It took a team.

When Alex first arrived at a rock climbing wall through a partnership between The Space and the Wood River YMCA, he froze. The equipment felt overwhelming. The wall felt impossible.

Alex had been coming to The Space for years. He already knew the staff. He already trusted them. So instead of being pushed past his fear, he was met with something different.

A staff member sat beside him, shared her own story of being scared to climb as a teen, and reminded him that he wasn’t alone and that he could move at his own pace.

Thirty minutes later, Alex came back and said, “I think I’m ready to go to the top.”

He climbed the wall.

That moment didn’t happen because of one person. It happened because Alex had a team around him. Adults who noticed his pause. A space where he felt safe. Encouragement without pressure. Time and trust. 

That same team showed up for Alex every day he came to The Space.

After attending The Space regularly, Alex improved his reading level from pre-K to 3.5 and rediscovered his love of math. He went from being encouraged to come to The Space by his parents to choosing to come on his own, because he wanted help working through challenges and understood he could take learning at his own pace. 

Alex’s stepfather, Kyle, shares more about the impact of The Space:

“What I’ve seen is more stability. He’s able to slow down and pick apart problems. He’s more interested in science, and even in math, he understands the questions more. He enjoys coming here. This gives him the liberty to set his own academic course. It’s personal growth I see as a parent.”

Alex is capable. Curious. Growing. And like every teen, he thrives when a team of champions stands beside him.

That’s what The Space provides. And that’s what this campaign makes possible.