For Her Climb families
These are the policies and commitments behind our programming, kept in one place so families are not relying on an old email thread. We update this page as things are decided.
Last updated September 17, 2026
All Saturdays currently on the calendar are mandatory. There is no partial-attendance policy. That level of consistency is intentional, and it is tied directly to our growing institutional partnerships: Stanford, Juilliard, Maggie Flanigan, and the USTA.
On-campus Saturday workshops run 1:00–5:00 PM. This is an expansion of the two-hour Saturday sessions originally shared on May 30; as the institutional partnerships came together, the time needed to deliver on them grew accordingly.
Sessions will not move earlier in the day at this time.
All session times through 2027 are published at scholar.herclimb.org/calendar and inside your scholar's portal.
When an unavoidable conflict comes up, reach out directly to Vanessa Graves, our Program Assistant, as soon as you know about it.
Unexcused absences carry a stipend deduction, as communicated to our scholars.
As new partnerships are finalized, we share updates with families through the portal and our email newsletters.
Newsletters go to the address on our listserv. If you would like us to add another address, let us know and we will.
On our first day back on campus, September 12, Professor Omokha shared with scholars the standard they are held to, including how tardiness and unexcused absences affect stipend amounts. Life happens: illness, family obligations, the ordinary things that come up. We hold space for that.
As part of holding this standard with care, Professor Omokha will meet individually with each scholar for an annual review going forward. Like the personalized letters she gave each girl on Capstone Day, July 24, it carries the same spirit, in conversation.
If we see a pattern of increased tardiness or unexcused absences, we reach out to families directly to discuss what that means for a scholar's continued place in the program.
This isn't a punishment, it's a standard. Sisterhood requires attendance and engagement, and equity requires consistency; we cannot hold every scholar to the same high bar if we aren't equally consistent in how we uphold it.
Parents are welcome to attend this one-on-one discussion. The date is listed on the calendar, and we will follow up with the specific time for your scholar's meeting.
What affects the stipend
Shared with scholars on September 12, 2026, and in effect moving forward. Attendance is taken at every workshop and field trip, and any misconduct is documented. Collective consequences may be implemented where necessary.
Each amount comes off the semester stipend. Each year, in June, a scholar's place in the program is assessed based on the above and on her overall performance and engagement.
FERPA authorization is entirely optional. If you would prefer we not have it on file, we will not contact your scholar's school.
Its purpose is to let us swiftly advocate on a scholar's behalf when a family specifically requests that support.
Her Climb was never designed as a traditional enrichment program. From day one we committed to an elite and challenging experience for our scholars, built on four pillars: leadership, access, wellness, and sisterhood.
That experience includes real structure, discipline, and accountability. Sisterhood does not mean the absence of those things; they exist together, by design.
Your scholars' experience this summer and throughout this year-round schedule reflects how their subsequent high school years with Her Climb will progress. Cadence during their college years will be discussed as we get there, and communicated through our Parent Coordinator.
Family engagement is an important part of Her Climb, and there are opportunities for it on our calendar. Our family potluck is December 9, and the Halloween Costume Party at Brooklyn Equestrian Center is also open to families. We will keep building on this as we grow.
We previously asked one of our scholar parents to serve as Parent Coordinator, given her experience, but she ultimately could not take on the role. We are working with Teach For America New York, one of our soon-to-be-announced partners, to recruit someone into that role by the new year.
Until that role is filled, please bring any questions or concerns directly to our team. We would rather hear from you early than have you wait.
Where this comes from
Her Climb's structure, calendar, and level of commitment reflect deliberate choices made to deliver the experience we promised every scholar and family who joined us. We welcome your reflections, and our programming will remain intentional and consistent, because that is what delivering on the promise takes.
We are being built from the ground up, drawing on the institutional relationships and resources available to our scholars. As Her Climb grows, new partnerships will continue to shape the program. We appreciate your grace and patience as we continue building something worthy of these girls and the ones to come.