PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Seventh grade students from Lea, Sayre, and Shaw Middle Schools
were honored this morning for demonstrating outstanding achievement in the areas of Math, Science and Engineering, Computer Science, and English. 
      
Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) was among the speakers at Drexel University today to praise hundreds of students and their families for successfully completing The West Philadelphia
Cluster GEAR UP Summer Mentoring Program.  

Championed by Chaka Fattah in the United States Congress, the GEAR UP program has already benefitted thousands of students nationwide as they seek to go on to college. These middle school students are already on the path to college because of the benefits of the GEAR UP program and through their own hard work.  Millions of children around the country will take part in the $200 million appropriated GEAR UP initiative, which will also benefit upwards of 17,000 students in Philadelphia by its fifth year of implementation.