Throughout 7th and 8th Grade, our Middle School prioritizes learning about differences and fostering empathy.
As part of our ongoing efforts, the School invited Steve and his wife, Liz Wampler, to engage in a brave discussion about living with a disability. Steve Wampler gained widespread recognition for his extraordinary feat as the first person with cerebral palsy to climb the iconic El Capitan, a 3,000-foot vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park. He completed the climb with an astonishing 20,000 pull-ups over five nights and six days, a journey captured in the celebrated documentary Wampler's Ascent (available on Amazon Prime).
Led by the students' questions, Liz moderated the conversation, which covered topics ranging from Steve's heroic climb to cerebral palsy to the power of determination and leading by example. Niko B. '28 reflected on the experience, "Meeting Liz and Steve Wampler was a great learning experience because you could ask questions without being judged by anyone. The most interesting thing I learned was that he would not get rid of his cerebral palsy even if he could." Steve and Liz also shared about their work to create Camp Wamp – a summer camp for kids with physical disabilities near Lake Tahoe. The discussion was a powerful way to break down barriers and encourage students to feel comfortable engaging with people's differences in a curious and forthright manner.
Lindsay Koss, Director of Grades 7-9, shared, "I was thrilled when Steve and Liz accepted the invitation to visit Sierra Canyon. In our planning, they were adamant that they wanted to answer the students' questions to open a dialogue about disabilities—no question was off the table. When we arrived at the presentation and the students met Steve, they immediately responded to his inviting personality. I am proud that the students showed up for the conversation to ask brave, thoughtful questions. We promote empathy in many aspects of our program, so it was great to see students applying the lesson that understanding comes from stepping out of one's lived experience to be authentically curious about others."
Steve and Liz invited students to consider working at Camp Wamp as CITs. Those interested in learning more and becoming involved with this non-profit organization can find more information here.
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