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The Imperial County Office of Education has received a more than $12 million federal GEAR UP grant aimed at expanding college and career readiness by supporting a single cohort of students from middle school through their first year of college.
“This is an excellent opportunity for our students to receive additional support as they move through their education and into high school,” said Norberto Nuñez, principal of Wilson Jr. High School. “With the program’s STEM focus, it can help students succeed in science and encourage those interested in science-related careers to pursue higher education with added guidance and resources.”
The seven-year grant, totaling just over $12 million, will follow one group of students beginning in seventh grade and provide academic, counseling, and family engagement services through their transition into postsecondary education.
“This is really about our community and how we support and prepare students for postsecondary education,” said Denise Cabanilla, senior director of Higher Education and Adult Learning at the Imperial County Office of Education.
The GEAR UP program — Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs — is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and is designed to increase high school graduation rates, college enrollment, and postsecondary completion among students from underserved communities.
The seven-year grant will run from October 2025 through Sept. 30, 2032, supporting 2,352 current seventh-grade students across 13 participating middle school sites. Participating schools include Calexico schools such as Enrique Camarena and Willie Moreno schools; Westmorland, Meadows Elementary; Barbara Worth Junior High; Padilla-Pace Middle School in Brawley; Bill Young Junior High in Calipatria; and Frank Wright Middle School, among others.
Throughout the grant period, the program will offer professional development for teachers and school counselors, workshops for parents and students, mentoring opportunities, and expanded exposure to college campuses. Services will also include assistance with college and university applications, financial aid, and FAFSA completion, and career exploration.
“This is a one-cohort grant where we’ll follow students beginning in seventh grade through their first year of college,” Cabanilla said. “Along the way, we’ll be increasing knowledge and awareness of postsecondary options and providing the support students and families need to navigate the process.”
This marks the county’s second GEAR UP grant. The first was awarded in 2006 and followed students over a similar timeframe. According to Cabanilla, the earlier program produced measurable outcomes.
“We saw significant increases in the number of students who graduated from high school, increases in students who were college and career ready, and increases in the number of students who applied to and attended college the fall after graduation,” she said. “We also saw an increase in students who actually completed college.”
She noted that the initial GEAR UP grant coincided with the partnership between Imperial Valley College and San Diego State University, known as SDSU-IV Campus, creating what she described as a “good synergy” that expanded local access to four-year degrees.
“Many of the professionals you see in our community today, educators, law enforcement, people in government, are former GEAR UP students,” Cabanilla said, adding that one of those former participants is now a member of her staff.
The new grant will place greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and incorporate updated strategies to reflect changes in technology and student learning styles.
“The strategies we use have to be appropriate for today’s students and their parents, but the reality is that any education and information we provide our community enhances college-going and graduation rates,” Cabanilla said.
County education leaders say the program is also tied to broader economic goals.
“To ensure that we have a strong workforce so we can attract more business and industry to our community, this work is essential,” Cabanilla said. “We’re building on the good work schools are already doing in Imperial County.”
Cabanilla said programs like GEAR UP are expected to continue nationally because of their role in strengthening workforce development and educational attainment.
“The more educated and trained our communities are, the better it is for the economy,” she said. “Programs like GEAR UP benefit not just students, but the country as a whole.”
