About Us

In November 2017, Duval County Public Schools received a seven-year, $12-million-dollar grant from the US Department of Education (USDOE) to administer the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Potential (GEAR UP) program. The ultimate goal of the GEAR UP Project is to empower students to attain a high school diploma and achieve enrollment in a college or university through comprehensive academic and support services. This project serves a cohort of over 2,000 students in 10 middle schools across Duval County beginning in 7th grade through the completion of their first year of college. The strategic alignment of the GEAR UP program is to develop the whole child through services such as mentoring, individual/group counseling, and academic/social supports.