhibition
April 14, 2009
This exhibit was the culmination of a group
project, “Rites of Passage,” designed to pay
tribute to cultural identity while
illuminating the similarities among various
groups. 41 SUNY Nassau Community
College GEAR UP students, along with
parents and community members, took
part in this event at the African American
Museum of Nassau County in Hempstead,
NY, the only such museum on Long Island.
The exhibition featured family photos from
each ROP participant, which were
integrated, in collage format, into a
cohesive representation of ancestry,
tradition, and culture. The students’ work
was shown along with that of celebrated
artist Jeff Smith, who guided the students
in completing this project.
• Student Assemblies with Andre Lewis:
“Soar to Your Dreams”
June 2 – 3, 2009
1,100 GEAR UP students at Turtle Hook MS
and Lawrence Road MS, along with
teachers and administrators, heard pilot
and writer Andre Lewis speak about how he
achieved his dreams. Mr. Lewis, who began
his career in the U.S. Air Force, where he
rose to the rank of captain, is now a pilot
for FedEx and the author of I Want to Fly.
He spoke about how to set and achieve
goals, and also talked about SUNY Nassau
Community College GEAR UP’s summer
programs – aviation-themed camps
designed to reinforce math, science, and
technology comprehension.
▼
GEAR UP Activities
Syracuse University
NYGEAR UP Activities
• Spanish 101
February 16 – 20, 2009
10th grade NYGEAR UP students who
completed Spanish 101 at Le Moyne
College received 3 college credits.
• SAT Prep at SUNY Onondaga
Community College
April 13 – 17, 2009
10th grade NYGEAR UP students received
tutoring for the SAT at SUNY Onondaga
Community College.
▼
▼
SUNY Nassau
Community College
GEAR UP Activities
• Le Moyne College Enrichment: Math
and Science
February 16 – 20, 2009
8th and 9th grade GEAR UP students
learned about the geological history of New
York State at Le Moyne College, with a
focus on science and math. Students got
right into the dirt of it testing soil samples
using various scientific tools. The activity
ended with Syracuse weatherman Dave
Longley of WSYR reviewing forecasting
techniques.
• SUNY Onondaga Community College
Enrichment: Study Skills and
Strengths Quest
April 13 and 17, 2009
8th and 9th grade GEAR UP students from
the Syracuse City School District worked on
study skills and time management and had
an opportunity to assess their strengths and
weaknesses in these areas.
• Teen Zoo Crew at the Rosamond
Gifford Zoo
April 7 and 21, 2009; May 9 and 19, 2009
Syracuse City School District 9th grade
GEAR UP students got a behind-the-scenes
look at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo and also
did some career exploration. Using digital
cameras, students documented their day as
they learned about animals and helped in
feeding and caring for them. One student
commented: “I had a great time joining
Zoo Crew. I hope I can do it again.”
“I had a great time joining
Zoo Crew. I hope I can do it
again.”
– Syracuse University GEAR UP 9th grade student
• GEAR UP Day
June 11, 2009
This event, with a “college homecoming”
theme, featured activities to inspire and
encourage higher education. 1,100 6th and
7th grade GEAR UP students participated in
team-building activities and met fraternity
and sorority members who emphasized the
importance of academic success and a
college education. GEAR UP Brain Quest, a
simulated TV game show, challenged
students with questions testing their
knowledge of college. The day ended with
an award ceremony and the presentation of
the U.S. Department of Education’s 21st
Century Scholar certificates.
City School District of Albany NYGEAR UP students on the campus of Utica College on
June 29, 2009, during the 2009 Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities’
College Quest.
15
GEAR UP and Me
An Amazing Experience
by Charles Jones, Jr., 10th grade NYGEAR UP
student, Riverside HS
by Yaribel Martinez, 10th grade NYGEAR UP
student, Gorton HS
F
“
rom 1st through 8th grades I was
suspended from school a number of
times, but as I faced my first suspension in
9th grade, something changed. I realized
that if I kept on this track, I was on a path
going in the wrong direction and I needed
to change my ways and start moving
forward. It was time for me to seriously
examine my actions, make a plan,
understand that there would be obstacles to
face, find ways to work around these
obstacles, and move on.
I started to have small successes at
school. My teachers and principal noticed
my efforts to change and really encouraged
me to keep on doing better. I became more
involved in the GEAR UP activities at
Riverside HS, visited colleges, and saw for
the first time the opportunities that were
available. By the time 10th grade came I was
excited for school to start and began the
year very hopeful. Soon I was being asked to
represent my school at district events, and
then in May, I was selected to tell my story
to hundreds of people from all over New
York State at the Yonkers Public Schools
National Dropout Prevention Summit. This
was a very proud moment for me and
proved to me that I was on the right track.
Then in June my mother and I were
selected to go on a four day trip to visit
three universities and historical sites in
Washington D.C. as part of Yonkers’
NYGEAR UP/APEX project.
H
igh school has been an amazing
experience for me!” The reason I say
this is because behind this incredible
experience lies a young girl who thought she
knew it all until reality hit her in the face. In
7th grade I made lots of mistakes like cutting
school, getting into fights, lying to my
parents, and never thinking it was important
to do schoolwork. As a result, I was left back
and thankfully, this changed me as a person
and made me open my eyes and listen to my
parents and teachers when they said that
education is the key to success. I knew that I
didn’t want to have a life filled with doors
closed to me because I had not taken my
education seriously. I also realized that
becoming an adult means taking on
responsibilities and while it’s great to have lots
of friends, friends are not going to guarantee
that I get my education. Once I got into high
school, I decided that a number one priority
had to be going to college. Fortunately, I have
the support of my parents and my teachers
who realized that my middle school “drama”
years were behind me. Another group that has
really supported and motivated me is Gorton
High School’s NYGEAR UP program. Having
the chance to meet with my NYGEAR
UP/APEX mentor regularly, go on college trips,
and take part in community service activities,
has given me the confidence and the
knowledge that I will achieve my main goal –
to go to college, graduate from college, and be
successful in life.
Yonkers City
School District
▼
▼
Yonkers City School District NYGEAR UP Student Stories
Submitted by Nona Donovan, Yonkers CSD NYGEAR UP Project Coordinator.
NYGEAR UP Activities
• Mercy College Pre-College Workshop
April 24 and May 6, 2009
Yonkers CSD NYGEAR UP students,
accompanied by teachers, met one-on-one
with admission and financial aid
counselors, professors, and college students
at Mercy College, and learned how to
navigate the admissions process
successfully.
• Visit to Dowling College and SUNY
College at Old Westbury
April 17, 2009
Yonkers CSD NYGEAR UP students,
accompanied by teachers, toured a private
and a public college in New York State. The
students spoke to college admission and
financial aid counselors and were able to
compare the costs and courses offered at
each college.
• Trip to Sanford-Brown Institute
May 13, 2009
Yonkers CSD NYGEAR UP students learned
about health care careers and the
educational requirements needed to pursue
them during a visit to Sanford-Brown
Institute, which offers training for a
number of health care occupations.
“I knew that I didn’t want to
have a life filled with doors
closed to me because I had
not taken my education
seriously.”
– Yaribel Martinez, Yonkers CSD GEAR UP student
Charles Jones, Jr., a Riverside HS Yonkers CSD NYGEAR UP student, on the campus of
George Washington University during a June 2009 trip to Washington, D.C.
16
SUNY Binghamton University GEAR UP
students Jamie Pittsley and Shivani
Minney examine a cockroach during the
“Expand Your Horizons” conference at
Cornell University on April 25, 2009.
Resources.
FOCUS
ON
• Asian and Pacific Islander
American Scholarship Fund
http://apiasf.org/
Formed in 2003 and based in
Washington, D.C., APIASF is the
largest nonprofit organization in
the U.S. devoted solely to providing
scholarships for Asian- and Pacific
Islander-Americans.
• American Indian
Graduate Center
www.aigc.com
At this site, students and their
families can find out about
scholarships available through the
AIGC, the largest national provider
of such grants for Native American
and Alaska Native students.
• College Board
Scholarship Search
http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsea
rch_ss/welcome.jsp
This database, with more than
2,300 sources of college funding,
can help students find scholarships,
internships, grants, and loans.
• Congressional Hispanic
Caucus Institute (CHCI)
Scholarships
www.chci.org/chciyouth/scholarshi
p/scholarship.htm
These scholarships are awarded to
Latino/Hispanic students with a
history of service-related activities
in their communities who plan to
continue making such
contributions in the future.
St. John’s University GEAR UP students visit the campus of Princeton University on
February 17, 2009.
SCHOLARSHIPS
AND
FINANCIAL AID.
• FastWeb!
www.fastweb.com
With links to information about
more than 1.5 million scholarships
worth more than $3.4 billion, this
site offers a large and frequently
updated database. Students can
register and search for scholarships
suited to their individual
backgrounds and interests.
• FinAid!
www.finaid.org
A portal with links to information
about scholarships, loans, college
savings plans, and other types of
financial aid.
• Gates Millennium Scholars
www.gmsp.org/
These scholarships provide grants
covering tuition and other college
expenses for outstanding students
of African-American, Latino, Native
American, Asian-American, and
Pacific Islander heritage in the U.S.
• Hispanic College Fund
http://site.hispanicfund.org
This long-established fund helps
Hispanic students with their
education through scholarships,
support for diversity initiatives by
business, and symposia where
young Latinos can meet and
network with mentors and fellow
students.
• New York State Higher
Education Services
Corporation
www.hesc.com
HESC’s site offers links to
information about saving for
college, filling out applications for
grants and loans, and up-to-date
news about financial aid for
college. A “quick reference” guide
to grants, scholarships, and awards
can be found at:
www.hesc.com/content.nsf/SFC/2/
Grants_Scholarships_and_Awards.
• Office of Federal Student
Aid: Free Publications
www.fsapubs.org
This site offers information on how
to order a number of free
publications for financial aid
administrators, counselors,
teachers, parents, and students
about financial aid. Several of the
publications are available in
Spanish, among them FAFSA On the
Web Worksheet 2009-2010; Funding
Education Beyond High School: The
Guide to Federal Student Aid 20092010; and Do You Need Money for
College?
• UNCF (United Negro
College Fund)
www.uncf.org
UNCF administers more than 400
scholarship, fellowship, internship,
and institutional grant programs
that support undergraduate and
graduate students.
17
City School District
of Albany
Syracuse University
SUNY Binghamton
University
SUNY Jamestown
Community College
▼
Bronx Institute at
CUNY Lehman College
CUNY Brooklyn
College Community Partnership
Discovery Institute at
CUNY College of Staten Island
CUNY MGI
Long Island University/Brooklyn
St. John’s University
SUNY
Cobleskill
Yonkers City
School District
New Rochelle City
School District
Dowling College
SUNY Nassau
Community College
Bronx Institute at
CUNY Lehman
College
Cohort size:
2,500 7th graders
2,500 8th graders
3,800 10th graders
Contact: Dita Wolf
GEAR UP schools:
7th grade: Aspire Preparatory
School MS 322, Bronx School for
Law, Daniel Hale Williams MS
180, Frederick Douglass Academy
MS/HS 517, Government and
Justice MS/HS 505, Henry
Hudson JHS 125, Information
and Network Technology School
(In-Tech) MS/HS 368, Isobel
Rooney MS 80, Jonas Bronck
Academy MS 228, Mosholu
Parkway PS/MS 280, MS 254, MS
390, P.O. Edward R. Byrne MS
101, Pablo Casals MS 181,
Thomas C. Giordano MS 45,
Urban Assembly School for
Applied Math and Science
MS/HS 241, West Bronx
Academy for the Future MS/HS
243
Director of Bronx Institute
GEAR UP Network (20052011) and Bronx GEAR UP
(2008-2014)
(718) 960-6099
fax (718) 960-7219
[email protected]
Kevin Anthony
Director of South Bronx GEAR
UP (2007-2013)
(718) 960-8404
fax (718) 960-7219
kevin.anthony@lehman.
cuny.edu
Iwan Notowidigdo
(718) 982-2325
fax (718) 982-2327
[email protected]
Cohort size:
285 6th graders
279 7th graders
335 8th graders
181 9th graders
City School District
of Albany
(518) 454-3987 x990
fax: (518) 453-9817
[email protected]
GEAR UP schools:
Curtis HS, Dreyfus IS 49,
New Dorp HS
(631) 244-3335
fax (631) 244-1035
[email protected]
NYGEAR UP schools:
Abrookin Vocational Technical
Center, Albany HS
Frank Pomata
CUNY Brooklyn
College Community
Partnership
Cohort size:
125 10th graders
(516) 570-6645
fax (516) 570-6104
[email protected]
Cohort size:
440 10th graders
GEAR UP schools:
Wyandanch Memorial HS
▼
(718) 951-5015
fax (718) 951-5927
[email protected]
▼
Dowling College
Contact: Rhoda Miller
Cohort size:
814 10th graders
Contact: Diane Reiser
Long Island
University/Brooklyn
NYGEAR UP schools:
Academy for Environmental
Leadership, Academy of Urban
Planning, Bushwick HS for Social
Justice, HS for Youth and
Community Development
Contact: Kemoy A.
Briscoe
CUNY Middle Grades
Initiative GEAR UP
NYGEAR UP schools:
Benjamin Banneker Academy,
Science Skills Center HS
Contact: Ciji Gardner
(646) 344-7354
fax (646) 344-7329
ciji.gardner@mail.
cuny.edu
CUNY MGI students from Frederick Douglass Academy II receive certificates
at CUNY William E. Macaulay Honors College after the semifinals of the
Middle Grades Math Team Competition on February 5, 2009.
18
Discovery Institute at
CUNY College of
Staten Island
Contact: Sajdah Um’raniMansur
Contact: Alexandra
Guerrero
▼
Director of Sustainability
(718) 960-5619
fax (718) 960-7219
iwan.notowidigdo@lehman.
cuny.edu
GEAR UP schools:
East Bronx Academy for the
Future, East Side Community
HS, Frederick Douglass Academy
II, Henry Street School for
International Studies, Hostos
Lincoln Academy of Science,
IS/HS 10 Frederick Douglass
Academy, MS/HS 368
Information Network and
Technology Academy, Queens
Gateway to Health Sciences
School, Renaissance Charter
School, South Bronx Preparatory,
Thurgood Marshall Academy
▼
Rome City
School District
Cohort size:
1,000 10th graders
▼
Rochester Institute
of Technology
▼
GEAR UP II
2008-09
Academic
Year
8th grade: Albert Einstein JHS
131, Aspire Preparatory School
MS 322, Daniel Hale Williams
MS 180, Frederick Douglass
Academy V JHS 273, Henry
Hudson JHS 125, John Philip
Sousa JHS 142, Kappa III MS 316,
Michelangelo MS 144, Mott Hall
V IS 242, P.O. Edward R. Byrne
MS 101, Pablo Casals MS 181,
Paul Dunbar MS 301
10th grade: Bronx High School
for Medical Science HS 413,
Bronx Leadership Academy HS
525, Bronx School for Law, Celia
Cruz Bronx High School for
Music HS 442, DeWitt Clinton
HS 440, Fordham High School
for the Arts HS 437, Frederick
Douglass Academy MS/HS 517,
Government and Justice MS/HS
505, Information and Network
Technology School (In-Tech)
MS/HS 368, International School
for Liberal Arts (ISLA) HS 342,
Mott Hall HS 252, Riverdale/
Kingsbridge Academy MS/HS
141, Urban Assembly School for
Applied Math and Science MS/HS
241, West Bronx Academy for
the Future MS/HS 243
(718) 488-1029
fax (718) 780-4045
[email protected]
Cohort size:
455 10th graders
Contact: Camille
Edwards-Thomas
Contact: Idalmis BatistaBlair
(914) 576-4233 before 2pm
(914) 576-4273 after 2pm
[email protected]
(607) 777-6232
fax (607) 777-4187
[email protected]
(607) 727-1128
fax (607) 762-6072
[email protected] or
whalenkl@binghamton
schools.org
Rochester Institute of
Technology
Cohort size:
450 9th graders
450 10th graders
Contact: Dianne L. Spang
GEAR UP schools:
Binghamton HS
▼
Rome City School
District
Contact: Matt Holupko
(315) 334-7285
fax (315) 334-7236
[email protected]
Cohort size:
413 10th graders
▼
NYGEAR UP schools:
Rome Free Academy
Contact: Linda Carpenter
SUNY Jamestown
Community College
Cohort size:
1,450 8th graders
1,550 9th graders
Contact: Faith Graham
GEAR UP schools:
8th grade: Beard School, Bellevue
MS Academy, Blodgett School,
Clary Magnet School, Danforth
MS, Edward Smith School,
Expeditionary Learning School,
Frazer MS, Grant MS, H.W.
Smith MS, Huntington MS, Levy
MS, Lincoln MS, Roberts MS
9th grade: Corcoran HS, Fowler
HS, Henninger HS, Nottingham
HS, Technology at Syracuse
Central HS
Contact: Bea González
(315) 443-3259
fax (315) 443-3976
[email protected]
SUNY Nassau
Community College
(516) 572-3573
fax (516) 573-3577
[email protected]
NYGEAR UP schools:
Charlotte Valley CS, Fort Plain
CS, Jefferson CS, Laurens CS,
Middleburgh CS, Morris CS,
Owen D. Young CS, Richfield
Springs CS, St. Johnsville CS,
South Kortright CS,
Stamford CS
(518) 255-5361
fax (518) 255-5365
[email protected]
NYGEAR UP schools:
Central Technical Vocational
Center, Corcoran HS, Fowler HS,
Henninger HS, Nottingham HS
Contact: Marilyn Monroe
Cohort size:
480 10th graders
Contact: Paul Turner
GEAR UP schools:
Charlotte Valley CS, Fort Plain
CS, Jefferson CS, Laurens CS,
Middleburgh CS, Morris CS,
Owen D. Young CS, Richfield
Springs CS, St. Johnsville CS,
South Kortright CS,
Stamford CS
NYGEAR UP schools:
Dunkirk HS, Jamestown HS
SUNY Cobleskill
(518) 255-5362
fax (518) 255-5365
[email protected]
Cohort size:
1,476 10th graders
Cohort size:
524 10th graders
▼
NYGEAR UP schools:
Bioscience and Health Career
School at Franklin, East HS,
Global Media Arts HS at Franklin,
International Finance &
Economic Development Career
School at Franklin
▼
(585) 475-2984
fax (585) 475-2888
[email protected]
Cohort size:
562 9th graders
(716) 338-1101
fax (716) 338-1466
[email protected]
Cohort size:
516 6th graders
514 7th graders
GEAR UP schools:
Lawrence Road MS, Turtle Hook MS
▼
▼
NYGEAR UP schools:
New Rochelle HS
▼
Karen Whalen
Cohort size:
367 10th graders
Cohort size:
746 10th graders
SUNY Binghamton
University
Syracuse University
Contact: Marrissa J. Mims
(315) 443-1799
fax (315) 443-3976
[email protected]
▼
▼
▼
New Rochelle City
School District
Yonkers City School
District
Contact: Fern Eisgrub
(914) 376-8213
fax (914) 423-0518
feisgrub@yonkerspublic
schools.org
Cohort size:
936 10th graders
NYGEAR UP schools:
Gorton HS, Lincoln HS,
Riverside HS, Roosevelt HS,
Saunders HS, Yonkers HS
St. John’s University
Contact: Yvette Morgan
(718) 990-2532
fax (718) 990-2383
[email protected]
Andre McKenzie
(718) 990-1893
fax (718) 990-2383
[email protected]
Cohort size:
805 GEAR UP 7th graders
355 GEAR UP 10th graders
312 NYGEAR UP 10th graders
GEAR UP and NYGEAR UP schools:
7th grade: IS 145, IS 126
10th grade: Long Island City HS
St. John’s University GEAR UP students pose in front of the entrance to “Bodies: The Exhibition” at
the South Street Seaport in New York City on February 19, 2009.
19
Commission on
Independent Colleges and
Universities (cIcu)
▼
NYGEAR UP 2009 Events.
▼
Sabra-Joi Dingman
▼
▼
(518) 436-4781 x31
[email protected]
Contact: Sandra LoPresto
▼
(518) 758-2879
[email protected]
CUNY
Contact: Sarah McConnell
▼
(518) 443-5370
[email protected]
College Board
Contact: Matt Zarro
▼
phone (518) 357-3435
cell (518) 257-2237
[email protected]
NYS Financial Aid
Administrators Association
Contact: Cathleen Patella
November 21, 2009 12:15 pm – 4:30 pm
▼
▼
(646) 344-7353
fax (646) 344-7329
[email protected]
Contact: Robert James
Latino College Fair
Organized by cIcu and hosted at Fordham
University. This event is made possible
with a Federal College Access Grant and a
NYGEAR UP grant awarded by NYSHESC
to cIcu, and with support from The Sallie
Mae Fund, Fordham University, and cIcu
member colleges. For more information,
contact Susan Nesbitt Perez at [email protected]
or Sabra-Joi Dingman at [email protected].
Register for the Fair on-line at:
http://capwiz.com/cicu/
go/2009_Latino_College_Fair
Association of Proprietary
Colleges
SUNY
New York State Financial Aid
Administrators (NYSFAAA)
Conference
Saratoga Hilton, Saratoga Springs, NY
October 27 – 29, 2009
(518) 436-4781 x23
[email protected]
Jennifer Lewis
NYGEAR UP Technical Conference
Century House, Latham, NY
September 23-24, 2009
Contact: Susan Nesbitt Perez
(518) 436-4781 x30
fax (518) 433-8825
[email protected]
National GEAR UP Day
September 18, 2009
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NYGEAR UP II
Sectors and Partners.
College Fairs
• Fall National College Fair, Nassau
Veterans Memorial Coliseum Exhibition
Hall, Uniondale, NY
October 4, 2009 1:00 am - 4:00 pm
• Big Apple College Fair, Herbert H.
Lehman High School, Bronx, NY
October 14, 2009 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
• Big Apple College Fair, Kingsborough
Community College, Brooklyn, NY
October 16, 2009 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
• Big Apple College Fair, College of Staten
Island Staten Island, NY
October 17, 2009 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
(as of September 2009)
• Big Apple College Fair, St. John's
University, Queens, NY
October 18, 2009 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
• So. Westchester Guidance Expo &
College Fair, White Plains County Center,
White Plains, NY
October 19, 2009 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
• Northern Westchester College Fair,
Yorktown Heights High School,
Yorktown, NY
October 20, 2009 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
• Greater Binghamton College Day,
Broome Co. Veterans Memorial Arena,
Binghamton, NY
October 21, 2009 11:00 am - 2:00 pm,
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
• Western Suffolk Counselor's College
Fair, Suffolk Co. Community CollegeBrookhaven, Selden, NY
October 22, 2009 8:30 am - 11:30 am,
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
• The College Expo, Jacob Javits Center,
New York, NY
October 24, 2009 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
• Albany Guidance Expo, Empire State
Plaza, Albany, NY
November 2, 2009
8:30 am - 2:35 pm
• Syracuse Guidance Expo, Oncenter,
Syracuse, NY
November 4, 2009
8:30 am - 2:35 pm
• Rochester Guidance Expo, Riverside
Convention Center
November 5, 2009
8:30 am - 2:35 pm
• Buffalo Guidance Expo, Buffalo Niagara
Convention Center
November 6, 2009
8:30 am - 2:35 pm
(315) 364-3289
fax (315) 364-3227
[email protected]
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NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).
NYS Higher Education
Services Corporation (HESC)
Contact: Alice Roberson
(518) 473-5667 office
(518) 429-4947 blackberry
fax (518) 474-2839
[email protected]
Contact: Cynthia Farmer
The New York State Higher Education Services Corp. (HESC) is
the state agency that has been designated to administer NYGEAR
UP. HESC helps people pay for a comprehensive range of
financial aid services, including the Tuition Assistance Program, guaranteeing
student loans, offering guidance to students, lenders and colleges, and
administering the nationally-recognized New York’s College Savings Program. New
York State is a leader in the national financial aid community, providing more grant
money to college students than any other state in the nation.
(518) 486-7482
[email protected]
This publication is part of a federal grant project that provides the majority of the project’s total budget. The remaining funds come from the Commission on
Independent Colleges and Universities’ Outreach Program.
© 2009 by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, 17 Elk Street, P.O. Box 7289, Albany, NY 12224-0289
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