The Greenville Public School District is one of three districts in the state to receive support for middle and high school students aspiring to attend Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning through a U.S. Department of Education grant awarded to Mississippi State University.
The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant program prepares low-income students to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.
GPSD Interim Superintendent Dr. Debra Dace said the district will always put children first and do what is in their best interest.
“After reviewing the district’s strategic plan and the alignment of our vision, mission and goals, the GEAR UP grant definitely will be beneficial to the boys and girls here in our district. It’s a highly competitive grant program, and this grant allows us to pro
vide additional support and resources including post-secondary planning through supplemental programming to our middle and high school students,” Dace said.
In addition to Greenville, the grant will also support students in McComb and Meridian school districts.
The GEAR UP program has begun serving the current 7th grade students in partner middle schools, to increase academic performance, increase high school graduation rates, increase enrollment in postsecondary education and increase their knowledge of postsecondary education options, preparation and financing.
The 7th grade Cohort students will receive a $3,000 scholarship from GEAR UP upon high school graduation to attend a college or university in Mississippi. The scholarship will also be available to Greenville High School seniors graduating between 2021 and 2025.
GPSD Public Relations Specialist Everett Chinn said in addition to students in the partner school districts, Mississippians throughout the state will benefit from GEAR UP initiatives.
“Project partners will develop a virtual reality tour app that includes all of Mississippi’s public university and community colleges, as well as eight key industries. Additionally, a chatbot will be developed that can provide 24/7 responses to common state and federal financial aid questions,” Chinn said.
The Woodward Hines Education Foundation will provide financial aid application support for students and families and manage statewide ACT test prep services. RCU will work with the Mississippi Department of Education to provide targeted teacher training and STEM outreach.
For more on the U.S. Department of Education’s GEAR UP grant program, visit ed.gov/gearup/index.html.
For more information about GPSD, visit gvillepublicschooldistrict.com.
