RISE UP/SKY GEAR UP is a federal grant program that provides middle and high school students from low-income families in the Skagit, Klickitat and Yakima valleys with the support they need to access and succeed in college. Beginning in sixth and seventh grades, students join a program cohort for the next seven years. The program focuses on helping students enter STEM fields, providing tutoring, mentoring, financial aid instruction, college and educational field trips, teacher professional development and parent empowerment.