Project Climb
Project Climb is our main ongoing project that connects us to our local communities. Through Project Climb we have begun to increase outdoor access to our local underserved communities through our therapeutic climbing adventure program. We have been fortunate enough to partner with organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, SOS Outreach, Salt Lake County Youth Services, local Title 1 schools, Promise South Salt Lake, and adult recovery groups. The focus of this project is not only to help usher deserving folks into the world of climbing but also to utilize rock climbing as a way to build trust, confidence, and connections in our participants.
In practice, Project Climb programs are specifically tailored to each unique group. Our Title 1 school programs look much different than adult recovery group programs. However, these programs typically last 6 weeks and meet once a week to climb. In all programs, we encourage any family members- who have been vetted and approved by the partnering organization- to come and be a part of the program to build deeper connections and trust. Our supportive belay techniques are utilized in every program, either by our trained guides and volunteers or by teachers from the schools that have been thoroughly trained in our techniques. The idea behind having teachers belay their students, instead of our guides, is it helps build trust between the students and teachers and to strengthen those relationships to provide a foundation to build on, past the 6-week program.
If you think that your group would be interested in partnering with EMG for your own Project Climb program, contact us with any questions at nikki@elevatedmountainguides.org.
Jaimie Dunn- Director, Boys and Girls Clubs of Utah
(names have been changed to honor the privacy of the participants)
“3RD Grade Boy
Alex has had a difficult childhood. He spent the first couple of years of his life homeless, living in a car and constantly on the move with his mother. His mother struggled with addiction and has been in and out of jail and his life. Alex spent time in foster care and was eventually placed with his grandmother. He has attachment and abandonment issues and struggles making connections with others. He has difficult behaviors that makes positive relationship hard for him. Alex does not like to participate in gym or outside activities. It is difficult to get him to do anything that involves interacting with others and prefers to play on the computer or sit alone.
When the rock-climbing program started, Alex was one of the first kids I signed up. I was concerned about how he would behave so I made sure to go with his group myself. From the second we got there he was excited, jumping up and down in place. I was shocked to hear him asking for help and advice on what to do. He loved getting the positive encouragement from the others while he climbed.
Over the next three months there wasn't one Friday that Alex didn't ask me if he could go rock climbing, even on the weeks that the other age groups were going. I have been trying to find something to motivate him for 2 years and this was it. Every Friday he was on his best behavior just in case there was an open spot for him to go. He would even participate in gym activities if I told him I would add him to the climbing list for that week.
To see this kid excited about something was wonderful. To see him gaining confidence in himself and having positive interactions with those around him in a new place was amazing. To the volunteers with Elevated Mountain Guides I am sure Alex just seemed like a normal, goofy 8 year old. However, coming from someone who has worked closely with him for 2 years I can honestly say that he was a different kid when he was climbing. This is something he would have never been able to do without Elevated Mountain Guides.
Teen Girl
Terra is a girl that attends our teen center. We have really been struggling with her attitude and negativity towards her peers and staff. Her poor attitude makes it hard for her to make friends and she is bullied at school. Terra wants the approval of her peers so badly that she often lies or makes poor choices to get attention.
Terra was excited when she heard about rock climbing. She bragged to her peers that she
had gone before and was really good. Everyone seemed to doubt that this was true. Her peers have a hard time trusting her and tend to ignore her. When Terra went on the first climbing trip, she actually was really good. The volunteers commented on her belay skills and used her as the example of what to do. They also let her be the first teen to belay another youth.
The staff at the B&G Club have had a hard time making a positive connection with Terra because they have to get after her so often. It was great to give the staff an opportunity to give her positive feedback and encouragement. While she was climbing, she kept yelling to our staff Brittney to look at how far she had gotten. Terra rarely initiates any positive interactions with her staff so it was exciting to see her calling out for her approval.
The most touching moment for me was when Terra was belaying another teen girl who is popular and doesn't normally interact with her. When the other girl got down from the wall she turned to Terra and gave her a big hug and said in front of all the other kids "Wow I really had to trust you! My life was in your hands!" and gave her a hug. Terra looked so proud and happy at that moment I couldn't help but cry! Little things like that go such a long way in the life of a teenager. I took a picture of the two of them together and posted it on our facebook. Terra's mom told me that she printed the picture and put it up in her room.
Terra may have had the means to go climbing at a gym but would have never been able to do this with her peers without Elevated Mountain Guides. This climbing program gave our youth and staff the opportunity to grow together. When this program started, give our youth an opportunity to try something new they would not be able to otherwise. I am always looking for ways to get our kids active and fit in a fun environment. Now I have realized that climbing is not only good for your physical health but also your mental health. The kids who participated have more self-confidence, they overcame fears with the help of the peers and they learned how to give each other encouragement.”
“Our climbing group differentiates itself from typical kid’s climbing gym clubs. This isn’t a competition. This isn’t even about climbing more difficult grades (although it usually happens). It’s about a special group of kids who have a lot going on in their lives BUT don’t have a lot of input in what happens day to day. This group is about giving the individual child CONTROL over something in life. That in itself is worth its weight in gold. ”
— Mr. Emswiler- teacher, Liberty Elementary
Mike Lloyd, teacher, Liberty Elementary
“I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work with students from my school and Elevated Mountain Guides to offer the students, who would otherwise not have the opportunity, the chance to learn rock climbing. In my 19 years of teaching in Title One schools (low socioeconomic schools) I have seen numerous after-school and in-school programs that tout themselves as being beneficial for the students personally and academically. While every program has some success in these areas I had never seen the quick results that the students at Liberty have shown. By facing the challenges of the climbing wall and setting goals the students have proven to themselves that difficulties in their lives can be overcome with perseverance and effort. They have brought these skills and attitudes back to the classroom and in their personal lives. A student in my class who is an English Language Learner would rarely raise her hand to share her ideas or to answer questions in a whole class setting. Since she has been climbing just four times I have seen her self-confidence increase and she is more willing to take on the "challenge” of speaking in front of the entire class. I just wish we could offer this opportunity to more of our deserving students. “
Sayre Posey- teacher at Northwest Middle School
I am so grateful to finally have a partnership with Elevated Mountain Guides. The combination of rock climbing and social-emotional learning is just what my middle school students need to grow. I’ve been trying for 7 years to find a way to take a group of my students climbing (yes - 7 years), and EMG is the reason it finally happened. I ran into one of my student‘s mom’s the other day and she said “oh you’re the one taking her rock climbing! She won’t stop talking about it!”