Her Climb
Family Guide
Contents
Welcome
Dear Her Climb Families,
Thank you for trusting us with your daughter. Every workshop, every field trip, and every quiet moment of encouragement is built with one goal in mind: helping our scholars feel at home in rooms they were never expected to walk into, and walk into those rooms prepared.
I grew up in the South Bronx as a girl with big dreams and no map, and I started Her Climb because I was her. I’ve loved sports all my life, and while I was lucky to play JV basketball, my deepest love was for tennis and for Serena Williams. In my neighborhood, tennis was never mentioned—not to me anyway—let alone offered, so when I built Her Climb, I promised that our scholars would know Arthur Ashe Stadium as a place where they belong.
Along the way, one of Ashe’s most famous sayings has become an anchor for me: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Her Climb is an independent nonprofit, built from the ground up without a large institution or major foundation behind us, and every opportunity your daughter receives comes from everyday people who believe in her as much as we do. We are growing and learning as we go, and we won’t always get everything right, so we’re grateful for the grace and patience you extend to us, just as we extend it to your family.
This family guide brings together what we have learned thus far, as we prepare for what’s ahead. It explains how Her Climb works, what we ask of our scholars and families, and what you can expect from us in return.
Thank you for the encouragement you give at home, for the early mornings and long train and bus rides, and for believing in what your daughter can become. It is an honor to walk alongside her.
With so much gratitude,
Rita Omokha
Founder and Executive Director
About Her Climb
Her Climb is a free, multi-year leadership and college access program for public high school girls from underserved communities across New York City, with programming held at Columbia University.
We recruit scholars in their freshman year of high school and walk alongside them through high school, college, and into early career, until age 25, at no cost to families. Our scholars were only eight to ten years old when the pandemic closed their schools, and we exist to help them reclaim the years when children learn to raise their hands and speak up. We do this by supporting the whole girl, academically, socially, and emotionally.
Four career tracks: business, journalism, STEM, and creative arts.
Four pillars:
How Her Climb Works
During the school year, scholars spend 24 Saturdays with Her Climb, a mix of 13 on-campus workshops and 11 field trips, along with optional experiences like attending Juilliard’s closed dress rehearsals. In July, they take part in a three-week Summer Intensive, and each August, rising juniors and seniors join College Hack Week, with college visits and hands-on workshops that prepare them for the application process.
1:00–5:00 PMColumbia University Irving Medical Center
Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center
104 Haven Avenue
For rising juniors and seniors onlyColumbia University (across both Pulitzer and CUIMC); select travel for college tours
The scholar calendar. All sessions, field trips, and key dates live on your scholar calendar (the public calendar does not include all details for security reasons). Please check it regularly and add key dates to your family calendar.
Why schedules may sometimes change. As a young, growing organization, we sometimes adjust locations, times, or activities to give our scholars the best possible experiences, such as an invitation to a world-class institution or a new partnership. When that happens, we will let you know as early as we can, in writing, with everything you need to plan.
Getting to CUIMC. Take the A, C, or 1 train to 168th Street, just a few minutes' walk away; the building's main entrance is closest to 171st Street. Let the security desk know you're with Her Climb. Room locations will be communicated ahead of time as these are booked upon availability monthly.
Getting to Pulitzer. Take the 1 train to 116th Street–Columbia University, and enter campus through the main gates at Broadway and 116th Street. If you do not have a badge for entry, a QR code will be sent to you prior to your arrival. Pulitzer Hall is just inside, on your right. Classroom locations will be communicated ahead of time as these are booked upon availability monthly.
Commitment and Attendance
Her Climb works best when every scholar shows up consistently, on time, and ready to participate, because each session builds on the last and every sister counts on one another.
What we ask of scholars:
Absences. Please let Ms. Vanessa know at least 48 hours in advance whenever possible. For emergencies, a text on the day is enough. Excused absences include illness, family emergencies, school obligations, and religious observance.
Lateness. If your scholar will be late, please text Ms. Vanessa as soon as you know. For timed field trips, we may need to depart without late arrivals so the group can stay on schedule.
When attendance becomes a concern. If a scholar has three or more unexcused absences or repeated late arrivals in a trimester, we will reach out to talk about how we can help. If the pattern continues, we will invite the scholar and her family to a check-in with our team.
Stipends. Scholars can earn stipends of up to $950 per year, so showing up never competes with a family's needs. Stipends are tied to participation and are paid as outlined in your scholar portal.
Communication Protocol
Our family team is your first point of contact for everything, so you always know exactly who to reach and get a timely answer.
Program Assistantvanessa.graves@herclimb.org
Cell: 313-409-7085
Program Assistant
Ms. Amanda
Program Consultantfamilies@herclimb.org
Program Assistant
ORThe day-of contact listed for that eventMs. Vanessa: 313-409-7085
If different, the day-of contact’s cell will be in the weekly email that goes out to families.
Our family inbox. For questions, concerns, and family support, email families@herclimb.org. Messages go to both Ms. Vanessa and Ms. Amanda, so someone on our family team will always see your note, even if one of them is away.
Response times. We aim to reply to emails within two business days. Messages sent on weekends or holidays will be answered the next business day, except for day-of event logistics.
We aim to respond to all text messages within 24-hours. If a more timely response is required, please begin your text with URGENT.
How we'll reach you. Important updates come by email, with text or phone call reminders for events. Please make sure we have your current email address and phone number, and let us know if they change.
Office hours. Beginning the week of January 4, 2027, our programming team will hold regular family office hours, shared in our weekly newsletter, as a dedicated time to ask questions and share feedback.
Meeting with Ms. Rita. As our founder and executive director, Ms. Rita leads Her Climb's vision, partnerships, and programs, and is present at every in-person session and event. Meetings are by appointment, requested through families@herclimb.org.
How Decisions Are Made
Families and scholars help shape Her Climb through regular feedback, while decisions about the program itself are made by our leadership team.
Decisions our leadership team makes. Her Climb is a selective program built on exclusive partnerships and opportunities that often come with short timelines and specific requirements. To make the most of them for our scholars, our leadership team makes decisions about our curriculum, partnerships, locations, schedules, staffing, and program policies, always guided by what is best for all our scholars. We make these decisions carefully, and we explain changes clearly and as early as we can.
We need families and scholars voices and get them through:
Your feedback matters to us and often shapes what comes next. We read every response, even when we can't adopt every suggestion.
Our Community Agreement
Every member of the Her Climb community, our team, mentors, volunteers, scholars, and families, commits to treating one another with kindness, patience, and respect.
Together, we agree to:
What we commit to as a team: to listen carefully, to communicate clearly and in advance, to explain our decisions, to own our mistakes, and to treat every family with warmth and care.
Annual Review
Each June, every scholar and her family meet with our team to reflect on the year and decide together whether to continue into the next.
Her Climb is a multi-year journey, and like any meaningful commitment, it works best when it remains the right fit for everyone. Our annual review gives each family, and Her Climb, a natural moment to pause and choose the path ahead.
What the June one-on-one covers:
After the review, scholars who continue will sign a renewed commitment for the coming programming year. In some cases, a family may decide, or we may decide together, that it's time for a scholar to step away. When that happens, we'll part with gratitude and stay in her corner where we can.
Faith and Cultural Observance
Our scholars come from many backgrounds, faiths, and traditions, and we honor each of them.
Scholars may sit out any activity that conflicts with their faith or cultural practices.
How to let us know: Tell Ms. Vanessa in advance which activity your scholar will sit out.
Absences for religious observance will always be marked as excused and never affect stipends or standing in the program.
Safety, Consent, and Well-Being
Your daughter's safety and well-being come first in everything we do.
Waivers and permissions. Some activities, like horseback riding or ice skating, require waivers from our program partners. We'll share them in advance with a clear deadline, and unfortunately, our scholars can't participate until they're complete.
Photos, video, and media. We celebrate our scholars through photos and videos on our website and social media, guided by the media consent your families signed during the application process to join Her Climb. However, media interviews, such as with reporters, will always require separate, written consent from a parent or guardian, and scholars are identified by first name only unless you tell us otherwise. Participation in media interviews will always be optional and only with written consent from a parent or guardian.
Transportation. For field trips, we'll always share travel details in advance. When Her Climb arranges transportation, scholars travel together with team members. Family members are welcome at some events but may need to arrange their own travel unless otherwise noted.
Health, allergies, and dietary needs. Please tell Ms. Vanessa about any allergies, medical needs, or dietary restrictions, and update us if anything changes.
How our team communicates with scholars. Program communication with scholars happens through group channels or with a parent or guardian copied. Every adult on our team completes Columbia's required Protection of Minors training and background checks, in addition to Her Climb’s mandatory training by our legal counsel, Xinxin Zhou, before ever working with our scholars.
Wellness support. If you're ever concerned about your daughter's well-being, please reach out to our team. We can share resources and connect you with support through our partners, Child Mind Institute and Rula.
Academic Support and Advocacy
With your written permission, we can partner with your daughter's school to advocate for her when she needs support.
FERPA authorization. Federal privacy law (FERPA) allows schools to discuss a student's grades and records with Her Climb only with a parent's or guardian's written authorization. Each family signs this form when joining Her Climb, and it remains in effect while your scholar is enrolled. Please let us know if you'd like to update or withdraw it. We will never contact a school without your prior knowledge, even with FERPA on file. Having FERPA on file preemptively only expedites the process.
How advocacy works. If your scholar shares a school concern with us, like a grade, an accommodation, or a scheduling conflict, we'll first check in with the parent or guardian. With your agreement, we may reach out to her school's teachers or administrators, and we'll keep you copied on those conversations.
Portal check-ins. Each semester, scholars submit their class schedules and other updates through the Her Climb portal by the deadlines we share. If your scholar forgets her login or has trouble accessing the portal, she should contact Ms. Vanessa right away.
If a Concern Arises
Most concerns can be resolved quickly by our family team, and this path makes sure every concern is heard and handled fairly.
For anything involving your scholar's immediate safety, please call or text the day-of contact or Ms. Vanessa right away.
Stepping Away
We understand that commitments change. So either following the annual review or if midway Her Climb is no longer the right fit, families may withdraw at any time, and we'll make the transition as simple as possible.
How to withdraw: Email Ms. Vanessa with your decision. We'll confirm in writing and share any next steps, like final stipend payments.
When Her Climb may end participation. In rare cases, after conversations with the family, we may decide that a scholar should step away, for example, when attendance or commitment concerns continue, or when our community agreement isn't being upheld. We'll always communicate this respectfully and in writing.
Staying connected. A scholar who steps away may, at our discretion, join select field trips through the end of that programming year, with at least a week's notice. She may also reach out to us for help with school advocacy, college essays, and recommendation letters. Every scholar who has been part of Her Climb will always be one of our sisters.
Acknowledgment
By signing below, we confirm that we have read the Her Climb Family Guide and agree to follow it, including our communication protocol and community agreement, for the duration of our scholar’s time in Her Climb. We understand that Her Climb’s programming continues to evolve, and that any changes, including updates to this guide, will be communicated to us as promptly as possible.
Opens our secure signing page. We’ll find your family using your scholar’s last name and date of birth.