[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 124 (Thursday, September 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            PROCLAIMING NATIONAL GEAR UP WEEK IN EL PASO, TX

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BETO O'ROURKE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 19, 2013

  Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the week of 
September 23, 2013 as National GEAR UP Week at Socorro Independent 
School District and Ysleta Independent School District in El Paso, TX.
  The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs 
(GEAR UP) is a federally funded, competitive grant program designed to 
increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter 
and succeed in postsecondary education. GEAR UP serves low-income, 
minority and disadvantaged students and their families from underserved 
communities who might be the first person in their family to go to 
college. The program provides multi-year grants to states to deliver 
resources to students and their families, starting in middle school and 
onward, to help them achieve their dreams of attaining a postsecondary 
education.
  GEAR UP includes interventions such as tutoring, mentoring, rigorous 
academic preparation, financial education and college scholarships to 
improve access to higher education for low income, minority and 
disadvantaged first-generation students and their families. The program 
is built around public-private partnerships, enlisting resources from 
government, business and community groups to support low-income 
students as they prepare to enter and succeed in college.
  The GEAR UP-SOAR (Solutions for Optimal Academic Readiness) and GEAR 
UP-Proyecto MAS is a partnership of the Socorro Independent School 
District, Ysleta Independent School District and the University of 
Texas at El Paso. Over 8,000 El Paso students have benefited from their 
participation in these GEAR UP Projects focused on college readiness.
  The program helps the University of Texas at El Paso, Socorro 
Independent School District and Ysleta Independent School District 
fulfill their missions to provide a quality education for all students, 
helping them achieve their highest potential. I thank GEAR UP for 
increasing the number of low-income and minority El Paso students who 
are college ready, and helping these students enter and succeed in 
higher education.

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