The GEAR UP Rising Phoenix Early College High School Program is an innovative collaboration between your school district, DPI WEOP/GEAR UP, and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to provide high school students an opportunity to get a head start on college. A group of current sophomores from your high school will be admitted to the GEAR UP Rising Phoenix Program in April 2025 and will participate in the program during their junior and senior years. Students will become dually enrolled in college credit courses that will also satisfy high school graduation requirements. Students have the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and a two-year Associate of Arts and Sciences (AAS) degree at the same time.  Students admitted to the program receive support every step of the way provided by a Student Success Coach, dedicated to each cohort of students at a ratio of 1:50, in addition to the support provided by a GEAR UP Education Specialist.  To learn more about the program, please visit our webpage at: https://www.uwgb.edu/gear-up/rising-phoenix/.  We are currently accepting applications for the Class of 2027 Cohort.

Each student must request two recommendations; one from a core subject teacher who has/had the student in that core class, as well as from another teacher, school counselor, or school staff member who knows the student well and can speak to their preparedness for this program. 

Your responses will remain confidential and will only be read by the admissions review committee. 

Thank you for taking the time to complete a recommendation form for your student for the GEAR UP  Rising Phoenix Program application process. If you have any questions, please contact us at gearup@uwgb.edu.