Building Leaders From the Ground UP !

Challenge Learning Center teaches individuals how to solve challenges and learn problem-solving skills through strategy, cooperation, and physical involvement.

Since 1991, Challenge Learning Center has provided rewarding, life-altering empowerment opportunities and community-building experiences for more than 36,000 young adults in the Bay Area's underserved communities . Whether they’re walking across an "incomplete bridge" suspended 30 feet above the ground or learning how to pass a ball to 12 people in 3 seconds young adults in CLC programs unlock their inner strengths, increase their self esteem, and learn how to help themselves by helping one another.  They use these important life skills every day for the rest of their lives.

Empowering a generation of new leaders!

By providing rewarding, life-altering outdoor teambuilding experiences and leadership opportunities, Challenge Learning Center focuses on teens' and young adults' educational, personal, and social development to create thriving school environments and healthier communities.

Challenge Learning Center strengthens individuals to overcome obstacles and self-imposed limitations. Through our structured "ropes course" activities and leadership experiences, we build community where success, trust, and teamwork are honored. By providing rewarding, life-altering team building experiences and leadership opportunities, Challenge Learning Center focuses on teens' and pre-teens' educational, personal, and social development to create thriving school environments and healthier communities.

* Served over 34,000 participants since being founded in 1991.
* Last year, served over 2,400 participants, most ages 11 to 18.
* Provided programs for over 50 different schools, youth-serving agencies, community-based non-profit groups, and camps, since being founded.

1. LEAD (Leading to Empowerment and Prevention)
LEAP provides a semester-long gang prevention program for at-risk middle schoolers designed to build leadership and peer relationship skills, so these students see themselves as active, responsible and positive contributors to the middle school culture.

2. ACE Experiential Outdoor Challenge Programs:

STARTING TOGETHER- accelerating the get-to-know-you stage of group development for youth programs to corporate teams (1 day)

CHOICES - an experience in how personal choices impact personal success and team performance (1 day)

DARE TO DREAM - expanding the concept of what's possible for today's youth when trust, support, education and action come together

Fundraiser Shopping event at Sports Basement, Sunnyvale
on Dec 13th, 07

Margo Dow - LEAD Coordinator
Margo received a B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University. She began working in the field of primary education and has since transitioned to specialize in enhanced communications for students with disabilities. In addition, she is actively pursuing developing programs utilizing such tools as music therapy and photography to advance learning and social adaptation.

Jeff Richardson - ACE Program Director
Jeff brings an unmatched passion for teamwork and a commitment to excellence from his 10+ years of consulting work with corporate teams in various high tech industries. His educational expertise includes team leadership courses at Stanford’s Center for Professional Development, UC Berkeley and UCSC-Extensions. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a MS in Organizational Development & Change Management from The University of Texas.

Lauren Mason - Program Manager
Lauren joined CLC in 2005 as a "Public Ally" intern, after she graduated from Stanford University with a BA in African American Studies. She has worked with youth in communities diverse as Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles and Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.

Mark Sherwood, Board Chair/Treasurer
Clinical Project Manager
Align Technology

Derek Berry, Board Vice Chair
Managing Director
BP Land and Capital Partners

Jim Stinger, Board Secretary
Engineer
Hewlett-Packard Company, retired

Lora Colflesh
VP of Human Resources
Sun Microsystems, retired

Roger Curry
President and CEO
Consolidated Freightways, retired

Diane Ogborn
Business Consultant

Leslie Sagalowicz
Co-Founder/Owner
NutraBella

Cisco Systems
Applied Materials
Palo Alto Holiday Fund
Guidant Foundation

Our challenge course (aka ropes course) is an outside educational experience where students are challenged to work together, strategize, and solve problems using physically-engaging activities on the ground or 30 feet in the air.

Double the number of participants on our high ropes programs over last year.

Acknowledged by the Sunnyvale Police Chief, Don Johnson, and the city's Neighborhood Resource department at a key resource in their gang and crime prevention strategy for 2008.