FA Foundation - First Ascent Climbing and Fitness

We believe climbing is for all people. At the same time, we recognize that climbing has historically been accessible only to a privileged few, and that the climbing community in our gyms does not represent the diversity we see in the cities we serve. That’s why we launched the FA Foundation.

Our Mission: Harness the energy of the climbing community to provide access and programming to underserved people and communities, breaking down barriers to entry and creating pathways to pursue climbing for life.

We’re focusing the work of the FA Foundation on two main initiatives:

REACH Youth Program, offering free weekly coached climbing sessions to kids from 5 non-profit partners who work with youth in the neighborhoods we serve. Learn more at faclimbing.com/reach.
RISE Membership Program, providing reduced-priced First Ascent gym membership options to those who face financial barriers to becoming a member. Learn more at faclimbing.com/rise.

Currently, all FA Foundation activities are funded directly and solely by First Ascent. We believe these efforts are an important investment in the growth of the climbing communities that we serve. We know there is a lot of work to be done, and that these efforts represent a small step in the right direction, but we’re glad to be on the journey.

Questions? Drop us a line at foundation@faclimbing.com.

Foundation Update: August 2024

As we prepare for another school year, we took some time to reflect on the impact of the FA Foundation over the past year, and we’d like to share some of our reflections with the FA community.

Since June 2023, we:

Provided free or reduced-price climbing access and experiences to over 950 youth and adults in the last year through REACH, RISE and other efforts combined.
Ran 5 ongoing REACH Programs across our Chicago gyms each week, providing weekly coached climbing sessions to 60+ kids from partner organizations including the Noble Network of Charter Schools, Intrinsic Schools, and Breakthrough. In total, over 150 kids completed a REACH Program, 45 of whom have continued to join REACH sessions once their first 10 week session was over.
Sponsored a guided climbing trip to Devil’s Lake for REACH students from Intrinsic Schools.
Hosted free or reduced-price climbing sessions for over 350 youth and adults from organizations like Chicago Voyagers, Chicago Adventure Therapy, Melting Pot Ministries and more. Here are some thoughts shared by some of our partner organization leaders as well as FA leaders and some photos from REACH programs:

First Ascent Avondale offers a powerful and supportive environment for climbing that extends beyond just the physical activity. In creating a space that allows our staff to emphasize personal growth, trust, and self-definition of success, FA is helping our participants develop valuable life skills. We are able to build relationships in a safe, enjoyable atmosphere which highlights the importance of community and support in the climbing experience.

My favorite moment from our REACH program with Melting Pot Ministries was during the 2nd or 3rd session when all the kiddos were taking turns climbing. When each new kiddo would approach the wall all the kids would start cheering and chanting the kiddos name, the whole way up! Most kiddos would down climb, perform proper falling technique and then do a little dance. This electric energy made the whole gym look to see what they might be missing out on. This is what a climbing community is all about, a supportive environment who uplifts everyone no matter what.

Served over 450 members with our RISE Membership program, 62% of which identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color. Here’s what some of our RISE members are saying about the program:

The Rise program is the only reason I am able to climb. I appreciate your gym's efforts to have equitable options for people like me. I love FA and everything you’ve done for this community.

I love FA and the RISE membership. I started climbing last year and have made so many good friends within the community. Everyone’s super supportive and I genuinely really appreciate how much of an addition it’s been to my life.

The RISE program has enabled me to continue doing something I love during a really difficult time - being unemployed - and I appreciate that. If not for this, I probably would not be doing any form of exercise.

I love this program! It let me come back to the gym after some financial difficulties. The gym is a part of my routine for physical, mental, and social wellness and I'm glad to have it back.

All that said, we couldn’t possibly discuss FA Foundation impact over the last year without acknowledging how difficult this work has been in the absence of our friend and former colleague Brandon Bradberry. Brandon, former REACH Program Coordinator and Manager of FA Block 37, was tragically wounded in senseless gun violence in August of 2023. We helped rally the support of the FA community for Brandon as he navigated living with permanent paralysis (thank you to everyone who came out for Boulder For Brandon and donated to his GoFundMe!), and we’re glad to report that he has found the long term living situation and care he needs, but the work simply hasn’t been the same without his leadership, energy, and heart.

We look forward to carrying on the REACH Program as part of Brandon’s lasting legacy at First Ascent and in the Chicago climbing community as a whole. You can continue to follow Brandon and support his journey through his B Heart Instagram here and his ongoing GoFundMe here.

Looking ahead, our goals are:

Increase ongoing REACH Programs to a total of 10 across all FA locations
Involve volunteers from the FA community in leading REACH Programs, connecting kids directly with the climbing community and expanding their mentor network. In particular, we hope to engage volunteers who share identity with REACH kids.
Continue providing climbing experiences for youth and adults from partner organizations in pursuit of our goal to provide 1,500 people with a climbing experience by August 2025.

There are 2 ways you can help:

Volunteer for a REACH Program at your home gym. Please complete this REACH Volunteer Interest Form and we will be in touch as REACH programs get underway this fall!
Help us connect with other organizations. If you know of any organizations we should create REACH Programs with, please email us at foundation@faclimbing.com to connect us or send them this REACH Program Interest Form to complete.

And of course if you have any questions, please contact foundation@faclimbing.com and we’d be happy to answer them.

Lastly, I want to thank Sydney Seabrook and the Support Team for all of their efforts overseeing the RISE Program, as well as Grayson Rohrig and Dietrich Hunter for their efforts organizing REACH and mentoring kids in the program.

Thanks for reading, and let’s keep climbing higher together!

Dan Bartz

Co-founder | First Ascent Climbing & Fitness