Story by: Julie Acres
Dr. Cloth, back to work post-Kilimanjaro
Dr. Allison Cloth is an Assistant Professor in Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education. Last month, she traveled to Africa with 15 students from Britannia Secondary School’s Street2Peak initiative, including some current and previous StreetFront students, to climb the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
Street2Peak’s founders (Andrew Schofield and Trevor Stokes) choose Kilimanjaro as the first expedition because of its epic size and scope. This trip was the first in an ongoing series of global excursions that Street2Peak students will experience over the next
decade. The purpose of these trips is to give disadvantaged students an opportunity to share their stories of struggle and success with the rest of the world. This opportunity was funded over the last two years through events, donations, and gear/equipment sponsorships.
Allison was invited to join this once-in-a-lifetime journey in January and soon after begun preparing for the physical challenge. Upon her arrival to UBC (July 2013), she made it a priority to reach out to Britannia Secondary School, given its history with youth at-risk. Since then, her partnership with Britannia and Street2Peak has developed into a unique collaboration that demonstrates promising outcomes for essential community needs.
The following digital story documents some memorable experiences from Allison’s journey.
Read the VSB news coverage on Street2Peak students conquering Kilimanjaro.