Approximately 70 students from the Russellville School District and the Clarksville School District participated in the inaugural Arkansas Tech University GEAR UP Adventure Camp.
The camp began on Monday, June 16, and continued through Friday, June 20. It was for students entering the seventh and eighth grades in the school districts at Russellville and Clarksville and is part of a larger, federally-funded effort to prepare students for post-secondary education through the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) initiative.
“I hope the students develop a desire to continue learning about survival skills,” said Sheila Gamero, ATU GEAR UP director. “Our camp is really focusing on safety, so I’m hoping they take those skills with them. I hope they are learning to love our campus at Arkansas Tech. They are spending a lot of time here, getting to know each other more and getting to know us. We’re having a great time, learning a lot and spending a lot of time together.”
ATU GEAR UP Adventure Camp participants ran the Russellville Junior Firefighter Challenge obstacle course under the guidance of Capt. Ken Lederman from the Russellville Fire Department as part of their safety training.
In addition to safety workshops, camp participants also engaged in leadership sessions, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities, ATU campus tours and opportunities to swim at the Russellville Aquatic Center.
ATU was one of 26 educational entities across the United States chosen for a GEAR UP grant from the U.S. Department of Education beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.
The grant, which is anticipated to last seven years and total $6.1 million, will allow ATU to serve 1,157 students from the Clarksville School District and the Russellville School District.
Goals of the ATU GEAR UP program are to increase the academic performance and preparation for post-secondary education of participating students; increase the rate of high school graduation and participation in post-secondary education; and educate students and their families about higher education options, preparation and financing for success in post-secondary education.
Arkansas Tech was the lone educational entity in the State of Arkansas that received a GEAR UP grant for the 2024-25 cycle. ATU GEAR UP staff members will continue working with the same cohort of Russellville and Clarksville students all the way through their graduation from high school.
“It’s nice to put faces with it,” said Gamero when asked about meeting the ATU GEAR UP students. “It makes it real. I can see who we’re doing this for, and I love that. I can see the students growing already, and I look forward to watching them continue to grow throughout the program.”
Learn more at www.atu.edu/ceh/gearup.php.
