{"id":152546,"date":"2026-01-16T08:48:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T14:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/?p=152546"},"modified":"2026-01-20T08:22:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T14:22:15","slug":"uwm-launches-roar-ready-to-support-college-access-and-success-for-k-12-students-and-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/uwm-launches-roar-ready-to-support-college-access-and-success-for-k-12-students-and-families\/","title":{"rendered":"51ÁÔÆæ launches ROAR Ready to support college access and success for K-12 students and families"},"content":{"rendered":"

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is announcing the launch of ROAR Ready, a learning pathway to help K-12 students and their families pursue new interests, prepare for college and explore career options.<\/p>\n

51ÁÔÆæ offers more than 200 unique,\u00a0age\u2011appropriate programs\u00a0and engagement opportunities for youth across the region \u2013- from College for Kids & Teens to campus tours to planetarium visits. ROAR Ready<\/a> brings those opportunities together under a single, coordinated framework that helps students and families navigate resources, track\u00a0milestones\u00a0and\u00a0maintain\u00a0long\u2011term engagement with the university.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meeting a\u00a0critical\u00a0community\u00a0need<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many\u00a0Milwaukee area\u00a0K-12 students and families lack consistent access to structured academic enrichment, career\u00a0exploration\u00a0and college\u2011readiness resources. These gaps can lead to challenges in preparedness,\u00a0confidence\u00a0and persistence as students transition to higher education.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe academic journey doesn\u2019t begin on move-in day,\u201d said\u00a051ÁÔÆæ Chancellor\u00a0Thomas Gibson.\u00a0\u201cIt begins when young people and their families first step onto campus and start to see themselves here. ROAR Ready ensures those early experiences are intentional,\u00a0welcoming\u00a0and connected, and that they help students imagine a future in higher education from the very start.\u201d<\/p>\n

ROAR Ready, which stands for a Roadmap for Opportunity, Achievement and College Readiness, empowers young learners to build their brightest future and discover a place to call home.<\/p>\n

\u201cFamilies tell us they want to support their students, but the pathway to college can feel complicated and overwhelming,\u201d said\u00a0Marc Young, 51ÁÔÆæ\u00a0chief recruitment and outreach officer and executive director of\u00a0undergraduate admissions.\u00a0\u201cROAR Ready simplifies that journey by creating one clear roadmap,\u00a0one place where students can explore, grow and stay connected to 51ÁÔÆæ year after year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three\u00a0core\u00a0pillars<\/strong><\/p>\n

ROAR Ready programming is organized around three pillars:<\/p>\n