The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federally funded program designed to better prepare middle and high school students for college through academic preparation programs and scholarships for students, professional development activities for educators, and college access information for students and parents. The South Dakota Department of Education and the Oceti Sakowin Education Consortium (OSEC) have entered into a partnership to implement a GEAR UP Program here in South Dakota. In short the focus of the South Dakota GEAR UP program is to get middle and high school kids and their parents ready for college. The GEAR UP program is a cohort-based model that targets student beginning in the seventh grade and provide interventions for six years, A new cohort of students will be selected in each successive program year and each of those cohorts will continue to be followed throughout the duration of the program. Continued program services are contingent upon an annual renewal of funding from the USDOE.