Promising Practices

The camp is designed to increase skills in science, reading and math, which school administration identified as a need for their students. In addition, students attend classes on a post-secondary campus and interact with college faculty. This project is designed to increase cooperation between secondary and post-secondary education by pairing college instructors with a middle school teacher.

Students participated in a three-week, half-day program on Gateway's Covington campus. They took courses in science, reading, math, and study skills. Curriculum consisted of activities based on the ACT Standards of Transition relative to the performance level of the students, designed to help them progress to a higher performance level on the EXPLORE and state testing. In addition to the academic component, students participated in theater and art activities. Lunch and transportation were provided for the academy.

The GEAR UP Program Coordinator visited every 7th grade class room, spoke with students about the academy, and encouraged ALL students to apply. Success was measured by conducting both pre- and post- activity surveys asking students about their plans for the future and the impact of the activity for them. In addition, student's grades and test scores will be tracked in the coming year to determine any impact on student performance.

Institutions should be approached 6-12 months in advance to allow adequate time for planning and staffing. University instructors teach the academic classes and are primarily responsible for developing the curriculum. A middle school teacher attends all instructional segments and team teaches with the post-secondary faculty, ensuring age-appropriate delivery of instruction.

$7,500 GEAR UP funds. Matching is significant and comes in the form of man hours provided by university staff in planning and executing the camp, as well as facility use. Matching also comes from secondary school personnel involved in recruiting students and hosting informational parent meetings. Total matching for this project has not yet been calculated as the project is ongoing.

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