About the Program
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federally funded, statewide grant in Wyoming. The GEAR UP Wyoming (GUWY) state grant uses the priority student model for serving a minimum of 2,000 students each year from schools located across the state of Wyoming. Its strategic plan is focused on creating and utilizing statewide initiatives to foster systemic and long-term sustainable improvement in teaching to and learning of low-income, at-risk Wyoming students. The mission of GUWY is to increase the number of low-income students who graduate high school and enter a post-secondary educational institution to improve their access to career and life opportunities. In order to accomplish this mission, GUWY focuses on the priority students with the three goals of improving their academic achievement, raising their academic aspirations along with those of their families, and increasing their awareness of the options in pursuing enrollment in higher education.
GEAR UP Wyoming has partnered with the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to leverage the Department’s statewide initiatives for increasing student achievement among low performing, at-risk students with GUWY’s focus on low-income middle school and high school students. These statewide initiatives reflect the need for systemic change across the public education system by providing strategic interventions to students and professional development for teachers.
Contact Information:
WDE Office
GEAR UP Consultant
Danielle Saulsberry
(307) 777-8979
danielle.saulsberry@wyo.gov
University of Wyoming Office
Grant Manager
Kristi Russow
(307) 766-6733
krussow@uwyo.edu
Student Programming Coordinator
Celeste Prall
(307) 766-6723
cprall@uwyo.edu
Professional Development Coordinator
Alex Rickert
(307) 766-6736
arickert@uwyo.edu
Casper College Site Office
Ray Pacheco
(307) 268-2842
reyespacheco@caspercollege.edu
Central Wyoming College Site Office
Tami Shultz
(307) 855-2033
tshultz@cwc.edu
Eastern Wyoming College Site Office
Madison Bloodgood
(307) 532-8269
madison.bloodgood@ewc.wy.edu
Laramie County Community College Site Office
Catherine Villnave
(307) 778-1239
gearup@lccc.wy.edu
Northern Wyoming Community College District Site Office
Kristin Young
(307) 681-6016
kyoung@sheridan.edu
Northwest College Site Office
Rebecca Moncur
(307) 754-7822
rebecca.moncur@nwc.edu
Western Wyoming Community College Site Office
Amanda DeBernardi
(307) 382-1667
adebernardi@westernwyoming.edu