Climb Up! Program in South Lake Tahoe to give under-served youth climbing experiences

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A new, free mentorship program for at-risk, low income youth has been launched by the Tahoe Climbing Coalition in South Lake Tahoe.

The Climb Up! program is planned to improve the lives of under-served youth by introducing them to the adventure and joy of rock climbing. Climb Up! uses mentorship to teach youth about five core values which can be applied to climbing and can carry over into all aspects of life: Communication, Balance, Trust & Teamwork, Resilience and Confidence.

The new programs will accept applications from all sources and will create groups based on age and needs. All ages are welcome and the coalition will group participants based on age. Each group of five participants will have two mentors for a five-week program on either Tuesdays or Thursdays. After the five weeks of program all participants are invited to join the Recreation Club at Blue Granite climbing gym, a weekly team program including all gear. All programming is paid for with donations given to the TCC, including grants from The Barton Foundation.

Climb Up! will be up and running in 2020 on the following dates:​

Tuesdays: January 7, 14, 21, 28 and February 4. 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Thursdays: January 9, 16, 23, 30 and February 6. 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.​

Closing climbing party for all participants: Saturday February 8 at noon. Lunch provided.

The Climb Up! program is an intervention program targeting local youth identified as being at risk of depression, anxiety, substance use and high risk behaviors. Using the process of learning to climb, tackle and accomplish goals and challenges we hope to enrich the lives of our young participants.

There are a number of studies showing positive outcomes with physical activity including decrease in depression, anxiety, substance abuse, high risk behaviors as well as an increase in positive self view. Being introduced to a challenge, such as rock climbing, will enable our participants to use communication, balance, trust, teamwork, and confidence to create resilience and strength. This therapeutic process will add protective factors our youth will take into the rest of their lives.

For more information and to obtain applications for both participants and mentors, visit https://www.tahoeclimbingcoalition.org/climbup?fbclid=IwAR3lxDk9ilUv6ZQaVjop68zCl7vkXg2f4s1ZYEol8Vxu....

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