ABOUT US
College and Career Readiness and Educational Opportunities (C-CREO) is a series of programs managed by Mr. Alfredo I. Velásquez and the Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office. These programs place a concerted effort on preparing the youth in our county for all stages of education including K-12 and post-secondary. The C-CREO Gear Up Program is funded through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). Santa Cruz County was awarded the only partnership grant in the state of Arizona at $4.25 million over a course of seven years.
Starting with a cohort of approximately 780 seventh graders in 2019, C-CREO will expand several proven and promising practices to re-engineer schools for future cohorts. The anticipated result of this effort is to create a cultural shift in the perceived value of college and career, and to instill in each student a sense of personal responsibility and commitment to succeed.
A SEA CHANGE FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
The name, CREO, was selected because in Spanish the word “creo” means to believe or know. Creo embodies the mission of the Santa Cruz County GEAR UP program. The staff is confident that the youth enrolled will advance through the program possessing a career identity, knowing they are academically prepared for the next level of education, persevering through challenges they encounter, and having a post-secondary plan in place.
The C-CREO Gear Up team is committed to ensuring that students realize they have a college plan and the support of their parents and community. Gear Up is a nationwide effort familiar to Santa Cruz County. Previous Gear Up Programs proved to better prepare our youth for higher education, encourage a growth mindset toward life after high school, and develop in each student a sense of personal responsibility and commitment to succeed.
MISSION
The mission of the Santa Cruz County C-CREO GEAR UP program is to ensure that our youth possess a career identity, be academically prepared, build resilience, and not only dream, but plan for their post-secondary education.
THE C-CREO GEAR UP PROGRAM IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE, COMMUNITY-WIDE APPROACH TO PREPARING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER.
Investing in Student Success
Research shows that investing in a post-secondary education is not only linked to success in life, it’s a necessity for a successful career. According to the US Department of Education, “higher education is no longer a luxury for the privileged few, but a necessity for individual economic opportunity and America’s competitiveness in the global economy. At a time when jobs can go anywhere in the world, skills and education will determine success, for individuals and for nations. As a result, post-secondary education remains the best investment a student can make in his or her future.”
In 2015, the US Department of Education published a fact sheet to provide information outlining how higher education helps student success. The nation’s economic strength will depend on a higher education system that helps all students succeed.
