Rep. Fattah and Secretary Duncan speak at GEAR UP Conference in Washington DC

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) joined U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in speaking at the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships/GEAR UP Annual Conference in Washington D.C., highlighting an educational program that has prepared 12 million low-income and underserved young people for college.

Over 1,600 attendees gathered at the conference to discuss Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), which was created and guided into law by Fattah in 1998. GEAR UP is a federal grant program that provides six-year grants to education/community partnerships and states to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. Beginning no later than the seventh grade, GEAR UP provides services at high-poverty middle and high schools and college scholarships to low-income students.

"This program levels the playing field for young people, allowing them not only to go to college, but to thrive once there," Fattah said. "No matter what their income levels, students can achieve when given the opportunity, and opportunity is what GEAR UP is about."

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who also spoke to the conference's 1,600 attendees, has described GEAR UP as a program that is integral to helping students succeed. "We know innovative programs like GEAR UP that intervene early can make all the difference in whether young people go to college," Duncan said when announcing $177 million in GEAR UP grants last September. "These grants provide the mentoring, support, and financial aid that will give thousands of students a greater opportunity to achieve success in postsecondary education."

In Philadelphia, part of Pennsylvania's second Congressional District, which Fattah represents, over 6,000 students currently participate in GEAR UP. But Philadelphia is just one location in a program that has directed $4 billion in federal resources to 49 states as well as U.S. territories. The program, which the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) supports, is crafted to the unique needs of the students in each location. The annual conference is an opportunity for GEAR UP participants to share what works best.

At this year's conference, which runs through July 25, GEAR UP professionals will share their strongest programs, most successful partnerships, and best institutional practices. The event is also an important gathering for college access professionals who coordinate their efforts with GEAR UP programs, and for policy makers who want to learn more about creating and sustaining community collaboratives designed to improve public education and promote student success.

"GEAR UP has remained successful since 1998 because of the students who participate and the professionals who make it work," Fattah said. "This conference allows GEAR UP practitioners to evaluate what works, and the program is more effective as a result."

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah