READFIELD — GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Maine has partnered with SEEDS Training (a world-class Social & Emotional Learning Company) to create an online postsecondary college and career resource  hub for Maine students, parents and educators at NO COST, as a statewide contribution by GEAR UP Maine. The hub includes a College Readiness Video Series for High School students, a Parenting Tool Belt for parents, and a Professional Development Series for educators. The hub can be accessed at seedstraining.com/maineresources.

The College Readiness Series includes: 20 Quick hitting videos, full of practical strategies for getting the most out of the college experience. Ideal for graduating seniors and first year college students covering topics such as financial literacy, developing relationships with new teachers, managing time, dealing with anxiety, communication skills and more.

The Parenting Tool Belt includes: A five-part online training program to help families have more meaningful and productive conversations.

The Professional Development Series includes: Recorded 60-90 minute sessions that work with your busy schedule, social & emotional learning content that is designed to get results, professional development for you and take-away curriculum that you can use with your team, students and parent community and networking with other pro educators

GEAR UP Maine has partnered with SEEDS Training on a variety of different events both in-person and virtual over the last seven years, and students, staff and parents have found past opportunities to be highly successful and meaningful. GEAR UP Maine director, Debbie Gilmer says “We are thrilled to be able to bring SEEDS Training opportunities to the whole state of Maine. These opportunities are invaluable to Maine’s students, families, and educators and are timely given the challenges the pandemic has caused.”

SEEDS Training is a California for-benefit corporation. They began in 1993 with a wildly ambitious goal to change the world of education. They have succeeded in building models and methods that prove education can work differently. Their curriculum is engineered with a blend of proven, diverse learning methods and their programs are delivered by world-class educators who are equally purposeful both on and off the stage. They strive to form meaningful relationships, deliver tremendous value and help people be better through learning.

Maine’s GEAR UP program is helping to create a sustainable college-going culture in schools. The focus of GEAR UP Maine is to assist students in grades 7 through 12 who live in economically disadvantaged communities to aspire to, prepare for, enroll in, and successfully complete college. GEAR UP Maine works in collaboration with school districts and a wide range of college access partners from Northern, Central, Western, and Downeast Maine. The GEAR UP Maine program is funded through a grant (reference #P334S140018-18; Marques Thomas, Project Officer) from the U.S. Department of Education to University of Maine at Farmington administered by Syntiro. www.gearupme.org

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