ATHENS, W.Va. — GEAR UP Southern West Virginia is celebrating another year of bringing information and opportunities to high school students interested in college with National GEAR UP Week.
GEAR UP is a national initiative to provide resources and guidance to students pursuing higher education, and National GEAR UP Week celebrates that with school events and awareness efforts.
“National GEAR UP Week is just a chance for GEAR UP programs across the country to celebrate what we do—the work that we do—so we tried to intentionally schedule a variety of activities that are going on that showcase the ways that we support students and really bring visibility to this work that we are doing,” GEAR UP SWV Director Sr. Sheila Barnhart Womack said last week on MetroNews Midday.
Academic preparedness, financial aid awareness, and test practice are front and center for GEAR UP SWV. Womack hopes this week can make more students and families aware of the services available.
“It’s a privilege to have this work that we’re able to do every day, so we want to make sure that we’re celebrating it, that our communities are aware of what is going on, and that our students are getting the best services that they possibly can,” she said.
Womack believes that helping families support students’ goals is just as important as getting students ready to pursue them. GEAR UP also provides resources for parents and other caregivers as part of the program.
“We want to help in whatever way we can to make that transition as easy as possible, and we do that by making sure that the families are as equally educated about the opportunities as the students are,” Womack said.
National GEAR UP Week includes efforts around southern West Virginia and online to raise awareness of the program. Yard signs are placed across the area, and a social media campaign is ongoing on all of the program’s pages.
“The earlier that our students and their families become aware of those opportunities, the more time they have to process it and think through what they really want to do and understand the steps they need to take to get there,” Womack said.
National GEAR UP Week events continue through this Friday.