News

GEAR UP Director and Deputy Director of the Office of Rural Promise Corinne Smith to serve on NCCEP Board of Directors

Appalachian GEAR UP Director Elected to NCCEP Board of Directors
Jan 9, 2026

Corinne Smith, director of Appalachian GEAR UP and deputy director of the Office of Rural Promise (ORP), has been elected to serve a three-year term on the...

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New L.E.A.D Cohort Kicks Off at Appalachian State
Dec 19, 2025

On Saturday, December 6, Appalachian GEAR UP hosted the first L.E.A.D. Gather-Connect for the second cohort of the program.

GEAR UP, Front page

A Month in Review: November
Dec 4, 2025

November was another busy month for the Office of Rural Promise!

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TRIO Scholars Bowl 2023
Mar 31, 2023

Congratulations to the Appalachian State Upward Bound Scholars' Bowl teams that participated the in the NC TRIO State Student Initiative Competition earlier this mont

Upward Bound

Upward Bound Lighting the Way
Mar 21, 2023

Upward Bound is doing good things, not only for the students they serve, but for families and the High Country Community as a whole.

Upward Bound

Evolution of the STEM Based Family Design Nights
Mar 17, 2023

All systems go. T-minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, ignition 2, 1. We have liftoff on the Appalachian State GEAR UP Partnership’s Family Design Night.

GEAR UP

College Advising Reflection
Feb 10, 2023

Growing up homeschooled, I hadn’t thought much about college; I had always assumed I would go to school somewhere and probably major in history.

Advise NC

Western Rural Teacher Leader Network Announcement
Feb 1, 2023

The Rural Teacher Leadership Network (RTLN), is designed to bring together diverse groups of educa

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GEAR UP & Participate Learning Join Partnership to Focus on Western NC Schools
Jan 17, 2023

A new partnership between GEAR UP and Participate Learning seeks to join forces with 10 western North Carolina school districts to help promote college and career readiness...

GEAR UP

Behind the Scenes of First Generation
Jan 9, 2023

Growing up, I knew nothing about college. My mom and dad had me soon after they graduated high school. My dad attended trade school and still is a truck driver.

Advise NC, Front page

Perspective | North Carolina schools are anything but ‘low-performing’
Dec 16, 2022

Over the past three months, our team from the Empowering Teacher Learning (ETL) project at Appalachian State University has been traversing western North Carolina and engaging...

Empowering Teacher Learning, Front page