News

Do you have an idea for a news story? We are always looking for new content to include in our newsletter and on our news webpage, and we welcome your input. If you’ve seen ORP programs in action and would like to share and showcase story ideas with us, email Elyssee Gibson and we will work together to spread the good news!

STEAM Expo at Swain County Middle School

2025 Swain County STEAM Expo

April 28, 2025

On Thursday, April 24, the STEAM Expo took place at Swain Middle School for the second year in a row. This event exposed students to different ideas and careers they might have not encountered on their own, with a focus …

College Adviser Meets Students Where They Are

April 9, 2025

On September 24, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Ashe County, North Carolina. The devastation following the storm left many families in rural Ashe without power, water, internet, or access to main roads for weeks. Ashe County Schools were also …

Helene Reflections – Six Months After the Storm

March 26, 2025

This week marks six months since Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina and left a permanent scar on the lives of thousands of students across the High Country. As students and educators alike continue to reel from the long-term effects …

GEAR UP Hosts Science of the Storm Event

Making Meaning in the Wake of Helene

March 26, 2025

In September 2024, western North Carolina experienced what has been described as a once-in-a-100 (to some once-in-1000) year storm. Hurricane Helene hit our region causing flooding, tornados, high winds, landslides, and devastation. In the weeks and months following the storm, …

GEAR UP Campus Visits Across North Carolina

March 14, 2025

One of the cornerstones of the Appalachian GEAR UP Program is campus visits. Research has shown that when students take trips to college campuses, especially in middle school, they are more likely to enroll in postsecondary education. Appalachian State University is a …

CAP Through our Eyes: Matthew Medlin

January 31, 2025

In this series, we feature individual CAP staff members and dive into their unique perspectives on college access, education, the role of our grant programs in the community, and more. This month, we highlight Matthew Medlin, Upward Bound Academic Coordinator. Learn …

Becka Dulaney, adviser Franklin High School

A Thought on Authenticity

January 21, 2025

When we are encouraged to be our authentic selves, it is often outlined with unspoken expectations. What happens embracing your true self and the norms of the community you find yourself in start to challenge each other? Through my experience in …

WWHS Students Design Human-Centered Projects in Hurricane Relief Response

WWHS Teacher Guides Students Through Hurricane Relief Engineering Project

January 10, 2025

Students and educators throughout western North Carolina know all too well the impact Hurricane Helene has had on their communities. Not only were many personally impacted by the physical destruction the storm left in its wake, but so many of …

Isabella Mowery, adviser McDowell High School

Strength Through Struggle

January 7, 2025

Have you ever gotten something you really wanted and then once you have it you don’t know if you want it anymore? That is exactly how eighteen-year-old me felt after a semester at UNC Chapel Hill. Honestly, I didn’t know …

Kenley (Jackson) Longbottom, adviser Alleghany High School

It’s Year Three… Here is My Final Thought

December 20, 2024

Dear AppCAC, As college advisers, we hold a unique and powerful position: we guide students through one of the most transformative stages of their lives. Every day, we are given the opportunity to make a difference in a young person’s …

CAP Through our Eyes: Sherry Paddie

December 16, 2024

In this series, we feature individual CAP staff members and dive into their unique perspectives on college access, education, the role of our grant programs in the community, and more. This month, we highlight Sherry Paddie, Navigator for Empowering Teacher Learning. …

EPFP Cohort 2024-2025 Pictured L-R top to bottom: Tonya Denny, Josiah Johnston, Karen Norris, Nathan Kosmicki, Shaylee Rogers-Moore, Claire Lemoine, Sherry Paddie, Katie Matthews, Stacey Overlin, Julie Little, Andrew McKinney

Education Policy Fellowship Program 2024-2025 Cohort

December 12, 2024

Six faculty and staff in the Reich College of Education (RCOE) including two CAP staff members, and five educators from GEAR UP districts will be participating in the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP). The EPFP program, hosted by the Public School Forum, …

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