College, Career and Financial Aid Awareness

GEAR UP Lowell provides all participating students with grade appropriate information about college, careers and financial aid.  Beginning in middle school, GEAR UP students are introduced to the importance of education and the type of academic preparation that is critical to their success in high school and college.  This information is also presented to parents at many of our evening workshops. 

Students also participate in interactive workshops on careers and personal interests.  Once in high school, students are offered opportunities to go on campus tours and meet with admissions counselors from throughout Massachusetts.  Financial aid information is often provided by trained professionals from financial institutions and college financial aid officers.  GEAR UP works closely with Lowell High School staff to ensure success in our college awareness activities.

Tutoring

GEAR UP's Tutoring Program motivates students by addressing their academic needs and strengthening their skills.  Our tutors work in the classroom assisting teachers and helping students, or in school tutoring centers, providing students content-focused support. 

Tutors also serve as liaisons between students and other enrichment and academic preparations programs.   They assist in after school programs and facilitate MCAS prep support classes.  They provide one-on-one instruction to those students who are more at risk of failing or who have missed class.  Our tutors also run a variety of educational enrichment programs such as Junior Achievement's "It's My Business" entrepreneurship program.  Tutoring programs are essential in reinforcing subject areas students have more difficulty with, and therefore make a great difference in students' opportunities for the future.

YPP/Mentoring

The Young People's Project (YPP) was founded by alums of the Algebra Project to recruit and train high school and college Math Literacy workers for mentoring and tutoring of middle and elementary school students.  GEAR UP Lowell has trained a group of Lowell High School students to work closely with our Middle School cohort as mentors and tutors.  These YPP students work in after school programs, facilitate Summer Program activities and develop special academic events for middle school students and their families.  They also help in parent workshops and in college visits and field trips.  The YPP students are valuable resources that provide guidance to our younger students.

After School Enrichment

GEAR UP offers a variety of after-school enrichment programs for students.  They include MCAS prep programs, homework help and art programs.  In some schools, the programs also involve a sport component paired with math tutoring.  These programs augment classroom work with opportunities to deepen conceptual understanding with hands-on experience.  The programs reinforce the material covered in class and at times go beyond what is included in the curriculum.