Project FOCUS

Project FOCUS Project FOCUS supports students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in attending college at the University of Arizona.

Project FOCUS (Focusing Opportunities with Community and University Supports) is a two-year innovative transition program for young adults, age 18 to 22 years old with intellectual disabilities. We support access and inclusion to University of Arizonaโ€™s academic courses, campus internship experiences and college life events in order to increase each studentโ€™s independence, quality of life, and employability. The University of Arizona College of Education in collaboration with Pima County Public School Districts, Rehabilitation Services Administration and the Division of Developmental Disabilities is providing unique post-high school opportunities.

Meet Brady through this wonderful spotlight from Arizona@Work and AZ Dept. of Economic Security!  Brady will be joining ...
04/02/2026

Meet Brady through this wonderful spotlight from Arizona@Work and AZ Dept. of Economic Security! Brady will be joining Project FOCUS in the fall and weโ€™re thrilled to see what his college experience will have in store! ๐Ÿปโฌ‡๏ธ๐Ÿฅณ

โœจ Let's celebrate our Academic Highlight of the Week! โœจ Gianni, a second-year Project FOCUS student, has been giving his...
02/26/2026

โœจ Let's celebrate our Academic Highlight of the Week! โœจ

Gianni, a second-year Project FOCUS student, has been giving his all in his Italian Renaissance class ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น

He's been volunteering, sharing amazing ideas, putting a creative spin on his assignments, and working hard with help from his peer mentor. We are so stoked to see all of Gianni's academic growth! He loves learning and connecting with his Italian heritage and we are SO here for it! ๐Ÿ™Œ ๐Ÿซถ

๐ŸŒŸ We're thrilled to kick off our first Internship Highlight of the Week! ๐ŸŒŸJoin us in celebrating Marsalis, a second-year...
02/26/2026

๐ŸŒŸ We're thrilled to kick off our first Internship Highlight of the Week! ๐ŸŒŸ

Join us in celebrating Marsalis, a second-year Project FOCUS student, for his fantastic contributions at his internship. He's been hard at work quickly swapping out the table-toppers around the student union, and boy has he become a pro at it! He barely needs any peer mentor support now!

This week, he covered the entire first floor of the student union and the Cactus Grill. Awesome job, Marsalis! Weโ€™re so proud to see you learning, growing, and shining with your skills!

Weekend vibes: Project FOCUS students and peer mentors cheered on the UA GymCats at McKale Arena! Have you been to a gym...
02/23/2026

Weekend vibes: Project FOCUS students and peer mentors cheered on the UA GymCats at McKale Arena! Have you been to a gymnastics meet? They're absolutely worth checking out ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿคธโ€โ™€๏ธ

FOCUS

Happy Friday! ๐ŸŽ‰  The weekend is right around the corner, and Project FOCUS students and peer mentors know how to keep th...
02/20/2026

Happy Friday! ๐ŸŽ‰ The weekend is right around the corner, and Project FOCUS students and peer mentors know how to keep the good times rolling. We love our fun weekend eventsโ€”just check out those smiles from our last softball game! If youโ€™re headed to the gymnastics meets this weekend, make sure to say hi to the Project FOCUS crewโ€”theyโ€™ll be cheering for our Wildcats and enjoying every minute!

Project FOCUS is redefining inclusion and access for our students. Our three pillars empower every PF cohort to make the...
02/18/2026

Project FOCUS is redefining inclusion and access for our students. Our three pillars empower every PF cohort to make the most of their college experience.

Just look at a day in the life of our remarkable students:
๐Ÿซถ Lily excelling at her internship with the Andrew Weil Center for Integrated Medicine
๐ŸŽจ Gianni proudly showcasing his Italian Renaissance poster
๐Ÿš— Izzy and Olivia making memories at Old Main

What might seem ordinary for some is so much more for individuals with disabilities that are often left on the sidelines. Each day, our peer mentors, students, and staff show up to lead the way in making this the new norm for everyone!

02/13/2026

๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿœ Gianni's U of A Love Letter ๐Ÿ’™โค๏ธ

Gianni keeps it simple: the rec center is elite, the food near campus slaps, and the shopping isn't bad either. Man of few words, but he knows quality when he sees it. ๐ŸŒต๐Ÿ˜Ž

You'll find him getting his workout in, grabbing something good to eat, or checking out the spots around campus. ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ’•

Sometimes the best love letters are short and sweet. โœจ

02/13/2026

๐Ÿข๐Ÿ• Bruce's U of A Love Letter ๐Ÿ’™โค๏ธ

Bruce knows what's up: the University of Arizona has EXCELLENT buildings and even better food. His peer mentors are basically his personal tour guides to all the best spots on (and near) campus. ๐ŸŒต๐Ÿ˜„

From exploring new restaurants to checking out cool buildings he didn't even know existed, Bruce is living his best campus life. Who knew college could involve this much delicious research? ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿพ

02/13/2026

๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿ“š PF Student Lily's U of A Love Letter ๐Ÿ’™โค๏ธ

Lily's schedule is PACKEDโ€”classes, internship, sporting events, repeatโ€”and she wouldn't have it any other way. She's out here living the full college experience and loving every chaotic, beautiful minute of it. ๐Ÿพโœจ

Game days? She's there. Class? She's crushing it. Internship? Handling business. This semester she's graduating and honestly, she's going to miss this place SO much. ๐Ÿ’•๐ŸŽ“

Busy Wildcat = Happy Wildcat. That's just the vibe. ๐ŸŒต

02/13/2026

๐Ÿ’™ Peer Mentor Lily's Love Letter to U of A โค๏ธ๐Ÿ“š

Lily didn't expect to fall THIS hard for Project FOCUS, but here we are. The people, the professors, the classes... all of it one heck of a good time! ๐Ÿ’•

Being a peer mentor means she gets a front-row seat to watching students thrive, and honestly? That's the kind of content that makes her heart happy. Every class, every connection, every "aha!" moment reminds her why she loves being a Wildcat. ๐Ÿพโœจ

02/13/2026

๐Ÿ“ท๐Ÿ’™ Amanda's U of A Love Letter โค๏ธ

โœจAmanda's favorite part of being a Wildcat? Getting to take beautiful campus walks and meet cool people. Honestly, not a bad gig. ๐ŸŒต๐Ÿ˜Š

From the flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert to the many fun conversations that happen between classes, she's living her best life, one stroll across campus at a time. Every day brings new faces, new stories, and honestly? The views don't hurt either!

02/13/2026

๐Ÿ“ทโœจ : Ali's U of A Love Letter ๐Ÿ’™โค๏ธ

Let's embrace a little millennial cringe, shall we?

Behold: the receipts from Ali's early 2000s era at the University of Arizona. Digital camera quality? Chef's kiss. Fashion choices? We don't talk about those. ๐Ÿ™ˆ

Back then she was just trying to survive group projects, find parking, and figure out how to print that essay that was due... Fast forward through an M.Ed. and 12+ years later, boom, she's BACK on campus!

Plot twist: The campus got fancier, but Ali's penchant for coffee from Luce has stayed exactly the same. โ˜•๐Ÿ˜…

From baby Wildcat to full-on UofA lifer. Some love stories just hit different. ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ’•

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University Of
Tucson, AZ
85721

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