Students Rising, Futures Shining
Unlocking Potential for Students and Families
GEAR UP ELEVATE is a brand-new (GEAR UP is new to us, but it’s not a new initiative state or nationwide) college and career readiness initiative made possible through a federal GEAR UP Partnership Grant awarded to the Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC). This multi-year program supports middle and high school students in twelve participating school districts across eastern and central Kentucky, helping them explore pathways to college, career, and lifelong success.
Through ELEVATE, KEDC joins forces with an incredible network of partners to create meaningful opportunities for students and families. Our higher-education partners include Morehead State University, Ashland Community & Technical College (ACTC), Hazard Community & Technical College (HCTC), Maysville Community & Technical College (MCTC), and Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College (SKCTC). We are also proud to collaborate with statewide and national partners such as the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA), the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, NCCEP, Mastery Prep, WhyTry, Pathways, the Kentucky Writing Project and the Kentucky Center for Mathematics—each contributing expertise, mentorship, and resources to help students thrive.
Because this grant has just launched, our website is still growing—much like the students we serve. Over time, we’ll be adding new resources, upcoming event details, success stories, and helpful tools for students, families, and educators. We invite you to check back often as we expand and share updates from our schools and partners.
What is GEAR UP?
The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) initiative is one of the largest and most effective programs focused on increasing the college and career readiness of low-income students in communities nationwide. GEAR UP is a highly competitive grant program that helps empower local partnerships comprised of K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, state agencies, and community organizations to achieve three strategic goals:
Strategic Goal #1
Increasing the postsecondary expectations and readiness of students.
Strategic Goal #2
Improving high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment rates.
Strategic Goal #3
Raising the knowledge of postsecondary options, preparation, and financing among students and families.
In 2023-24, GEAR UP served 588,068 students enrolled in 3,137 secondary schools in almost every state. To be eligible for GEAR UP, a minimum of 50% of a school’s student body must be enrolled in the federal free and reduced-price lunch (FRL) program.
What makes ELEVATE GEAR UP Unique?
