This year's theme, Lighting the Way, celebrated the mentors, counselors, families, and students who light the path to college and career. From city halls to a major league ballpark, programs across the country showed just how brightly GEAR UP shines.

Advocate: Growing Support Across the Country

GEAR UP programs earned 21 proclamations across nine states, and some of them were firsts. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma proclaimed National GEAR UP Week for the very first time, a milestone worth celebrating. When a city takes that step, it means local leaders see what students and families already know: this work changes lives.

Wichita, Kansas joined the celebration as well, with Mayor Lily Wu and the City Council recognizing GEAR UP Week, and communities across the country followed suit. Each proclamation is another sign that support for GEAR UP keeps growing, one community at a time.

Activate: Putting a Face to GEAR UP

Numbers matter, but stories move people. Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) showed just how powerful that can be, spotlighting Vermont students who are growing, leading, and preparing for what's next through leadership workshops, college fairs, and career planning. Each profile invited readers to meet the young people behind the program and see the difference a caring counselor can make.

Among them is Brooklynn Letourneau, a senior and class leader preparing for a future in nursing with support from her GEAR UP counselor. Her story is a reminder that when students have someone in their corner, big goals start to feel within reach. It's an approach every program can borrow. When your community meets a real student with a real goal, GEAR UP stops being an acronym and becomes a neighbor, a classmate, a future nurse.

Celebrate: A Ballpark Full of Big Dreams

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) wrapped up the week in a big way. More than 3,500 students from 20 MPS schools filled American Family Field for the TEAM GEAR UP Kickoff, while partners and volunteers greeted buses, handed out t-shirts and snacks, and answered a thousand questions with a smile.

Backed by a seven-year, $23 million federal grant, matched by MPS and its partners for a total of $46 million, TEAM GEAR UP will support more than 4,000 students through high school. Seventh-grader Skylar Dixon captured the spirit of the day: she wants to be a meteorologist and a doctor. That's exactly the kind of big thinking GEAR UP was built for.

Keep the Light Shining

Thank you for sharing your stories all week. Let's keep lighting the way, together, all year long. See you all in 2027! #GEARUPWorks