A local science teacher and cancer survivor is on her way to climb the tallest mountain in Africa. The trek is a personal triumph after recovering from breast cancer, but she's also turned this quest into a fundraising trip and a lesson for her students at the Livonia Middle School.

It's not hard to tell Linda Artruc is a mother and a teacher. "Bye guys, keep things in line at school for me you're in charge,” she said as she prepared to leave.
  
For the past 14 months she and 18 other local climbers have been preparing to make the climb up Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain.

“We've been hiking almost every weekend for a year,” climber Matt Flanigan said. “We've done Bristol Mountain up and down a couple of time and all the hills in Italy Valley and lots of hiking, a great bonding experience for the hikers.”
  
Artruc is part of a group called Journeys of Inspiration, which has helped hundreds of cancer survivors reach the summit while raising money for the American Cancer Society.  Artruc also signed on to Journeys of Solutions, a sub group that gives back to the children of Africa.
  
Artruc and her junior high school students have been collecting school supplies and soccer jerseys to donate to children in a village at the base of the mountain.  These children sometimes don't even have pencils to write with, so it's not just about the 19,000 feet Kilimanjaro climb.

“The icing on top is going on safari and going to the school, taking school supplies. It’s three adventures in one and it’s finally here,” Artruc said.
  
Artruc can't wait to collect scientific data along the way. She'll be hiking through rain forest, desert and mountain climates, and it's more than science projects that she'll be emailing back to her students. It's the message that you always get extra credit when you reach out to others.

Once the group starts climbing on Monday, photos will be posted on the Journeys of Inspiration website. Click here for that link. You can also donate money in honor of the climbers or cancer patients.