Contact GEAR UP
Arizona GEAR UP Alumni
Since 2000, Arizona GEAR UP has helped more than 15,000 students in middle and high school excel and prepare for their future. Along the way, students learned about career opportunities, postsecondary options, and discovered a path to reach their ultimate goals.
When we ask alumni about their experience with Arizona GEAR UP, we hear things like, “my coach never gave up on me,” or “as a first-gen student, they helped me with college applications,” and one of our favorites, “without my coach’s support, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
We also regularly hear, “Let me know how I can help… I want to give back.”
Now’s your chance, and we want make it easy to get involved and give back—whether that is through our texting network (TextGU) or the ambassador program. We hope the information here will spark your interest and give you opportunity to impact the next generation of Arizona GEAR UP students.
For those interested in the ambassador program, you can earn a yearly $300 honorarium to work directly with current GEAR UP students, families, and the state office. The only requirement is you must have graduated from an Arizona GEAR UP program.
One more thing. Don’t forget to connect with us on LinkedIn so you can grow your professional network. You can gain access to thousands of connections.
Join the TextGU Accordion Closed
AZ GEAR UP invites you to connect
When you connect with Arizona GEAR UP, we’ll keep you updated on all our news and share ways you can get involved. And yes, we’ll let you know how you can pay it forward. You offer a first-hand experience to our current GEAR UP students, which is invaluable.
For Arizona GEAR UP alumni who want to volunteer directly with things like mentoring, school presentations, college tours, GEAR UP conferences, and parent events, we offer a yearly $300 honorarium to Arizona GEAR UP Ambassadors. Learn about activities that qualify on the ambassador tab below, and don’t forget to check “I want to become an Ambassador” when you join our network.
Also, we want to continue to support you, cheer you on, and share your success. So, keep us up to date on what’s happening in your life. Yep, you guessed it, you can submit your news under Share your story.
Sign up below. We’ll take you to a form to fill out, so we can keep you in the loop.
AZGU Alumni Ambassadors Accordion Closed
Arizona GEAR UP wants to provide opportunities to get and stay involved. So, we’ve created an opportunity for you to pay it forward with current GEAR UP students, and we can offer an honorarium for your participation.
Honorarium Eligibility:
- Former participant and/or graduate of the Arizona GEAR UP program.
AZGU offers a variety of ambassador activities throughout the school year. We’ll send you a sheet to document your activities, and then you’ll send it back to us twice a year to receive the $300 honorarium.
Ambassador Activities Include:
- Assist with planning and administrative tasks for a maximum of 5 hours per school year.
- Assist with parent engagement events.
- Assist with student activities/events.
- Provide campus tours for GEAR UP students.
- Participate in a GEAR UP virtual event.
Since the pandemic, we’ve gotten creative with virtual events, so we’ll also offer virtual opportunities.
Have another idea of how you can help? Let us know—we’re open to more ideas. We value your expertise and would love for you to get involved with our current GEAR UP students and families.
Share Your Story Accordion Closed
We love to hear from our alumni. Please share what’s going on in your life. Tell us about a recent award, graduation, post-graduate program updates, marriage, new job, or something else that excites you. We want to cheer for you, too.