More than 3,500 Milwaukee Public Schools students gathered at American Family Field on Wednesday, celebrating the district’s Team GEAR UP college and career readiness program in grand-slam fashion.

As students gathered on two levels in seats behind the third-base dugout, leaders from MPS and partners from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee rallied those in attendance to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the grant-funded program. Wednesday was also declared Milwaukee Public Schools Team GEAR UP Day by Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

The district was awarded a $23 million Team GEAR UP grant from the Department of Education last fall. The seven-year award provides $3.2 million annually and was matched dollar for dollar by MPS and grant partners, totaling $46 million of investment in preparing MPS students for life after high school.

Team GEAR UP helps MPS students get ready for college, careers, and life after high school with a focus on increasing academic achievement, high school graduation rates, and college enrollment and retention.

Students who are part of Team GEAR UP benefit from a variety of opportunities, including one-on-one and small-group advising and academic planning, mentoring, tutoring and transition support. Those students will also be well positioned to take advantage of gifted and talented opportunities, career academies and dual enrollment opportunities, organized college visits and a college preparatory math pathway.

GEAR UP is an acronym, standing for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.

John Hill, MPS director of College and Career Readiness, said the event served as an opportunity to give students and teachers knowledge and awareness of the grant. But it also served as a chance to build excitement about the opportunity.

“We want to get them energized about it, so they want to participate in those activities that are outside of the traditional school day,” Hill said. “So we thought we could show the power of GEAR UP to the students, and you look around and see 3,000 to 4,000 students here.

“The teachers can see, too, that this is something that can really benefit the students, because these students — it will follow them for seven years. They have lots of opportunities they’ll be afforded because of this grant.”
– John Hill

The initiative began by serving MPS students in grades 4-7 a year ago, and will follow them through their first year of college or other postsecondary education.

Danita Tyler, principal at Lincoln Center for the Arts, encouraged students to embrace the opportunities this grant provides.

“As a principal, I see firsthand how powerful GEAR UP can be when students lean in,” Tyler said “Take advantage of the tutoring, the mentoring, the workshops, the college and career exploration, and the relationships. Every opportunity you engage in is a step toward the future you deserve.”

Ericca Pollack, who also spoke at the event and is one of MPS’s leaders for the grant, told students about ways the grant can open their minds to future opportunities aligned with their interests.

“Through Team GEAR UP, you’ll visit colleges, meet mentors, and learn about jobs in medicine, business, technology, engineering, and art,” Pollack said. “Maybe you love drawing, helping people, fixing things, or figuring out how something works. There are careers connected to those interests, and we want to help you discover them. A great career can help you pay your bills, do work you enjoy, and build a life you’re proud of.”