Gear Up Week Kicks Off With Pep Rally At Appling Middle School

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The city of Macon and Bibb County declared this week as Gear Up Week, Monday morning.

Gear Up is a federal program, aimed to get low income students into high school, and then through college. Gear Up stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. The seven year, $20 million program is for all 7th and 8th grade middle school students within the Bibb County Public School system.

Students at Appling Middle School spent the morning in a pep rally, with music, skits, and a speech by Bibb County School Superintendent Dr. Romain Dallemand. Dallemand stressed the importance of always looking ahead in life, and not focusing on the problems behind the students.

Bibb County Deputy Superintendent of School Improvement and Redesign, Susanne Griffin-Ziebert, says this program is worded closely to Dallemand’s Strategic Plan.

“It also follows them (the students) for one year after college, to ensure there’s some support, and they have success.”

Gear Up aims for students’ success through mentoring programs, college course work preparations, and math programs to make sure students are ready for post-secondary education. It also teaches students how to save money, and spend it wisely while in college.

“We are putting things in place to make sure kids actually get a quality education, and are able to have the opportunities that they want in their future. There’s nothing better than that,” Griffin-Ziebert explains.