Rotarians learn about Gear Up TN

By Charlotte Underwood 

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Monica Bane, of Gear Up TN, was this week’s guest speaker at the South Campbell County Rotary Club luncheon. 

Bane is the Campbell County GEAR UP Site Coordinator and is in her ninth year in that position. She has been with the school district for 28 years.

Gear Up TN is a program that helps students get college-ready as well as provides teachers, parents and students with resources and information about the college process.

Bane heads up programs at local schools such as Adulting 101, which takes place at area middle schools. The Gear Up program is also responsible for organizing job and career fairs at area high schools.

“It’s funded through a federal grant for college and career readiness. It provides things like ACT workshops, resume workshops with seniors, so they have resumes in hand,” Bane said.

She mostly works with students going into post secondary education like a four year college or university. Bane also works with preparing students choosing area community colleges, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, the military and the workforce. 

“Unfortunately this is our last year for the Gear Up grant. You have to meet certain criteria to be able to apply.

One of the reasons we don’t qualify anymore is because our college going rate is too high. This is a good thing. I’m so proud of that. Campbell County’s is higher than the state average,” Bane said.

For 2022, Campbell County’s college going rate was 55.7, slightly above the state average of 54.3. The rate had dropped drastically due to Covid in the two years prior, but with school going back to in person instruction and through Gear Up programs, those numbers have bounced back.

“A lot of our students don’t have mentors in their life to say you can go to college,  you can make it. It’s been my privilege to be that mentor to many students over the last eight years. Our goal is for students to become productive citizens, succeeding and giving back to our community,” Bane said. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 08/11/2023-6AM)