Exploration Lab Reports: Crowdsourcing the Wisdom of the GEAR UP Community
One of GEAR UP’s greatest strengths is the people in our professional community. This fact informs NCCEP’s initiatives to build connections to share, learn, and problem-solve during and outside of our two annual events.
At our most recent Capacity-Building Workshop in February 2022, participants had the option to attend four different Exploration Labs. These sessions were a departure from the usual “sage on the stage” model, instead focusing on the participants as the experts. The goal: to crowdsource promising practices and new solutions to common challenges.
“[It was] great to connect with other people who do the same sorts of things I do in different places to gain a variety of perspectives while starting from a place of commonality. Sparked a lot of ideas!”
Small groups discussed, brainstormed, and recorded their ideas during a two-hour session. The collective input of the group is synthesized in brief Lab Reports. Whether you attended the Exploration Lab or not, these documents give you a window into the root causes of key struggles, best practices from GEAR UP programs across the country, and new ideas to try.
DOWNLOAD THE EXPLORATION LAB REPORTS
Motivating Students to Attend GEAR UP Programming
You are not alone if you have ever spent time and money to design important GEAR UP programming for students – and then no one shows up. It’s a discouraging experience for GEAR UP practitioners with the best of intentions. Participants worked together to diagnose why students aren’t motivated to attend, then shared and brainstormed strategies to increase participation in GEAR UP activities.
Strengthening GEAR UP Compliance and Operations
Administering a GEAR UP grant is remarkably challenging. Participants identified important stakeholders and a broad range of issues related to compliance and operations. Key challenges addressed: do’s and don’ts of GEAR UP funds; GEAR UP policies and procedures; navigating match; subawards; carryover funds and no-cost extensions; impact of COVID and GEAR UP operations; and navigating audits.
Here to Stay – Innovations from the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has tested all of us personally and professionally, changing what GEAR UP does and how we do our work. Participants shared the challenges they have faced during the pandemic and reflected on the things they have learned and done during the pandemic that they will either keep doing or will try moving forward.
Building trust with families is an essential and often overlooked element of successful family engagement. After identifying the reasons why families might not trust GEAR UP programs or staff, participants discussed solutions that have worked for them and brainstormed new ideas to try.
Be sure to share your own expertise and join your GEAR UP colleagues across the country at future Exploration Labs!