More Girls Are Ready to Climb Toward Confidence!

The Spring 2011 session of Climbing Toward Confidence kicked off this week on Monday, February 28. Nine girls and nine adult mentors are enrolled in this spring's 11-week session. The girls, ranging in age from twelve to fourteen, hail from four area schools: Asheville Middle School, ArtSpace Charter School, Evergreen Community Charter School and Francine Delaney New School for Children. Check back next week for profiles of our volunteer mentors and program staff.

Despite the calendar's insistence that it is still winter, spring weather -- thunderstorms and tornado warnings -- kept the group inside on their first day together. The first moments spent in any new group are awkward. Teens and adults alike stuck to the people they already knew and eyed each other nervously. But the feeling of discomfort didn't last long as the group courageously introduced themselves to one another with a favorite dance move or pose. Laughing at themselves, the ice was broken.

Throughout the evening, the girls and women played games and took on a series of challenges. Working together, the girls managed to cross a boiling "chocolate river" safely. Reflecting on the activity, the girls agreed they'd like to work harder to include everyone's voice in their discussions. They'll take their learnings from this feat on to greater challenges in the coming weeks, such as learning to belay for one another and completing a high and low ropes course.

At the end of the night, "awkward" was no longer part of the group's vocabulary. Giggling and flushed, happy girls spilled out into the wet night, already looking forward to next Monday, when they will start to rock climb!

The girls and women of Climbing Toward Confidence would like to thank Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company for the delicious pizza they donated.