GEAR UP Week Continues: Rep. Fattah Celebrates With Rally at South Philadelphia High School

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA-02), architect of the nationally successful $3.67 billion GEAR UP college readiness program for students from low income families, today challenged GEAR UP students at South Philadelphia High School to use the program as a springboard to higher education - and higher income.

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Fattah delivered his inspirational message at the Philadelphia GEAR UP Day pep rally for the high school's 290 ninth grade students enrolled in the program - all wearing red and white T-shirts and waving rally towels that proclaimed, "GEARing UP for College." South Philly's Ram nickname insignia adorned the shirts.

GEAR UP - Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs - is currently operating at South Philadelphia, 11 other city high schools, and the 27 middle schools in their feeder system. Across the nation, the program has impacted 12 million students in 49 states, Washington D.C. and the American territories since its launch in 1999.

Today is the climax of National GEAR UP Week, Oct. 24-28, with observances, rallies, parental forums and other events coast to coast. In Philadelphia this is GEAR UP Day and Week as designated in a proclamation from the city's Mayor Michael Nutter that was read by South Philadelphia Principal Otis Hackney.

Fattah cited President Obama's goal that every American should have a college education or post-secondary training for the nation to compete in tomorrow's global economy. The U.S., he said used to be number one in its rate of college graduates and now has fallen to 16th in the world.

"Those countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow," Fattah said. "Our country has to educate enough people to do the work our country needs done. And you are on the front line."  Quoting Martin Luther King Jr., Fattah said, "You are the authors of your own lives....Your future will be determined by how much you want to succeed, work hard and get a good education."

Fattah said the students' incentive should be personal as well as patriotic. He pointed out the difference in lifetime earnings for a college graduate is one and a half million dollars more than those who stop after high school.

Congressman Fattah shared with students that his mom had graduated from South Philadelphia High and he had grown up nearby. Fattah modeled GEAR UP as his signature legislation in the late 1990s after a college access program developed in Philadelphia by the late Dr. Ruth Hayre, the city's first African American senior high school principal and first female president of the Board of Education.

Since President Clinton signed it into law, GEAR UP has grown into the nation's most successful college readiness program. It provides information for students and parents about college entrance requirements, scholarship resources, academic preparation, counseling and stay-to-graduate incentives.

"GEAR UP is based on the need to have a long-term conversation with our young people about their dreams, their life chances and college-going prospects," Fattah said. "We need to transfer expectations that would be normal in higher income households to these youngsters who may never have considered the college and career opportunities that are truly open to them."

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah