Kansas Kids at GEAR UP

If you guessed "KKGU" on our last post you were correct! ✅

At our Summer All Staff Training we received a side quest.

Twenty-six of us, all six regions, one set of stairs.

Can you guess what we were trying to spell? Post your guess in the comment section!

We’ll share the answer is 24 hours!

Know where you're at. 📍

Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP serves students across six regions in Kansas — and we want YOU to know we're here.

Find your region and connect with your local KKGU team today!

New staff member alert! 🚨 Meet Michaela Farrell, our new College Access Advisor serving the Wichita area. We’re excited to welcome her to the KKGU team!

Kansas Kids at GEAR UP is a college access program for students in foster care across Kansas, administered through Wichita State University. Students join in seventh grade and stay with us through graduation.

Advising, campus visits, academic support, workshops, youth advisory councils, and scholarships. All free.

The goal is post-secondary education. A university, a community college, a trade or technical program, whatever fits the scholar.

If you work with students in foster care, or you're a student with questions, reach out to your regional coordinator.

This is all of our Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP representation in D.C. this year!

As we conclude our NCCEP conference, our hearts are filled with gratitude, knowledge, and inspiration to continue to serve our students.

Day 2 of NCCEP: we got to hear from developmental psychologist Dr. David Yeager on how to connect with and motivate our students.

The most eye-opening part was a concept he coined called grownsplaining. It’s the way adults talk to young people that makes them defensive and less likely to engage.

Lighting the way NCCEP 2026 💡

NCCEP