Parents and families get together for a Town Hall meeting to discuss how GEAR UP has helped them, and what they hope is next.

Visiting colleges is an important part of the GEAR UP experience. McCosh students visit Roosevelt University. For many students, this is their first college campus visit.

Each year GEAR UP Parent Partners sponsor a holiday celebration. It always includes a visit by college students who talk to families about college life. This year the parents were proud to present a panel of Woodlawn's own college students.

After reading The Pact last year as part of the book club. Parents along with students were able to meet the authors and hear in their own words their inspiring story of success.

Getting off to a good start is important, so parents came up with the idea for The Back to School Rally. It's for the parents as well as the children.

Parents planned and participated in over 100 workshops and events this last school year. View pictures of the Woodlawn Parent Programs for 2003 - 2004.

Yolanda Watson, parent/poet, writes about her experience as a GEAR UP parent. 5 years into the program, parents have come a long way, with a long way to go.

There are lots of workshops again this year for parents and kids. A Positive Parenting workshop series on Conflict Resolution, and a Financial Aid Workshop and more, much more....

GEAR UP Summer Scholars visit White Sox Park to learn more about careers in sports.

Gear UP clubs are forming this year all through the Woodlawn network. Here are examples from Dumas Elementary. Read more about Dumas Clubs.

February 15, 2003 - Teachers, parents, and students combine meetings to learn more about projects they are working on for GEAR UP. Here are some of the participants.