Time is MARCHing On!

BLOG POST

Once again, this month's blog is not a blog! We are featuring an interview with Diana Vang, GEAR UP Specialist at Durango High School! You can read it here!

Summer Bridge Updates!

As we know, this summer, we will be holding new and improved summer bridge programs. NDE has confirmed that they can cover the cost of the rising senior program up to $10,000 so there is now a budget to work with to design an extraordinary experience for approximately 60 students. NDE approved a switch to servicing juniors/rising seniors rather than graduating seniors/rising college freshmen. ASPIRE Director, Nicole Stella is planning and organizing the overnight event along with our Specialists. This event is scheduled for June 3-4 on the UNLV campus. NDE also approved the NSHE summer bridge programs for incoming freshmen to transition to a retention event for current GEAR UP freshmen. Stay tuned as more exciting details are planned.

FAFSA Completions

We are in the thick of FAFSA completion season for both high schools seniors and college freshmen continuing into their sophomore year. According to Nevada.FAFSAtracker.com, current completion rates for most of our GEAR UP schools ranges from 17.7% to 30%. That is, except for our leader, Mineral County High School which has a 53.1% FAFSA completion rate for their senior class! Woot! Woot! Yes, it is a small class but that is still quite an accomplishment, especially in these uncertain times! Go Serpents!!

NCCEP Annual Conference

July 13-16, 2025

Save the date! NCCEP's annual conference, will be held in San Francisco this year! The conference theme this year is, Planting Seeds. "Within every seed, lies the promise of transformation - a bridge from today's dreams to tomorrow's realities. A seed represents hope, resilience, and how small, everyday actions can create monumental change. This conference is a reminder that our work is strongest when rooted in community. Together we plant, nurture, and grow a future where opportunity is within reach for us all." If you haven't attended a national conference before, you don't want to miss it! NCCEP always puts on a great conference with inspiring keynote speakers and an amazing array of break out sessions. There is something for everyone! Registration will be opening in May.

Social Media

(For all students, parents, staff and supporters)

If you have any suggestions for our social media, let Jana or Janet know! We are open to new ideas to help grow our following! Don't forget to like and follow @gearupnv on any or all of our social media platforms! You can use the icons above to access the GEAR UP accounts. We would love for you to tag us and interact whenever possible!

More Photos!

College and Career Fairs 2025

Our annual College & Career Fairs were held a little earlier than usual this year! Throughout the first week of March, our GEAR UP team hosted our annual College & Career Fairs at each of our GEAR UP high schools in southern Nevada. Students were able to learn about various colleges, trades, and careers options both within and outside of the state. At each high school, teachers were given the opportunity to bring their classes to the fairs, while the fairs continued throughout the lunch periods as well, so it was accessible to all students at the school. Thank you to all of the community and program partners for showing and up and sharing information with our GEAR UP students! Huge shout out to our GEAR UP Specialists & Facilitator for putting these together and our GEAR UP FYCAs in southern Nevada for attending them all! Another successful week of fairs is complete!

So long Javier!

Oh no! The time has come to say so long and farewell to Javier Smith as he has tendered his resignation from NDE. Javier has been our Project Director for the last 3 years. Javier says he doesn't have any specific post-GEAR UP plans, just that he is looking for a "fresh start" and he wouldn't mind winning the lottery.

Thank you for all of your help and your leadership! Wherever the road takes you, Javier, you do you! Just know we will be here missing you!

Mad City Money

In February, a few of our GEAR UP high schools partnered with the Center for Financial Empowerment to host Mad City Money Workshops for students. This financial literacy event simulates a real-life situation for each student that allows them to make financial decisions for themselves and a “family” that they are given. For this workshop, students are required to purchase various necessities (i.e. housing, transportation, meals, childcare, etc.), but get to choose how much they would like to spend in each area. In addition to a family (yes, a spouse AND child), students are also given a career, income amount, debt, and a credit score among other things. Oh, and we can’t forget the “Fickle Finger of Fate” that showed up randomly for students with either good or bad news that impacted their expenses. During this activity, if students end up spending more than they have, they have to visit the credit union to return some items and re-purchase something within their budget (that nice, new sports car was great while it lasted!). At the end, students are able to share their reasons why they made their financial decisions and some takeaways from this experience. Both students and volunteers enjoyed this fun experience, sharing positive feedback and looking forward to another opportunity to visit the world of Mad City Money. Special thank you to Rize Credit Union and MGM Resorts for sponsoring these events! For more information on this great program, visit https://www.center4fe.org/mad-city-money 

April Awareness Calendars, Mad City Money, College and Career Fair Photos