SOS Outreach
Encyclopedia
SOS Outreach is a non-profit that works to teach underprivileged youth to make positive decisions through outdoor sports. Based in Colorado, the group has offices in Eagle County, Summit County, and the Front Range, as well as across the country in 13 different states and 45 resorts. SOS outreach offers snow sports programs as well as summer activities like, snowboarding, skiing, rock climbing, wilderness trips, backpacking and paddle sports. The organization incorporates a core value curriculum with mentoring, service learning and active sports in order to inspire youth to make positive and healthy decisions for successful lives. Over the last two years there has been a 70% increase to year-round programs, allowing SOS Outreach to offer 18,553 program days to 5,191 youth in 2009-2010.
’s Vail Valley in 1993 by Arn Menconi. As a non-profit organization, it worked to bring winter outdoor activities to underserved youth in the Colorado
area. Based on the principle of promoting character development and positive decision-making, SOS developed a multi-year, adventure-based youth development curriculum that soon grew to include other winter activities outside of snowboarding.
In January 2009, SOS Outreach merged with Meet the Wilderness, another non-profit program dedicated to serving youth through outdoor summer sport programs. The merger ensured that 2,000 additional youth were served through summer outdoor adventure education programs. As a now combined organization, SOS is positioned to efficiently provide year-round programming to all the underserved youth it serves.
Since its inception, SOS Outreach has partnered with various mountain resorts, governmental agencies, youth agencies, foundations, private corporations, and outdoor enthusiasts to create a mountain adventure-based program for underserved youth. Through these partnerships, SOS Outreach has expanded into 13 states, and New Zealand
.
• Adventure programs are one day programs that focus on learning SOS’s core-value curriculum and exposing youth to a new sport or experience. Students are provided with all the necessary gear and are able to experience such outdoor activities as rock climbing, skiing, snowboard, peak ascending, team courses and snow shoeing. The initial goal of the Adventure programs is to transition students from one day trainings into SOS’s perennial multi-year trainings. This year 139 youth were served by Teams Courses, 500 by rock climbing, and 1,015 youth were served by Snowcore, all of which are one day Adventure programs.
• Academy programs are multi-day programs in which a new SOS Core Value is introduced and coupled with an outdoor activity each day. Academy programs empower students by making concrete connections between their outdoor activity and the meaning of the SOS Core Values. Students can participate in activities like five day learn to ski/snowboard programs, seven day wilderness trips, two day hut trips, or the 4th grade Monument trip. This year SOS served 23 youth through hut trips, 208 through 4th Grade Monument Trips, 68 through Wilderness trips and last year 1,580 youth were served through Learn to Ride.
• University programs are the most intensive program SOS provides. It requires students to commit to a four-year program, with each year offering an increased commitment to community service and personal growth. Students engage in year-round leadership training with a consistent adult mentor, take part in service learning and life skills workshops as well as participate in skiing, snowboarding and/or summer wilderness experiences. Graduates of the University program are invited to stay connected to the program as Junior Sherpas. These students act as peer mentors to the current SOS University program students, by practicing and instilling leadership qualities. Last year 559 youth participated in University programs and 30 graduates returned as Junior Sherpas.
During the 2009-2010 season, SOS Outreach served 5,191 youth at 45 mountain resorts. The program provided over 18,000 program days for underserved youth and 760 adults volunteered over 31,000 hours of service.
kids and getting them more involved in winter sports.
In March 2009, Choose Outdoors awarded SOS Outreach with a Royal Robbins Award in recognition of its efforts to instill a great appreciation of the natural environment in future generations. Choose Outdoors is a coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to outdoor recreation
.
The 2006 Active Youth Summit sponsored by the Harvard University Program in Education, Afterschool & Resiliency (PEAR), recognized SOS Outreach as a best practice provider of sports-based youth development programs. In 2009, Dr. Gil Noam, founder of PEAR, observed SOS programs in action and commented, “SOS’s programs offer leadership training, positive interactions and mentorship that have proven to provide youth with the tools they need to overcome their adversities and become confident, contributing adults.”
In order to meet the needs of the population it serves, as well as live up to its achievements, SOS has grown considerably within the last year. 2009 marked an important transition in SOS as it became a year-round organization following a merger with Meet the Wilderness, an organization that teaches life skills, teamwork and leadership to youth through summer adventure programs. Year-round programming not only creates for a longer lasting impact in the youth it serves, but it also results in significant operating savings. SOS has had a 12% increase in overall participants while seeing a 5% decrease in expenses. Such savings in operating expenses allows SOS to stretch donations, creating a greater opportunity for sponsors to make an impact.
Not only has SOS transitioned into a year-round operation, but in the hopes of continuing to spread the love, SOS has expanded. Just this year new offices in Lake Tahoe and Jupiter, Florida have opened. In Tahoe SOS anticipates serving over 250 area youth through Academy programs and in Jupiter 300 participants will participate in summer Academy programs.
During the 2009/2010 season, SOS saw an increase in nine of the ten protective factors, while one category saw no change. Significant increases were seen in five of the 10 areas measured: Interested and caring adults (.25); Liking/perceived competence in snowsports (.24); Ability to work out conflicts (.20); Neighborhood resources (.18) and positive attitude toward the future/future expectations (.18).
Further, all program staff, volunteers and teachers receive a qualitative survey at the end of the program session. The survey provides important feedback on the impact of SOS programs and highlights opportunities for growth. SOS analyzes the surveys at the end of each season to identify program improvements.
SOS evaluation results demonstrate that the programs provide participants with the necessary structure, positive interactions, and opportunities to succeed academically, athletically and personally.
SOS is proud to report that $2,500,302 of in-kind and cash support were allocated to program costs while only $139,885 and $179,086 went to general/administrative and fundraising needs respectively. SOS' end of year net assets totaled $352,196..
History
SOS Outreach was founded as the Snowboard Outreach Society in ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
’s Vail Valley in 1993 by Arn Menconi. As a non-profit organization, it worked to bring winter outdoor activities to underserved youth in the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
area. Based on the principle of promoting character development and positive decision-making, SOS developed a multi-year, adventure-based youth development curriculum that soon grew to include other winter activities outside of snowboarding.
In January 2009, SOS Outreach merged with Meet the Wilderness, another non-profit program dedicated to serving youth through outdoor summer sport programs. The merger ensured that 2,000 additional youth were served through summer outdoor adventure education programs. As a now combined organization, SOS is positioned to efficiently provide year-round programming to all the underserved youth it serves.
Since its inception, SOS Outreach has partnered with various mountain resorts, governmental agencies, youth agencies, foundations, private corporations, and outdoor enthusiasts to create a mountain adventure-based program for underserved youth. Through these partnerships, SOS Outreach has expanded into 13 states, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Activities
SOS Outreach offers three progressive programs. Adventure, Academy and University, that build on one another. Each activity is designed to foster self-confidence, cultivate life skills and demonstrate to students the importance of giving back to the community. Adult mentors, or Sherpas, are crucial to the success of the multi-year programs. They provide each participant with a positive role model and the necessary additional support and guidance for a transformative experience. During program days students discuss and discover the meaning of the SOS Five Core Values; courage, discipline, integrity, wisdom, and compassion.• Adventure programs are one day programs that focus on learning SOS’s core-value curriculum and exposing youth to a new sport or experience. Students are provided with all the necessary gear and are able to experience such outdoor activities as rock climbing, skiing, snowboard, peak ascending, team courses and snow shoeing. The initial goal of the Adventure programs is to transition students from one day trainings into SOS’s perennial multi-year trainings. This year 139 youth were served by Teams Courses, 500 by rock climbing, and 1,015 youth were served by Snowcore, all of which are one day Adventure programs.
• Academy programs are multi-day programs in which a new SOS Core Value is introduced and coupled with an outdoor activity each day. Academy programs empower students by making concrete connections between their outdoor activity and the meaning of the SOS Core Values. Students can participate in activities like five day learn to ski/snowboard programs, seven day wilderness trips, two day hut trips, or the 4th grade Monument trip. This year SOS served 23 youth through hut trips, 208 through 4th Grade Monument Trips, 68 through Wilderness trips and last year 1,580 youth were served through Learn to Ride.
• University programs are the most intensive program SOS provides. It requires students to commit to a four-year program, with each year offering an increased commitment to community service and personal growth. Students engage in year-round leadership training with a consistent adult mentor, take part in service learning and life skills workshops as well as participate in skiing, snowboarding and/or summer wilderness experiences. Graduates of the University program are invited to stay connected to the program as Junior Sherpas. These students act as peer mentors to the current SOS University program students, by practicing and instilling leadership qualities. Last year 559 youth participated in University programs and 30 graduates returned as Junior Sherpas.
During the 2009-2010 season, SOS Outreach served 5,191 youth at 45 mountain resorts. The program provided over 18,000 program days for underserved youth and 760 adults volunteered over 31,000 hours of service.
Awards/Accolades
Arn Menconi, founder of SOS Outreach was awarded a SAMMY Leadership Award in April 2009 by Ski Area Management. The award recognized Menconi as a leader in serving minorityMinority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
kids and getting them more involved in winter sports.
In March 2009, Choose Outdoors awarded SOS Outreach with a Royal Robbins Award in recognition of its efforts to instill a great appreciation of the natural environment in future generations. Choose Outdoors is a coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to outdoor recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
.
The 2006 Active Youth Summit sponsored by the Harvard University Program in Education, Afterschool & Resiliency (PEAR), recognized SOS Outreach as a best practice provider of sports-based youth development programs. In 2009, Dr. Gil Noam, founder of PEAR, observed SOS programs in action and commented, “SOS’s programs offer leadership training, positive interactions and mentorship that have proven to provide youth with the tools they need to overcome their adversities and become confident, contributing adults.”
In order to meet the needs of the population it serves, as well as live up to its achievements, SOS has grown considerably within the last year. 2009 marked an important transition in SOS as it became a year-round organization following a merger with Meet the Wilderness, an organization that teaches life skills, teamwork and leadership to youth through summer adventure programs. Year-round programming not only creates for a longer lasting impact in the youth it serves, but it also results in significant operating savings. SOS has had a 12% increase in overall participants while seeing a 5% decrease in expenses. Such savings in operating expenses allows SOS to stretch donations, creating a greater opportunity for sponsors to make an impact.
Not only has SOS transitioned into a year-round operation, but in the hopes of continuing to spread the love, SOS has expanded. Just this year new offices in Lake Tahoe and Jupiter, Florida have opened. In Tahoe SOS anticipates serving over 250 area youth through Academy programs and in Jupiter 300 participants will participate in summer Academy programs.
Evaluation
SOS Outreach is dedicated to gathering quantitative and qualitative data to improve the curriculum. Each student completes a pre-evaluation survey when they register for the program and a post-evaluation upon graduation. SOS uses an evaluation tool called the “Individual Protective Factors Scale.” The scale was created by Professor Peter Witt from the University of Texas A&M and it enables SOS to determine if its programs are successful by measuring which protective factors in participants are strengthened. Participants in the survey are given a scale of 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly to answer questions pertaining to the protective factors. The program staff distributes the survey before the program session and again upon completion.During the 2009/2010 season, SOS saw an increase in nine of the ten protective factors, while one category saw no change. Significant increases were seen in five of the 10 areas measured: Interested and caring adults (.25); Liking/perceived competence in snowsports (.24); Ability to work out conflicts (.20); Neighborhood resources (.18) and positive attitude toward the future/future expectations (.18).
Further, all program staff, volunteers and teachers receive a qualitative survey at the end of the program session. The survey provides important feedback on the impact of SOS programs and highlights opportunities for growth. SOS analyzes the surveys at the end of each season to identify program improvements.
SOS evaluation results demonstrate that the programs provide participants with the necessary structure, positive interactions, and opportunities to succeed academically, athletically and personally.
Fund Allocation
During the 2008 - 2009 fiscal year, SOS Outreach received $835,766 in cash and $1,841,920 in in-kind goods and services. Your generous donation was leveraged by other foundations, mountain resorts, corporations and individuals who contributed cash, goods, services and time to help reach out to underserved youth.SOS is proud to report that $2,500,302 of in-kind and cash support were allocated to program costs while only $139,885 and $179,086 went to general/administrative and fundraising needs respectively. SOS' end of year net assets totaled $352,196..