GEAR UP Waco To Award $75,000 In College Scholarships

GEAR UP Waco will award $75,000 in college scholarships to 24 Waco ISD high school students - the first to complete the collaborative initiative focused on preparing at-risk students academically and socially for college - during the GEAR UP Champions Scholarship reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, at the Harrington House on the Baylor University campus. Congressman Chet Edwards will honor students during the awards ceremony at 7 p.m.
The scholarship was established by GEAR UP Waco to help build a bridge between the hard work that students put forth in high school and dreams of a college education. GEAR UP Waco will award three $5,000 scholarships and five $2,000 scholarships to eight students from each Waco ISD high school campus.
The GEAR UP Waco partnership, currently consisting of Baylor, Texas State Technical College, McLennan County Youth Collaboration, Waco ISD and the Waco Foundation, has made considerable strides over the past five years to become a community catalyst for educational change and a leader in college access and awareness both locally and nationally.
The $6 million program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, focuses on enabling more young Central Texans to stay in school, study hard and take the courses that can open the doors to college. GEAR UP programs strive to assist communities in creating plans that strengthen their schools and provide enrichment opportunities to help all students gain a pathway to a college education. The initiative currently impacts more than 6,700 students in grades 6-12 in the Waco ISD.
For more information, contact Matt Williams, GEAR UP Waco director, at (254) 710-4975, or go to www.gearupwaco.org.
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Available for interviews at the GEAR UP Waco Scholarship Reception: scholarship recipients; U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards; Matt Williams, GEAR UP Waco director; parents; GEAR UP partners; and community members.