Physical Education curriculums revolving around traditional sports can be frustrating and often boring for many students who do not possess the required skills or even the interest. The installation of climbing walls in schools to offer students an alternative exercise program is a growing trend and Sonoma is right at the forefront of this movement.

Kevin Jorgeson, renowned rock climber and founder of the locally-based nonprofit Professional Climber International,  has teamed up with The Presentation School and the Boys and Girls Club of Sonoma Valley to develop the area's first physical education curriculums revolving around a rock wall. The initiative was sparked by Presentation School parent Andrew McDermott, who initially contacted Jorgeson for private instruction for his 9-year old daughter. Jorgeson shared his vision for increasing the visibility and accessibility of rock climbing with McDermott, who ultimately funded the installation of a 32x20 foot vertical wall in the Boys & Girls Club and a 10x40 foot traverse wall in The Presentation School.

Although there are several other schools and programs across the country with climbing walls, these are the first programs to be launched by a professional climbing organization and employ the help of professional climbers. The Presentation School hired professional climber Patrick Smithson to develop the school's climbing curriculum and train the staff on safety measures when using the wall.

For the younger students (K-2nd grade), Smithson developed a circuit training program, which involves learning the basic skills and techniques required to climb across the wall and other obstacle course challenges that involve hula hoops, bouncy balls, foam dice, bean bags etc.

The older grades alternate rock climbing class with traditional sports, such as basketball, usually three weeks on and three weeks off. The more advanced rock climbing classes involve a lot of problem-solving and teamwork challenges, including following color-marked routes.

Why climbing? Well for starters, climbing has tremendous physical benefits and helps to builds many different muscle groups such as forearms, core muscles, lats and small stabilizer muscles as well as strengthens mind body awareness and hand-eye coordination. "The students are gaining a level of strength they didn't have when they began," says Smithson. However, its benefits extend far beyond the physical. "Climbing involves a lot of problem-solving. It is like chess in a way. And the physical aspect makes it fun," he says.

Presentation School's climbing program also encourages teamwork and trust building. The first student to figure out the solution usually helps the others to work through the challenge. Some challenges can be frustrating and difficult to complete. This is when Smithson uses the "quite feet" challenge. The students must follow the course as quietly as possible, which slows them down and increases focus.

Confidence is another core benefit of the program. "Not all kids are good at the traditional sports," says Smithson. "Climbing is an activity that kids of all ages and different skills levels can enjoy and even excel at." According to some, the confidence and lessons learned from climbing also carry over into the classroom, increasing the academic performance and concentration of the students.

For the Sonoma area children not enrolled at The Presentation School, the rock wall at the Boys and Girls Club of Sonoma is available to its members after school. Both curriculums are a part of PCI's pilot program, whose goal is to replicate the program in schools and clubs across the country.

Hours of operation and contact information for the Boys and Girls Club of Sonoma can be found on its website: http://www.bgcvom.org/home.html