This winter, Shawn Benjamin brought 10 students to Berkeley Ironworks to try out climbing for the first time. Ms. Benjamin is the Principle at Leadership Public Schools in Richmond, a tuition-free public charter high school dedicated to preparing 100% of their graduating students for success in college and leadership in their communities. “99% of our students live at our below the poverty level and 100% are students of color,” said Benjamin. The Berkeley Ironworks staff worked with Ms. Benjamin to allow the kids to give climbing a try without the event being cost prohibitive. It went off without a hitch – and everyone from the climbers to the staff had a great time.
Here is Ms. Benjamin’s testimonial of the event.
Our climbing day was incredible! The students loved having the responsibility of belaying each other and feeling like they could be trusted in this way. They all were also surprised by their own physical strength in this activity, sometimes feeling amazed at what they had accomplished and other times being surprised by feeling challenged. Overall, this activity enabled students to feel closer to each other and to me. Thanks for the opportunity! We could not have done it without your financial support.
