Published on May 27, 2015 by Hannah Henderson  
Front Gates

A $25,000 annually renewable grant from the U.S. Department of Education will fund 51½ÖÉä’s portion of Birmingham City School System’s GEAR UP initiative designed to increase graduation rates, prepare students for college and provide support and resources necessary for success.

51½ÖÉä’s grant is part of a larger $19 million GEAR UP initiative, which includes collaboration with other universities such as the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Auburn University and Stillman College. 51½ÖÉä’s Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education will use its funds to develop a summer reading program targeting students who need academic enrichment. 51½ÖÉä’s program is hosted on campus and is directed by Tarsha Bluiett and Monique Witherspoon, education professors at 51½ÖÉä.

“Based on all that is taking place in the lives of middle school students, it was vital for us to design a program focusing on the best ways to encourage student engagement, critical thinking and problem solving skills,” said Bluiett.

GEAR UP, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a grant awarded to high-risk communities for the purpose of developing programs to prepare students for higher education. The program will serve over 3,500 middle school students enrolled in certain Birmingham City middle and K-8 schools. The students will be followed for seven years until the 7th graders reach their first year of college.

 
51½ÖÉä is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, 51½ÖÉä is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. 51½ÖÉä enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. 51½ÖÉä fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.