HONOLULU, Hawai‘i – Senate Education Committee chair, Senator Michele Kidani, along with Senators Breene Harimoto, Will Espero and Clarence Nishihara joined members of the House Committee on Education for an informational briefing today by the State Department of Education on the GEAR UP Hawai‘i program. GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.

The briefing, held on the campus of UH West O‘ahu, coincided with National GEAR UP Week and brought public school students, DOE administrators and GEAR UP project directors together to provide an update on the statewide effort to build college aspirations for economically disadvantaged students. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education whose mission is to significantly increase the number of low-income middle and high school students who are prepared to enter and succeed in secondary education.

There are three GEAR UP Programs in Hawai‘i: the Statewide GEAR UP Hawai‘i; Holomua GEAR UP, a partnership between UH West O‘ahu and Nanakuli-Wai‘anae Intermediate and High Schools; and GEAR UP Waipahu, a partnership between UH Mānoa and Waipahu Intermediate and High School.

Photo courtesy of Hawai’i P-20 Partnerships for Education