About Us
What We Do
Kinship offers free climbing instruction, mentorship, and a full gym membership to our mentees through a partnership with Movement LIC, an indoor climbing gym in Long Island City, NY. We create values-driven, intergenerational, and community-focused spaces and offer programming that is focused on skill building and support.
The core of our program is monthly instructional climbing sessions October through June. Our first-year students are paired with a mentor and focus on climbing technique, communication, and risk management, while returning climbers are encouraged to take on challenges based on their personal goals, which can include lead climbing, learning outdoor climbing skills, and taking on supported leadership roles in the collective.
Throughout the year, we offer outdoor climbing, hiking, camping, and other trips, all led by women and gender expansive certified guides. Through our outdoor experiences, we integrate education about Leave No Trace, land stewardship, local ecology, and more.
Outside of our regular programming, our volunteer mentors have assisted students with college applications, provided mentorship for mountaineering courses, facilitated access to climbing festivals, and much more.
Who We Are
The program was founded in 2017 by Alexis Krauss, Eva Kalea, and Emily Varisco as Young Women Who Crush. In 2022, we changed our name to Kinship Climbing Collective to reflect our strongest values of community and inclusivity.
In 2024, we transitioned to a new governance structure focused on shared, intergenerational leadership and sustainability. This includes:
A core group of lead volunteers and two stipended coordinators who run operations for our indoor and outdoor programming.
An advisory circle made up of both adult mentors and current and past mentees, responsible for guiding the overall direction and vision of Kinship’s programming and structure.
Our broader cohort of volunteer mentors implement the indoor programming at our monthly sessions, assist in facilitating outdoor trips, and, most importantly, develop long-lasting relationships with our mentees. We aim for our mentor cohort to reflect the many identities of the students we serve, and many are involved in the work of dismantling barriers to outdoor recreation outside of their work with Kinship.
Our 45+ current mentees include both high school and college-age students who continue to attend our indoor and outdoor programming. In addition, we have over 50 alumni, many of whom return to participate in our events and programs.
Our students are selected through an application process that includes input from mentors and mentees and seeks to accept students that would benefit most from the community support, climbing mentorship, and the outdoor access that Kinship provides.
The vast majority of our mentees would not otherwise have access to climbing, and face significant financial barriers to accessing other forms of outdoor recreation.
Now in our eighth year, we have seen firsthand the impact of knitting together community, climbing, and outdoor connections. Many of our mentees have gone on to continue their climbing and outdoor leadership growth in college and as independent adults.
Most meaningfully, Kinship alumni remain a core part of our community—coming back to join us for gym sessions and outdoor trips, serving as mentors themselves for new participants, and leaning on adult mentors for support and guidance with school, workplace, and navigating adulthood.
Kinship is supported by CatRock Ventures, Movement LIC, Rise Outside, Arc’teryx, Adidas Terrex, New York City Climbing Collective, The Mohonk Preserve, and your generous donations.
To get updates when we open applications for new students and mentors, please sign up for our email list and follow us on Instagram.
Our Values
Community Building
Intergenerational Learning and Knowledge Sharing
Access
Collective/Collaborative Learning
Peer Leadership
Justice and Equity
Collective Care
Joy