Gary West Side Leadership Academy graduate Clarence Grier credits his experience in a federal program called GEAR UP for rekindling his interest in school.
The Trump administration pulled the plug on GEAR UP in Indiana last month, terminating Purdue University’s $34.9 million grant awarded last year under the Biden administration.
Administered through Purdue’s education department, GEAR UP focused on college prep programs for low-income students in 10 Indiana districts, including the Gary Community School Corp.
“GEAR UP was a massive opportunity not only for me, but for all the kids involved,” said Grier, who’s studying electronic technology at Lincoln Tech in Melrose Park, Ill.
“It was not just a way to get college benefits. It was a community, a way to allow kids at West Side to do things they didn’t normally do like robotics and gardening. Those things got me interested in school,” he said.
A report published by WFYI Public Radio in Indianapolis cited a termination letter from the U.S. Department of Education sent to Purdue officials Sept. 12 saying its grant didn’t mesh with its policy of “prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence in education.”
The letter backed up its claim, referring to the university’s response to grant questions pledging to conduct DEI or diversity, equity, inclusion, training for hiring managers and professional development in “culturally responsive teaching.”
In canceling the grant, the Department of Education called GEAR UP’s Purdue program “inconsistent with, and no longer effectuates, the best interest of the Federal Government” and labeled segments of its plan “inappropriate use of federal funds,” WFYI reported.
GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, maintained a strong presence in Gary. It connected with students at its two middle schools through their senior year at West Side.
GEAR UP just held summer STEM workshops in June at Bailly STEM Academy and Gary Middle School.
GEAR UP students took field trips, participated in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) projects and planted a garden at West Side in a partnership with the Shirley Heinze Land Trust.
West Side graduate Joseph Coburn said GEAR UP leaders helped shape his passion to become a chef. He’s now studying culinary arts at the Ivy Tech Lake County campus in East Chicago.
He said GEAR UP officials showed him cooking shows and books, sent him a list of schools and provided internships. They also introduced him to local chefs.
GEAR UP programs have also been terminated in New Hampshire and Ohio. Some states have received continuation grants.
Congress established GEAR UP in 1998 under the Bill Clinton administration. Its goal was to provide federal grant money to states and universities to prep low-income students with STEM training for college.
The GEAR UP grant termination is a continuation of Trump’s campaign to replace DEI programs with merit-based ones.
Republican governors have embraced Trump’s move. In January, Gov. Mike Braun ordered state departments to remove all DEI initiatives.
Last month, the Trump administration defunded universities with high numbers of minority students.
Both Purdue University Northwest and Indiana University Northwest had been designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions because at least 25% of their enrollment included Hispanic students.
That grant money was revoked by Trump. Officials at PNW and IU-Northwest didn’t respond to requests for comment.
When it received the designation last year, PNW Chancellor Kenneth C. Holford said:
“It is central to our institutional mission and strategic plan to provide a high-quality academic and learning environment that is welcoming, inclusive and supportive of all students and their backgrounds.”
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.