This content was published: January 6, 2003. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Gear Up Offers High School Students Opportunities
Photos and story by James Hill
CASCADE CAMPUS – The Gear Up Project offers students a great opportunity to get the guidance they need and now they need adult mentors to continue providing help to students. The organization’s ASPIRE volunteer program sponsored by Portland Community College’s Cascade Campus and Jefferson High School offers one-on-one, adult-to-student mentoring. The mentoring for individual students is one hour per week and four hours per month. It is held in room B-35 of Jefferson High School, 5210 N. Kerby. ASPIRE volunteer advisors help high school students to envision a future of possibilities. They provide one-on-one mentoring that includes academic preparation, scholarship search, career exploration, college choice and financial aid."ASPIRE is not just for high achieving or ?at-risk’ students, but serves the whole student body,"said Phillip Christian, assistant director of Gear Up. "ASPIRE Advisors are matched with one-to-10 students. The ASPIRE program provides training and resource materials to volunteer mentors."The Gear Up Project provides mentors to Portland-area low-income middle- and high school students to help them succeed academically and prepare for college. PCC received a $2.8 million federal grant from the Department of Education to implement the five-year program, which runs until 2005.PCC will serve more than 105,000 part- and full-time students annually in a wide variety of programs this year. The college boasts three comprehensive campuses, four workforce training centers and approximately 200 community locations throughout its five-county district.For more information on Gear Up at the PCC Cascade Campus (705 N. Killingsworth), call 503-493-0131.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »