Guide to GEAR UP in Texas

San Antonio GEAR UP Project

San Antonio ISD

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Name of Project:

San Antonio GEAR UP Project

Website:

www.saisd.net/dept/gearup

Director's Name:

Ana Acevedo

Director's Contact Number:

210-270-0503

Director's Email:

aacevedo@saisd.net

Years of Grant:

2005-2011

Type of Grant:

Cohort

Districts/Demographics:

San Antonio ISD – Nine high school campuses where 88% are economically disadvantaged, 89% are Hispanic, 8% are African American, and 8% are LEP.

Number of Students Served:

3,600

Brief Description of Program:

San Antonio ISD (SAISD) GEAR UP is an $18 million grant program that is funded by the U. S. Department of Education as a six-year commitment to the Class of 2012. GEAR UP aims to raise the academic aspirations of the entire SAISD Class of 2012 while cultivating the motivation, knowledge, and skills needed to succeed along the pathway to college. GEAR UP works with students and their families to set goals, access college-bound academic preparation, and gain a deeper knowledge of the post-secondary environment, including access to financial aid.

Parent Programs:

GEAR UP Parent League Forums, Parent University (UTSA), College Visits

Partners:

Junior Achievement; Family Service Association; San Antonio Education Partnership; ESC Region 20; Communities in Schools; University of Texas at San Antonio; National Hispanic Institute; IDRA; Wexford, Inc.

Notable Project Achievement:

One of the achievements we are most proud of is taking 150 8th-grade students and 150 8th-grade parents (or family members) to visit Texas A&M University. The students who went on the field trip went through a selection process which entailed having to fill out an application based on a typical college application. As part of the application, students had to write an essay about why they wanted to go on the trip, and they had to have at least one teacher recommendation.

Unique to the Project:

Our GEAR UP project is housed in the San Antonio ISD, and we serve all the students in the Class of 2012 at each of the nine comprehensive high schools in the district.