Incentive Grants

Community and Faith-Based Organization Outreach
GEAR UP awards grants to support initiatives that tap the potential of youth and family outreach services and activities of community and faith-based organizations (CBOs). GEAR UP awards annual subgrants to CBOs to promote Oklahoma's Promise-OHLAP and to engage parents, especially by raising educational expectations.

2006-2007 CBO Incentive Grant Recipients

God’s Desire Daycare/Shiloh Baptist Church, Muskogee will partner with the Muskogee Baptist Ministers Alliance, Martin Luther King Center, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Muskogee Public Schools, Connors State College, Northeastern State University, Langston University, Muskogee Public Library and Muskogee Arts Council. In addition to providing activities that help students and families better prepare for college,
the partners will help deliver mentoring, tutoring, career and character development services.

Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will partner with Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City and Oklahoma City Community College for “Viva OHLAP.” Project activities include placing and supporting bilingual student interns recruited from its two college partner campuses to serve as outreach coordinators at Capitol Hill, Southeast and U. S. Grant high schools. Other collegiate aspiration activities include frequent visits to high schools and to the homes of students to distribute and explain financial aid and college option information. In addition, the Chamber will expand its activities that promote higher education in the Hispanic community.

Guymon Community Enrichment Foundation will partner with Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Guymon High School, Guymon Alternative Academy and Guymon Central Junior High for “Raising College Aspirations in Texas County.” This three-pronged project includes: helping students become aware of interesting careers that require college degrees; increasing parental and student self-expectations by introducing them to Oklahoma’s Promise; and informing students and parents of additional scholarship and grant opportunities that will enable them to continue education beyond high school. Other project activities include field trips for students to visit businesses that employ degreed personnel. Also, students will visit programs and classes on college campuses.

Community Action Project (CAP) of Tulsa County will partner with Oklahoma State University–Tulsa and Tulsa Community College to distribute and promote information on preparing for college and Oklahoma’s Promise to students and families from five area high schools: McLain High School for Science and Technology, Central, Nathan Hale, Will Rogers and Daniel Webster. During tax season, January through April, CAP will offer Oklahoma’s Promise enrollment at several free tax-service sites. In addition, mentoring, tutoring and targeted Oklahoma’s Promise promotion events and services will be conducted in both English and Spanish.

Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa‘s East Tulsa Prevention Coalition (ETPC) will partner with East Central High School and Tulsa Community College to target high school students and families for Oklahoma’s Promise enrollment through outreach activities in both English and Spanish, including open houses, financial aid awareness sessions, back-to-school nights, parent/teacher meetings and on-site resource fairs. In addition, the program will provide weekly support group meetings for Hispanic youth to encourage dialogue concerning barriers and challenges to school success.

Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Lawton will partner with Lawton High School, Lawton Boys and Girls Club and Cameron University for the “Raising College Aspirations DVD Project.” The focus of the project will be the production, promotion and distribution of a DVD made for students and their parents to promote Oklahoma’s Promise enrollment and encourage students to attend college. Media production classes at Lawton High School will produce the DVDs, while simultaneously, Oklahoma’s Promise awareness and college preparation activities will be integrated into ongoing activities at the Boys and Girls Club.

Stigler Chamber of Commerce will partner with Stigler Public Schools, the Stigler Middle School Academic Booster Club and Carl Albert State College for “OHLAP – Changing Children’s Choices.” Personal communication with parents and students will be key to this project as students will participate in college campus tours and “Explore” nights that feature information about course selection and academic achievement. Current college students using Oklahoma’s Promise scholarships will share their success stories, and technical assistance will be offered to all parents and students completing the Oklahoma’s Promise application. In addition, college and career labs will be set up for students.

Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City will partner with Oklahoma City Public Schools, Rogers Middle School, Star Spencer High School, the YMCA, the University of Central Oklahoma and Rose State College for the “Spencer College Bound Youth Program.” Students will be given the opportunity to participate in preparing for college sessions on the importance of academic readiness, applying for financial aid and career exploration. Other sessions will encourage students to make good grades, attend class and have a positive attitude. Additionally, students will go on college campus tours, attend life skills seminars and career fairs, and hear from guest speakers.

To view 2007-2008 CBO Incentive Grant Recipients, click here.

To view 2005-2006 CBO Incentive Grant Recipients, click here.