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Area students 'gear up' for higher education at Sul Ross
By Jason Hennington / Special to the Avalanche
Although college remains a few years in the distance, 130 area students continued to "Gear Up" for higher education at Sul Ross State University. The weeklong program was held June 9-13.
Gear Up, a U.S. Department of Education grant program, helps students get a jump on the higher education process while still in junior high. Participating students entered the program as seventh-graders in fall 2005, and they are expected to stay involved through a summer college bridge program after high school graduation in 2011.
"Our main goal is help these students pursue their education after high school," said Sul Ross Gear Up director Aster Trevino. "We want them to go to college, not just have a high school diploma."
There are 130 students from 14 schools involved in the program from nine Texas counties bordering Mexico. Participating schools include Alpine, Balmorhea, Fort Stockton, Grandfalls, Imperial, Marathon, Marfa, Pecos, Presidio, Sanderson, Sierra Blanca, Terlingua, Valentine and Van Horn.
Staff members, teachers and mentors are from various towns as well. A number of Sul Ross students and students from other universities serve as mentors, while teachers from each school district also participate. They live in the Lobo Village residential complex during the program.
Gear Up has a Quantum Learning workshop for students and teachers, to help schools get ready for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test (TAKS). For students, Quantum Learning teachers were brought in to hold workshops that use games and fun activities to teach effective techniques and study habits.
Quantum Learning for teachers is a workshop on methods for building a strong foundation, a positive atmosphere of rapport and respect, and a supportive environment. The workshops also train teachers on improving presentation skills, designing engaging lessons and identifying types of learners. Teachers learn strategies for effective classroom management, accelerating learning, making content more meaningful and supporting standards-based curriculum.
"Gear Up provides everything from tutoring to tools for teaching," said Lali Rivera, Gear Up coordinator.
Dr. Shirley Cook, a professional development consultant, was brought to Sul Ross as a part of the Quantum Learning program. Cook has developed, written and edited course materials for the classroom, correspondence study, teleconference, video productions and professional seminars. Her research has also produced specialized programs for alternative schools, summer programs and tutorials.
Along with workshops and classes, Gear Up offered field trips; the students split into groups and alternated field trips.
"Fifty went to Prude Ranch while 50 went to Fort Stockton to go bowling," Trevino said. "The rest stayed here for activities and then went to the Rangra Theatre. There are so many we had to split them into groups."
For more information on Gear Up, call 432-837-8024.
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