Call for Proposals

The proposal submission form for GEAR UP West is now closed, as the deadline for submissions has passed. Please email ProfEd@wsu.edu if you have any questions.

About

GEAR UP West welcomes presentation proposals that:

Highlight effective, systemic, and sustainable practices.
Provide fresh perspectives, models, and strategies for supporting postsecondary education attainment and workforce readiness.
Inspire GEAR UP program staff while providing practical, replicable, and adaptable tools and resources.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Advocacy
Cross-sector collaboration and partnerships
Data collection and analysis strategies for documenting successes and areas for improvement
Equity and support for underrepresented populations
Evaluation results that demonstrate effective program practices
Family engagement
Financial literacy
Grant management
Growth mindset and noncognitive skills
Post-high school pathways
Transitions, summer melt, and persistence

Background

GEAR UP West is an annual collaborative regional conference for college access and success practitioners primarily from the Western part of the United States. Participating states have included Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. GEAR UP programs serve more than 200,000 low-income and historically underrepresented students and their families in these states. Attendees include GEAR UP and other college access program staff, evaluators, higher education professionals, middle and high school teachers, counselors, and administrators. All those working to help low-income and underrepresented students prepare for and succeed in college are welcome to attend.

Submission Guidelines and Requirements

All sessions are one hour and fifteen minutes long and will typically be held in theater-style or classroom-style rooms to maximize seating capacity.
All presenters are required to register and pay the conference registration fee. The primary and secondary presenter registration fee will be discounted. Presenters will be responsible for travel, lodging, and conference expenses. There is a limit of two reduced registrations per presentation.
We welcome noncommercial presentation proposals (content-focused and not dependent on participants' having to buy a product or service) from speakers in the vendor and sponsor community when they partner with a GEAR UP program for the presentation. If your company is interested in exhibiting, please contact Dr. Corine Frankland, c orine.frankland@hed.nm.gov, for details.

How to Apply
The due date for proposals was August 16, 2024.