What is GEAR UP?
    GEAR UP is a joint effort of The Citadel and the Commission on Higher Education (CHE) that:

•         Targets 50 7th graders each year to participate in 20 Saturday academies and a three-week summer institute.
•         Provides these students with academic enrichment and support through their 12th grade year.
•         Provides students with the encouragement and support to help them graduate from high school.
•         Provides assistance in applying to an appropriate institution of post-secondary education.

This program will:
            "provide creative and challenging activities in science, mathematics,
             language, literature, computer and technology, art and music."

In addition, it will provide "studying and testing strategies and other academic enrichment experiences for these students each year as they move from grade 7 to grade 12."

One goal of the program is to nurture a love for learning in a non-traditional academic setting that will encourage students to pursue post-secondary education.  The curriculum for this program will be delivered through two types of events:

 
Saturday Academies:

We will hold 10 Saturday Academies, from 9am to 1pm, meeting on The Citadel campus.  The hours may be longer on days when activities demand more time.
 

 Summer Institutes:
 
Parental Involvement:
    The active involvement of parents and guardians is critical to students' successful participation.  We will ask parents/guardians to provide input into the programming and to attend workshops that will help them understand what opportunities are open to their children and how to take advantages of them.  In addition, parents and students of the target schools (Alice Birney and Fort Johnson);