GEAR UP staff and students told the Marshalltown board on Sept. 15 that the program provided college and career exposure for eighth graders now in the class of 2029 and that advising and site visits will continue throughout the year.

Program coordinator Tracy (speaker) summarized participation: "last year, all students attended an on-site hands on career fair. 209 students attended at least 1 college visit. 53 students attended a career focused job site visit." She said advising will be delivered in small groups and one-on-one sessions, and that the district had planned at least 13 college and career site visits for the coming weeks.

Students who spoke endorsed GEAR UP's impact. Angelia French told the board the program "has been great for my transition from middle school to high school" and said the advising helped her identify colleges and majors. Kenny Nagayan, a freshman, said the program benefits low-income and first-generation students and "could be a great impact because... it helps everybody." Students named colleges planned for visits, including Coe, Iowa State, University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa, Kirkwood and Ellsworth.

Board members thanked the students and program staff and noted the program's role helping students who may not otherwise be able to visit campuses. The presentation emphasized hands-on visits and targeted advising for the ninth-grade cohort and noted that trip capacity is intentionally limited per trip to preserve the quality of the experience.

The board received the report as informational; no formal action was requested or taken.