 College Knowledge Workshops/Presentations o 2017-2018 – So Far . . .  UCSC GEAR UP have facilitated workshops and presentations that have reached over 230 cohort students at Marina High School.  UCSC GEAR UP staff have facilitated workshops and presentations that have reached over 400 cohort students at Seaside High School.  Parent Academies o Marina High  9/4: (Wednesday) ELAC Meeting and PA Orientation  11 parents attended this academy.  9/25: (Monday) AB 288 Informational Session  11 parents attended this academy.  10/4: (Wednesday) Socioemotional Support Strategies  10/11: (Wednesday) Academic Knowledge and Preparedness  10/18: (Wednesday) Financial Aid / Financial Literacy  11/8: (Wednesday) ELAC / Parent Academy Closing o Seaside High  9/19: (Tuesday) ELAC Meeting and PA Orientation  65 parents attended this academy.  10/3: (Tuesday) Education and Athletics  10/17: (Tuesday) Academic Knowledge and Preparedness  11/7: (Tuesday) Socioemotional Support Strategies  11/28: (Tuesday) Financial Aid and Financial Literacy  12/5 (Tuesday) ELAC/ Parent Academy Closing *94% of Parent Academy graduates collectively demonstrated advanced college knowledge last academic year and we’re excited to build upon this progress.  Parent Leaders
o In an effort to impact the sustainability of family services, our project trains Parent Academy graduates to work alongside GEAR UP staff in providing services to cohort students and families. I’m thrilled to announce that we have launched this aspect of our Family Engagement Model, with 6 Parent Leaders actively engaged in programming and advising across both school sites (SHS & MaHS)  College Visits (Students/Parents) o 9/30/17  FIC/Family Services Fieldtrip to UCSC and the Santa Cruz Wharf o 9/21/17  Aquarium / Waste Management Fieldtrip in Collaboration with MaHS Recent Highlights: National GEAR UP Week In celebration of National GEAR UP Week, UCSC GEAR UP staff worked with district and community partners to host a series of events and services throughout the week at each partner school site. Upcoming Events/Services: Bite of Reality, in Collaboration with Grant Partner Bay Federal Credit Union UC Santa Cruz’s GEAR UP and Bay Federal Credit Union are collaborating to host “Bite of Reality” at Marina High School on Oct. 11 Bay Federal Credit Union’s curriculum “Bite of Reality” is a hands-on simulation of realistic financial challenges that students will inevitably encounter in their lifetime. The program begins with students receiving a fictional occupation, salary, and real-world responsibilities. Once students learn the basics of a checking account, they’re presented with competing priorities and must work to create a budget that balances various anticipated and unforeseen expenses. “Bite of Reality” allows students to apply financial literacy knowledge in real-life situations and does not include sales pitches or promotional advertisements of any kind. After completing the program, students have shared that they have a deeper understanding of prioritizing expenses, living within their means, and sensible spending habits. *This program will be held at Seaside High School in Spring 2018 – dates TBD Intersession Academies (Fall Break): In an effort to impact goals and objectives aligned with improving the academic advancement of cohort students, GEAR UP has partnered with MaHS and SHS to offer cohort students tutorial support during Fall Break in core A-G subjects. GEAR UP in collaboration with Admin/Counseling teams at each site worked to identify students that were struggling in core classes. We have started a comprehensive outreach/recruitment strategy to ultimately reduce the number of cohort students receiving a D or F in core subjects.