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GEAR UP Achieve student Olaleken Fagbodun stands on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol holding a proclamation signed by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey.

GEAR UP Achieve student Olalekan Fagbodun, a sophomore from region 9 school Booker T. Washington High School, poses with the National GEAR UP Week proclamation signed by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey.

As she affixed her signature to a proclamation declaring the observance of National GEAR UP Week in the state of Alabama in a signing ceremony on Sept. 10 at the Alabama State Capital, Governor Kay Ivey acknowledged the impact that the program is making across the state. Through college visits, financial aid awareness, academic support and more, GEAR UP Achieve, an initiative of Auburn University’s College of Education and Auburn Outreach, is moving the needle toward greater postsecondary awareness and access among its cohort of nearly 6,500 10th grade students statewide.

National GEAR UP Week, observed this year from September 21-25, will feature a number of keystone events to engage students in the theme of the week: Lighting the Way – from Vision to Victory.

“This year we wanted to build off one central GEAR UP Week theme to really hone our activities and messaging in all seven of our regions,” Erika Rucker, GEAR UP Achieve director, said. “Through this intentionality, we hope our students will be able to visualize themselves achieving their postsecondary goals. We know they have the potential and our team is energized by their enthusiasm.”

From Region 3 up near the northern border down to Regions 10 and 11 near the Gulf and spanning the state from east to west, GEAR UP Achieve students will celebrate National GEAR UP week with events that promote college and career awareness, school and college pride, goal setting and student engagement.

Additionally, the program will host regional student summits where students will hear from and engage with GEAR UP Achieve partners such as nationally recognized motivational speaker Chris Collins of CoolSpeak and explore career pathways through QuantHub, among other partners.

“Through these college and career readiness experiences, we are helping students collect the building blocks that they will use to plan for life after high school,” Rucker said.

Follow GEAR UP Achieve on social media for a full run-down of National GEAR UP Week events.

Established in fall 2023 at Auburn University, GEAR UP Achieve is a seven-year federally funded grant program that follows a cohort of students from middle school through their first year of postsecondary education or career placement. Scholarships to accredited institutions of higher education will be available to students who complete the GEAR UP Achieve program.

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a national initiative designed to increase college readiness and success among students. By providing early exposure to academic pathways, career opportunities and college environments, the program supports both individual student achievement and broader workforce development across Alabama and beyond.