GEAR UP Compton will host a 6-week summer program at seven school sites from June 15th to July 24th. The UCI Gaining Early Awareness Readiness Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Compton will be supporting 350 students in 8th and 9th grade, providing academic support in Math and English Language Arts.
In addition, students will have the opportunity of taking various electives thanks to our community partners which include, My 1 of 1 (clothing design and business), Young Musicians Foundation (music production and ukulele classes), Liftoff Pictures (Advocacy through Film), Roots Down LA (nutrition, gardening, and culinary courses), Vertical Farming (culinary competitions), and Inner-City Arts (visual art classes).
Some students will also participate in a robotics program where students will get to move rovers remotely through a large map of Latin America. As part of the robotics course, students will also take a Latin American Studies course so that students can apply what they learned as they move rovers remotely.
My 1 of 1, a design-your-own-apparel company, will host their unique 1of1 Student Creativity and Entrepreneurship Virtual Experience to multiple GEAR UP cohorts.
As part of the experience, the GEAR UP cohorts will engage in live interactive workshops that empower students to utilize their inner creativity, and learn about elements of branding and entrepreneurship. Students will use an innovative online design studio where they will be given the opportunity to design their own t-shirts, tank tops, tote bags, and other accessories that they will receive after the program. Students will also be allowed to set up their personal brand page on the My 1 of 1 website to start selling their products.
Students involved in the summer program will also have the opportunity to learn the value of nutrition, horticulture (micro gardens), and culinary skills through the curriculum of Root Down LA. The curriculum will include group discussions, cooking demonstrations, and healthy food tastings. Students will receive a food supplies VISA gift card along with recipes so that they could follow the culinary instructor step by step. The goal of these workshops is to have students understand the true cost of fast food versus healthy food (i.e., health, financial, environmental) while exploring opportunities in the food/culinary industry.
In the end, the idea of this GEAR UP summer program is that students have the opportunity for an enriching and fun summer while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Interested in learning more about GEAR UP? Please visit their program website.