Escalando Fronteras

The Escalando Fronteras Logo

Escalando Fronteras (in English, "Climbing Borders") is a not-for-profit organization that reaches out to at-risk youth in the "poverty polygons"[1] of Monterrey, Mexico through the sport of rock climbing. The program takes groups of at-risk youth to the indoor local climbing gyms and national park Parque La Huasteca with the help of local volunteers and visiting professional athletes.

Origins

Conceived by researchers Worrall Smith and Javier Hernandez, the organization was founded by Smith and local Dr. Nadia Vázquez, with the help of researcher Nicklas Karlsson, to target at-risk youth in the marginalized regions of the metropolitan area of Monterrey,[2] Mexico in 2014. The program offers community support and life skills, based on research that sports like climbing can "be used as a tool for positive change for youth in underdeveloped areas of the world." [3]

History

In 2014, co-founders Nadia and Rory began a six month pilot-project to finish their respective Masters and PhD, and registered as a NGO in Mexico. December of that year, the Board of Directors formed, and at the same time Escalando Fronteras launched the "Climbing Beyond Cartels[4]" campaign on fundraising platform IndieGoGo, raising $16k.[5] The program has garnered media coverage from NatGeo Blog,[6] Mashable,[7] Reuters,[8] and climbing magazines Desnivel[9] and Rock & Ice.[10]

Rock climber Alex Honnold, famous for soloing one of the Mexico's tallest climbable cliff faces, was among one of the campaign's donors, for the perk of naming a new climbing route bolted by Escalando Fronteras mentor Gareth (Gaz) Leah. Other perks were artwork donated by local artist Ácaro and internationally-known climber and artist Renan Ozturk.

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Worrall. "Mixing Methods in Mexico: Youth Gangs and Organized Crime in the "Structurally Maladjusted" areas of Monterrey"". Lund University. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  2. ↑ Ruiz González, Aminda; Portales Debez, Luiz (October 4, 2012). "Amilpa: Exemplo de participación ciudadana en acción colectiva para la obtención de servicios públicos" (PDF) 16 (36). REDALYC: 117–143.
  3. ↑ "Project". Escalando Fronteras.
  4. ↑ "Climbing Above Cartels". IndieGoGo. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Escalando Fronteras: Climbing Beyond Cartels". IndieGoGo. December 5, 2014. Help Mexico's youth CLIMB beyond drugs, gangs, and drug cartels and on to a more promising future.
  6. ↑ Rory Smith (December 8, 2014). "Beyond the Edge". National Geographic. How rock climbing is saving youth from gangs and drug cartels in Mexico.
  7. ↑ Laird, Sam (December 1, 2014). "Getting to the top: How rock climbing saves kids from Mexico's drug gangs". Mashable.
  8. ↑ Becerril, Daniel (January 24, 2015). "Escape from Mexico's gangs". Reuters. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Una asociación mexicana utiliza la escalada para sacar a niños del crimen organizado". Desnivel. May 30, 2014.
  10. ↑ Parker, Chris (December 2, 2014). "Climbing Saves At-Risk Youth in Mexico". Rock & Ice.
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