My Nonprofit Reviews

Thank you to Feronia Forward for supporting our 7th grade mentor group with a trip to Ramblewild. This was a wonderful end of the year trip for this great group of students. These kids made good choices all year in the face of the peers, trying to be role models in a grade that is very hard to stand out in. Our trip to Ramblewild was a wonderful reward for their hard work. We watched as they continued to support one another and cheer each other on in the face of their fears. It was incredible to see 13 year olds helping one another through their fears and using those SEL skills they have learned over the past year. Ramblewild is a unique experience in that a person never knows how they will feel until they are up in the trees trying to get get across an element they are terrified by. It helps to show the best of humanity when peers step up and help each other overcome fears. Thank you again for this wonderful experience

This year we were lucky enough to take our entire third grade class to Ramblewild with the generous help of Feronia Forward. This was a trip that literally changed their lives. They had heard about it from older students and couldn't wait to go. We weren't sure we would receive the scholarship so all year I told them we would find out in the Spring. When we found out we were going they were ecstatic. Many of the students at our school come from struggling home lives. They have food insecurity, shelter insecurity and many live in foster homes, with grandparents or other relatives besides their biological parents. Almost all of our families live under the poverty line and going to someplace like Ramblewild is something they could never normally achieve when funds are so tight.

This year we had a very diverse group with 15 MLs and a few newcomers that had only been in the country 3-9 months. One of our MLs who has some learning disabilities and a very difficult home life had one of the most life changing experiences I had ever witnessed. Let's call her A....., she was very excited and nervous to attend the trip. I am not sure she comprehended the idea of a ropes course, even though I had shown the class pictures from the website. The day of the trip she was tentative, and stayed close to the teachers. We made sure she listened and watched carefully at the training camp part. When it was her turn she participated like a champ, but it was only 3 feet off the ground. Then she went over to try the course.

She was nervous, but we all told her she could do it, her friends were encouraging her and the staff was right there to guide her. She got half way across the first challenge and froze. She started crying and couldn't move. She was terrified. The Ramblewild staff compassionately talked to her, and the teachers all encouraged her from the ground. One of the staff had to physically go to her on the challenge and help her move her body. She was stiff as a board and sobbing. My heart broke for her. When she came down we hugged her and told she was ok and that we would help her be successful. She was certain she couldn't do it.

After a few minutes, she calmed down and Julia, a staff member, took her to the training area and worked with her to be successful many times on the training course. She came back triumphant and ready to try again. What Julia said to her I will never know and will forever be grateful to her for helping our student. A.... decided she was going to try. About 20 of peers, friends and classmates alike joined around her on the platform and from below and she cautiously began. She was scared, we all saw it, but she persevered and tried to push through. Julia went up with her and went backwards right in front of her. Her peers and teachers were cheering her on. By the 3rd element she was doing it on her own and Julia let her go and encouraged her from the platforms. To say that A... was on fire is an understatement, by the 6th or 7th element she was laughing and talking to all of us and the kids cheered and she said, "oh this is no problem, I've got this". words from a child who struggles everyday in school and at home.

When she went across the zipline she was giggling and screaming in delight and when I caught up with her at the end, she yelled, " I did it everyone, I did it!!!" I don't think there was an adult there without a tear in their eyes or on their cheeks as she skipped over to the picnic table. The smile said it all.

After that she was the one who asked, " who wants to do it with me again?" and she went running up the stairs to do the course again. That experience gave this young girl a success, one that she needed so desperately in her life. One that will last with her forever, knowing that she conquered her fear, persevered and believed in herself. If she can take that with her in all of her challenges in life it can only empower her.

That is the power of what they are doing at Ramblewild and with the support of Feronia Forward, our most underserved kids are finding a way to believe in themselves and know that they can do anything if they just try. That is powerful and the way to a successful future.

Thank you Feronia Forward for supporting my students for many years now, I hope that we can continue to give these successes to many more kids like A... in the future.
Sincerely,
Sue Garcia
Teacher
27 years experience.

This year we were lucky enough to take our entire third grade class to Ramblewild with the generous help of Feronia Forward. This was a trip that literally changed their lives. They had heard about it from older students and couldn't wait to go. We weren't sure we would receive the scholarship so all year I told them we would find out in the Spring. When we found out we were going they were ecstatic. Many of the students of Morningside school come from struggling home lives. They have food insecurity, shelter insecurity and many live in foster homes, with grandparents or other relatives besides their biological parents and some live in shelters. Almost all of our families live under the poverty line and going to someplace like Ramblewild is something they could never normally achieve when funds are so tight.

This year we had a very diverse group with 15 MLs and a few newcomers that had only been in the country 3-9 months. One of our MLs who has some learning disabilities and a very difficult home life had one of the most life changing experiences I had ever witnessed. Let's call her A....., she was very excited and nervous to attend the trip. I am not sure she comprehended the idea of a ropes course, even though I had shown the class pictures from the website. The day of the trip she was tentative, and stayed close to the teachers. We made sure she listened and watched carefully at the training camp part. When it was her turn she participated like a champ, but it was only 3 feet off the ground. Then she went over to try the course.

She was nervous, but we all told her she could do it, her friends were encouraging her and the staff was right there to guide her. She got half way across the first challenge and froze. She started crying and couldn't move. She was terrified. The Ramblewild staff compassionately talked to her, and the teachers all encouraged her from the ground. One of the staff had to physically go to her on the challenge and help her move her body. She was stiff as a board and sobbing. My heart broke for her. When she came down we hugged her and told she was ok and that we would help her be successful. She was certain she couldn't do it.

After a few minutes, she calmed down and Julia, a staff member, took her to the training area and worked with her to be successful many times on the training course. She came back triumphant and ready to try again. What Julia said to her I will never know and will forever be grateful to her for helping our student. A.... decided she was going to try. About 20 of peers, friends and classmates alike joined around her on the platform and from below and she cautiously began. She was scared, we all saw it, but she persevered and tried to push through. Julia went up with her and went backwards right in front of her. Her peers and teachers were cheering her on. By the 3rd element she was doing it on her own and Julia let her go and encouraged her from the platforms. To say that A... was on fire is an understatement, by the 6th or 7th element she was laughing and talking to all of us and the kids cheered and she said, "oh this is no problem, I've got this". words from a child who struggles everyday in school and at home.

When she went across the zipline she was giggling and screaming in delight and when I caught up with her at the end, she yelled, " I did it everyone, I did it!!!" I don't think there was an adult there without a tear in their eyes or on their cheeks and she skipped over to the picnic table. I wish I could share a pic of herv afterwards. The smile said it all. But she is not allowed to have her photo posted on the internet. Just imagine a smile from ear to ear and her eyes lit up with joy.

After that she was the one who asked, " Who wants to do it with me again?" and she went running up the stairs to do the course again. That experience gave this young girl a success, one that she needed so desperately in her life. One that will last with her forever, knowing that she conquered her fear, persevered and believed in herself. If she can take that with her in all of her challenges in life it can only empower her.

That is the power of what they are doing at Ramblewild and with the support of Feronia Forward, our most underserved kids are finding a way to believe in themselves and know that they can do anything if they just try. That is powerful and the way to a successful future.

Thank you Feronia Forward for supporting my students for many years now, I hope that we can continue to give these successes to many more kids like A... in the future.
Sincerely,
Sue Garcia
Teacher
27 years experience.

We can not thank Feronia Forward enough for sponsoring Morningside Community school at Ramblewild. Our students come from a Title 1 school, where the majority of our students live within poverty. Experiencing Ramblewild was like a dream come true for them.

The teamwork and community that this experience gave them is unmatchable. The students encouraged each other and supported one another when they were scared or nervous so that every child was able to navigate the course. And once they did it the first time ,they were unstoppable. I have never seen them work together so well to help each other over challenging spots or to conquer their fears. True friendships were forged that day between students and adults as they navigated something that may have seemed scary at first but by the end according to many of them was, " the coolest thing they had ever done!!!"

Our school would never have been able to go on this field trip without the support of Feronia Forward and their generosity. Not only did the conquer the ropes course, but they worked together in teams to learn about nature and ecosystems.

This was an an outstanding program that we hope all students will be able to experience at one point in their elementary career. We can not thank you enough Paolo and Feronia Forward. Our students deserve every opportunity in the world and you just proved that to them by believing in them. Thank you.