Published July 18, 2024

Newburgh NYGEAR UP kicked off this year with a bang. It began with an introduction of NYGEAR UP to our 8th-grade cohort, which consisted of over 850 scholars from 4 different middle schools. We visited multiple colleges and had several guest speakers and workshops. Our scholars were able to participate in college tours and career and financial literacy workshops. We also hosted multiple family events (i.e., Family STEM Day and Transitioning to High School Night). One of the main highlights for our scholars was our two visits to Madison Square Garden, where scholars were treated to a Professional in Sports Symposium and an HBCU College Fair Night. Each event was followed by a professional basketball game. 

The GEAR UP After School Program was a major attribute of the program during the second half of the school year. It helped students who were in danger of failing their core classes bring their grades up to passing status and helped students who were "At Risk'' to go from "Red" to "Green." Our students were able to find and use their voices. They are still learning how much they are valued. 

Our Newburgh GEAR UP scholars are moving on to high school, where we will continue to build on the progress of creating goal-oriented students through exposure to different career and college opportunities. We are actively providing our scholars with the tools they need for success as they enter a new, more intense educational experience. More importantly, we will continue to work from the inside out to foster self-confidence. The goal is to create a GEAR UP community where our children feel safe to be who they are and ultimately go on to be good human beings who contribute to the overall betterment of society.