Center for Educational Opportunity Programs secures $21.8 million in federal grants to support middle and high school students

LAWRENCE — The Center for Educational Opportunity Programs (CEOP) at the University of Kansas is the recipient of two federal grants totaling $21.8 million over seven years. These grants will provide support to middle and high school students in the Kansas City, Kansas Public School District (KCKPS) and the Kansas City Public School District (KCPS) in Missouri.

The grants, awarded through the U.S. Department of Education's Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), will enable CEOP to continue and expand its services to students. The first grant, totaling $2.4 million per year, will support KCKPS and will serve approximately 3,000 students across two grade levels. The second grant, totaling $760,000 per year, begins a new partnership with KCPS and will serve around 900 seventh grade students. GEAR UP services include tutoring, mentoring, career exploration and college readiness workshops.

“We're grateful to continue our work with Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools,” said CEOP Director Ngondi Kamatuka, who will also serve as the project’s principal investigator. “CEOP has been a partner with KCKPS district since the beginning of our GEAR UP program 25 years ago. We are also thrilled to expand our services to Kansas City, Missouri, for the first time.” 

For Kamatuka, the grants connect to CEOP’s mission of access and success, given that services are offered up to and through the first year of college.

“It's not enough to say we provide access if we don't give students the tools they need to succeed once they're here. We want to empower these young people with the skills to navigate the system and be successful in college,” Kamatuka said.

Meghan Ecker-Lyster, director of the Research, Evaluation & Dissemination Department within CEOP, noted the competitive nature of the grants — from a pool of 118 applicants, only 18 were awarded.

"We were so excited to learn that we secured not one but two of these grants. This funding will help us address the unique needs of these communities,” said Ecker-Lyster, who was a key contributor to the grant writing process and an external evaluator for the project.

The services funded through the grants will help prepare students for postsecondary education through a cohort model. This model will follow the students from middle school through their first year of college, providing continuous support and resources. The KCKPS grant builds on a long-standing partnership, while the KCPS grant represents a new collaboration.

LaCretia Wooten, who leads the KCKPS GEAR UP project, has been involved with the program since 2011 and became the director in 2017. 

“I love to be around students, seeing their potential and providing them with the support they need to see that potential for themselves. Just seeing students grow is the most rewarding piece of this job for me,” she said.

Wooten said GEAR UP takes a “whole village” approach, in which members of her teams engage with teachers, parents and guardians as well as the students. In many cases, Wooten said, the youths may be a first-generation college student, so educating not only the student about the college-going process but also their support systems, including families, is critical to the program's success.

“This isn't just about supporting students academically; it's about investing in their entire community, including parents and teachers,” Wooten said. 

Wooten's sentiments are echoed by Kamatuka, who elaborated on the importance of building strong teams.

“I think the challenge in life is to surround yourself with good people — those whom you respect and can work with to make a difference. This grant is a testament to the great team we have at CEOP. Our philosophy is grounded in the belief that we must invest in human capital. That means nurturing not just the students, but also the teachers, parents and entire communities that support them,” Kamatuka said.

For Neal Kingston, director of the Achievement & Assessment Institute, which houses the Center for Educational Opportunity Programs, these grants represent a significant step forward in the institute’s mission to improve educational outcomes for all students, particularly those from underserved communities.

“These grants reflect our commitment to equity and opportunity in education, and we’re proud of the impact they will have on thousands of students and their families,” Kingston said.