About Us

Arizona Quest for Kids (AQFK) is a 501©3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to prepare students, who would otherwise not have the opportunity, for success in higher education through mentoring, enrichment, and college guidance. Our vision is to create a culture where students embrace and achieve higher education, empowering them to become engaged members of their communities.

The need for Arizona Quest for Kids becomes clear with just a few statistics:

• The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education ranked Arizona 47^th in the country based on the percentage of students who enroll in college immediately after high school.
• The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education (2006) found that, in Arizona, the chance of enrolling in college by age 19 is 31% compared to 53% for top states.
• Latinos make up 41% of Phoenix’s population and yet only 13% of the university population.
• The National Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis found that for every 100 students who enter 9th grade, 68 will graduate from high school within four years, 39 will directly enter college, 26 will still be enrolled after their sophomore year, and only 18 will complete an associate’s degree within three years or a bachelor’s degree within six years. The rates for minority students are even lower.

Arizona Quest for Kids works to ensure that our youth are academically, personally, and emotionally prepared to not only graduate from high school but to excel in post-secondary education and beyond.