ROYAL CITY - For a few years now, you've heard or read the term GEAR UP and probably wondered just what it means.

It's GEAR UP week, and Royal site coordinator Valerie Rice explains what it's all about and how it is helping one select group of students.

"The acronym GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs," Rice said.

Royal was awarded a GEAR UP/Rise Up federal grant in 2011. It was designed to increase the number of first generation or low-income students who pursue a postsecondary education.

GEAR UP serves a cohort of students which started sixth and seventh grade together. It will continue to follow those students into their first year of college.

The program offers tutoring, educational field trips, college campus visits and several four-day summer programs at the University of Washington.

"After attending many of the GEAR UP field trips, it has influenced me to want to go to a university and study engineering," student Leslie Moreno said.

"The grant has been able to provide training for teachers in order to provide rigorous Science Engineering Technology and Math (STEM) classes to help students reach their highest potential," Rice said.

It has also provided funds toward state of the art computer labs at the middle school and high school. The grant has provided an opportunity for these students to take introductory engineering and designing classes.

The grant provides for a new after school computer science program which teaches students to create mobile applications. And the grant has allowed the school to acquire a 3-D printer and Robotics.

Students have had the opportunity to participate in activities such as JA Financial Park, Business Emporium, Law Academy, Expanding Your Horizons, Robotic tournaments, STEM festivals and the Museum of Flight Educational Program. They have had opportunities to visit college campuses at BBCC, CWU, and UW.

"The GEAR UP field trips are an amazing experience for us students because we learn new things that we didn't know before, and we meet students from other schools and we develop new friends. We also have lots of fun on the activities," Kasandra Edeza said.