About

 

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus is a proud partner of GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, our program aims to give back to the communities that started it all, the plantation communities.

This is the first partnership grant of Gear Up here in the islands.  A partnership grant is a singular grant which covers more than one location or site.  These sites include Wahiawa (Leilehua), Hilo, and Waipahu.  

Gear Up Mānoa is a grant with a purpose: to increase a college going culture, awareness, and also to educate parents as well as students on the benefits of post secondary education.   We hope that in doing so we will significantly increase the number of low-income students pursuing and succeeding in higher education, including attending the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa — the flagship campus within the 10-campus UH system.

Gear Up Mānoa is very aware of the great things that can come from a college degree but also understand that college may not be for all, this is why we also would like to highlight the fact that there are careers such as trades or military.  These are great post secondary options that do not require a college degree, and we would like to educate parents and students on these options as well.  Being a plumber, electrician, truck driver, or any other trade may not be the most glamorous but what would society do without them?

For more information on GEAR UP at the federal and state level, check here for more details: