Building a culture of higher education in Arizona, a state in which only 25 percent of adults hold a college degree, will require just the right environment: high expectations, informed parents and motivated students.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the belief of\u00a0Expect More Arizona<\/a>, which is now matching its long-running multimedia public awareness campaign with a commitment to grassroots outreach.<\/p>\n And the organization is not working alone.<\/p>\n A long list of partners, including universities and other educational advocacy groups, is contributing funds and leadership to the culture-making effort.<\/p>\n One of EMA\u2019s partners,\u00a0GEAR UP<\/a>, or Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, recently was awarded a $30 million grant to help low-income students graduate from high school prepared to succeed in college. The program is based on research that has shown the effectiveness of early, long-term intervention and awareness.<\/p>\n Northern Arizona University was awarded Arizona\u2019s GEAR UP grants in 2000 and in 2006. Last year, Gov.\u00a0Jan Brewer<\/strong>\u00a0designated NAU to apply for the grant again.<\/p>\n The collaboration with GEAR UP points to another key element to increasing Arizona\u2019s population of college graduates: inclusiveness. Students who might not even consider college, or assume it to be out of reach, will need to be brought into the equation. And that means involving their parents.<\/p>\n \u201cExpect More Arizona is really about increasing public awareness and fostering a deeper understanding of the issues at play,\u201d said Pearl Chang Esau, president and CEO of the organization.<\/p>\n Those issues, she said, involve questions that underlie any attempt to increase higher education on a large scale. Do parents really understand what college-ready means? If so, then how would they take responsibility and ownership in working with K-12 schools to be sure that students are on track?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about equipping stakeholders with tools and resources,\u201d Chang Esau said. \u201cWe have to know how to help connect parents to information that helps them know what a world-class education looks like and then give them ongoing support to assess how kids are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Chang Esau said the state\u2019s universities play an important role by showing leadership in setting higher expectations.<\/p>\n