Heights High School and the Delisle Options Center recently celebrated GEAR UP Week, a nationwide observance that highlights the achievements of students and the impact of the GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) initiative. Both campuses embraced the theme “Planting Seeds,” facilitated locally by College Now Greater Cleveland, which inspired students to envision bright futures and take meaningful steps towards achieving their educational and career goals. This celebration was more than just a week of themed events – it was a vibrant reminder of the power of education, mentorship, and community support.
This year's GEAR Up theme of "Planting Seeds" symbolized growth, opportunity, and the future success that is achievable to all students. Each day, students engaged in fun, reflective, and career-focused activities that encouraged them to think about their personal and educational journeys.
The week began with “Rooted in Greatness,” where students showed school pride and added their dreams to a vibrant mural of a tree to represent growth and community. For “Seeds of Success at Home,” students reflected on their families’ perseverance and shared stories of inspiration with their GEAR UP advisors. Midweek, “Bloom with Your Character” brought creativity and reflection as students dressed as their favorite characters and explored how their own “stories” might unfold in college. “Drip for the Future” invited students to dress for their dream careers, culminating in a lively Career Day Fashion Show and Ice Cream Social to celebrate the students' career goals. The celebration concluded with “From Seeds to Degrees – No Cap, We’re College Bound,” a day dedicated to college pride and postsecondary readiness. Students and staff wore college and career gear, competed in a College Trivia Challenge, and captured memories in a 360-photo booth.
“GEAR UP Week allows our students to dream big and see themselves as future college graduates,” said Alicia Jordan, GEAR UP Manager. “We are not just celebrating this week – we’re planting seeds that will continue to grow for years to come.”
Through engaging activities, mentorship, and guidance, GEAR UP continues to increase student expectations, improve graduation and college enrollment rates, and raise awareness about postsecondary options and financial aid among students and families.
GEAR UP is a federally funded program through the U.S. Department of Education designed to help students – particularly those from low-income, minority, or first-generation backgrounds – prepare for and succeed in education beyond high school. At Cleveland Heights High School, the program currently serves 10th and 11th grade students, offering resources that build academic readiness, self-confidence, and postsecondary awareness. Through GEAR UP, students receive: college and career workshops, one-on-one college and career advising, college and career exposure opportunities, financial aid advising, transition support for postsecondary education, and school break programming.
College Now Greater Cleveland (CNGC), the organization facilitating GEAR UP locally, is a nonprofit and the first college access organization of its kind in the nation. Today, it remains the largest in Ohio and one of the largest in the country. Its mission is simple yet powerful: to increase college attainment through college access and success advising, financial aid counseling, scholarships, and retention services.
Together, College Now and GEAR UP share a vision – ensuring that every student has the tools, guidance, and encouragement to pursue higher education and achieve lifelong success.
And as this year’s GEAR UP Week came to an end, one message echoed throughout the halls of Cleveland Heights High School: Our students are rooted in greatness – and their futures are ready to bloom.