Aim High is a free summer learning and enrichment program in Northern California who believe that all students deserve the chance to succeed. They work with middle school students in high-need communities who have limited options and have a multi-year program that includes academic and enrichment opportunities to prepare students for the transition to high school and beyond. They believe that keeping students engaged in these types of enrichment programs over the summer can ease the transition to adolescence and make the difference in school success.
Carrie Maslow of Aim High is a regular member here at Mission Cliffs and wanted to give her students from the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco an opportunity to expose them to something that we at Mission Cliffs believe is very special.
“I have been climbing for about 10 years and love it,” Carrie says. “I feel like it’s very meditative and a great workout, so I wanted to help offer the opportunity. The program is tuition-free and only serves students who qualify in terms of need so it was unlikely that many of them would have been exposed to rock climbing. I think they are loving it.”
Our instructors worked with the group supervisors to ensure they knew how to secure harnesses, tie figure eight follow-through knots, and use an ATC belay device to catch falls and lower climbers back to the ground. Afterwards the group would come in two times a week with 12 of their middle schoolers for three weeks to learn the ropes. While they were at Mission Cliffs they had the opportunity to challenge themselves, engage in physical activity, and, most importantly, have fun.
We were very excited to have Aim High with us and look forward to the possibility to bring in more kids from the program in the future!
For more information about our outreach events, contact Mission Cliffs at (415) 550-0515.
