Academic Champions of Excellence (ACE)/GEARUP

The Academic Champions of Excellence (ACE) program, which served Thurgood Marshall Middle School #170 in Baltimore City and now serves Lake Clifton-Eastern HighSchool, is housed on the campus of Morgan State University (MSU).  In addition to MSU, this GEAR UP initiative also partners with Baltimore City Community College, Coppin State College, and Towson University.  The higher education partners provide services to the students, their teachers and counselors, and their parents.  These institutions offer professional development to the teachers in the form of instructional technology workshops, a summer science institute, and faculty mentors.  The current CPIP grant helps prepare more students for the PSAT exam and a college preparatory curriculum through direct services to students, such as tutoring and academic enrichment activities, which are usually held on a college campus.  Programs for parents are sponsored both at the school and on campuses and include activities such as college awareness and preparation seminars and financial aid workshops. 

Lake Clifton Eastern High School  

2801 Saint Lo Drive

Baltimore, MD 21213

410-396-6637

Dr. Michelle Bondima, Project Director
ACE/GEAR UP - Morgan State University
jbondima@aol.com
443-885-3251  Phone
410-664-3703  Fax

Mr. Shelton Skinner, School Contact

CPIP Grant Partner

 Project Title:              BCCC GEAR UP Project

 Project Director:      

  Project Abstract:

            Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), in collaboration with the Morgan State University ACE/GEAR UP Program, offers three early intervention college preparatory activities for Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) GEAR UP students from Lake Clifton High School.  The three activities are a summer enrichment component coupled with an internship program at BCCC; a 10-week Saturday Academy for 80 students (a continuation of the FY2003 CCC GEAR UP Weekend Academy that is conducted from September to December 2004); and a seven-week Saturday enrichment program with activities for 60 students that will be held from March to May 2005.

These proposed activities focus on academic enrichment activities in Algebra I, writing, social studies, and science, and language arts courses.   In addition to academic enrichment activities, students are engaged in workshops that include college admissions, financial aid, and other college preparatory activities.

            The goals of these activities are: 1) to increase the academic achievement of GEAR UP students by providing direct instructional and summer enrichment services to students; 2) to increase GEAR UP students’ knowledge of the relationships among career goals, high school courses, graduation, and postsecondary education choices; 3) and to increase each student’s acceptance of greater academic challenges.