This is the fourth GEAR UP grant NAU has been awarded since the university began administering this program in 2000. Ducey again designated NAU as Arizona\u2019s applicant for GEAR UP. Education professor Daniel Kain<\/strong> has been a principal investigator since 2002; College of Education Dean Ramona Mellott<\/strong> is a co-PI on the current grant, which builds on 20 years of experience, as well as research on best practices in college access to leverage an innovative design that makes it possible for more than 15,000 students to benefit annually from program services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNAU\u2019s successful track record in leading GEAR UP in Arizona spans nearly two decades and stands as one of the many ways NAU contributes to addressing the critical issues of our state,\u201d said NAU President Rita Cheng<\/strong>. \u201cThe success of Arizona GEAR UP, like other NAU initiatives, is in the way we work together to achieve the state\u2019s goals of an educated citizenry, a robust workforce and a thriving economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nprogram aims to foster partnerships and collaborations between NAU,\nhigh-poverty high schools and organizations throughout the state that are\ncommitted to enhancing education in Arizona. GEAR UP provides college awareness\nand readiness to students beginning in seventh grade and continuing through\nhigh school and into the first year of college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Focused on\nthe Five Es of Equity\u2014engage, empower, excel, elevate and enrich\u2014this phase of\nthe project includes three broad efforts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nprogram also leverages resources to support the state\u2019s education priorities\nand broaden the capacity for partnerships and collaborations that further serve\nto strengthen Arizona\u2019s education system. These partnerships make possible a\nvariety of local and state initiatives that benefit current and future students\nin Arizona. NAU will continue to partner with a host of organizations statewide\nto provide services and programs to help meet the GEAR UP goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under\nNAU\u2019s first two grants, GEAR UP students graduated from high school and entered\ncollege at much higher rates than Arizona\u2019s average. From 2006 to 2012, 83\npercent of seniors at GEAR UP schools graduated from high school and 72 percent\nwent to college, compared to the statewide average of 73 percent and 51\npercent, respectively. From 2012 to 2019, 88 percent of GEAR UP students\ngraduated, compared to 83 percent at comparison schools, while 58 percent\ncompleted their FAFSA, compared to 47 percent at comparison schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is a\ntremendous opportunity to enhance education in our state,\u201d Mellott said. \u201cNAU\nhas demonstrated again its deep commitment to the young people and teachers in Arizona.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n GEAR UP is\na highly competitive national grant program of the U.S. Department of Education\ndesigned to help provide greater opportunities for low-income students to get\ninto and succeed in higher education. The goals of Arizona GEAR UP are\ngraduation rates that meet or exceed the state average and increase the\npercentage of graduates who enroll and persist in postsecondary education to\nthe target levels outlined in Achieve60AZ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"NAU](\"http:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wordpresst\/uploads\/sites\/153\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/NAU_primary-281_3514-1-e1536853679171.png\")
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Heidi Toth | NAU Communications
(928) 523-8737 | heidi.toth@nau.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"