GEAR UP Alumni Spotlight: Peyton Cline
May 14, 2025
Peyton Cline always knew that she was going to attend college.Growing up in a family of die-hard Duke fans that prioritized her education, Peyton was ...
2025 Swain County STEAM Expo
Apr 28, 2025
On Thursday, April 24, the STEAM Expo took place at Swain Middle School for the second year in a row. This event exposed students to different id...
Making Meaning in the Wake of Helene
Mar 26, 2025
In September 2024, western North Carolina experienced what has been described as a once-in-a-100 (to some once-in-1000) year storm. Hurricane Helene h...
GEAR UP Campus Visits Across North Carolina
Mar 14, 2025
One of the cornerstones of the Appalachian GEAR UP Program is campus visits. Research has shown that when students take trips to college campuses, esp...
Education Policy Fellowship Program 2024-2025 Cohort
Dec 12, 2024
Six faculty and staff in the Reich College of Education (RCOE) including two CAP staff members, and five educators from GEAR UP districts will be part...
Inaugural GEAR UP L.E.A.D Student Coalition Program Cohort Announced
Dec 9, 2024
The GEAR UP L.E.A.D Coalition Program launches its inaugural cohort this month, and 25 student leaders from across western North Carolina have been id...
Hurricane Relief & Support
Oct 29, 2024
In light of the devastation and destruction that Hurricane Helene left in its path across Western North Carolina, there has been an overwhelming outpo...
App State awarded $35 million grant to expand GEAR UP college access program
Sep 4, 2024
BOONE, N.C. — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a seven-year, $35 million GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Un...
Celebrating the GEAR UP Innovator of the Year: Honoring the Educators Who Transform Our Classrooms, Schools, and Communities
Jul 18, 2024
In the dynamic landscape of education, innovation is the heartbeat that drives progress and transformation. Behind every groundbreaking program, inspi...
2024 Academic Innovation Conference
Jul 18, 2024
Setting the tone for the 2024 Academic Innovation Conference (AIC), educators from western North Carolina congregated on the scenic campus of Appalach...