Is SOAR a therapeutic wilderness program?
How can my child benefit from the SOAR program?
I'm interested in SOAR's programs. What is the next step?
How will I know if my child has been accepted?
What is the staff to student ratio?
What credentials do the instructors have?
What kind of food will they eat?
How many nights will my child be at base camp?
Do all the kids sleep in tents?
What if my child gets sick while out on course?
Is a passport necessary for Costa Rica?
What if my child wants to stay for two or more courses?
What do you do during a lightening storm?
Do I need to buy everything on the gear list?
Does my child need a backpack or a duffle bag?
What is the inbrief and debrief process?
How do SOAR staff handle administration of medications?
What is the spending money used for?
What about personal hygiene needs while on course?
Will my child be able to have contact with home?
What is the typical profile of a child attending this program?
How does the program identify and develop the strengths and abilities of the campers?
How does the program accommodate for specific LD and AD/HD characteristics?
What type of feedback/evaluation system is utilized?
What is the behavior management philosophy at SOAR?
How does the staff deal with homesickness?
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SOAR is a wilderness adventure program for youth with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder and serves both males and females, ages 8 Ð 18. We offer programs in North Carolina, Wyoming, Florida, California and Costa Rica. Is SOAR a therapeutic wilderness program? SOAR is not a therapeutic boot camp or wilderness therapy program. However, neither is SOAR a traditional summer camp. SOAR utilizes the natural environment and adventure activities to work with students on personal goal attainment and to provide them with opportunities for success. SOAR encourages our students to explore their incredible talents and gifts with the belief that their future is intertwined with these strengths and abilities. How can my child benefit from the SOAR program? SOAR has a two-fold emphasis. First, we assist our students in building self-esteem, self-reliance, and self-confidence. Secondly, we encourage our students to develop critical life skills such as organization and time management skills; decision-making and problem-solving skills; communication and social skills; and frustration management skills. Students then learn strategies which enable them to translate skills learned while on the program in to their everyday situations at home and in the classroom. I'm interested in SOAR's programs. What is the next step? a) Feel free to call our Admissions Director at 828-456-3435, if you would like additional information on specific courses. b) Discuss the full range of adventure opportunity options with your son or daughter and determine which course or courses interest them the most or fits them best. Click here to download our Summer Activities Guide. This will help you compare the activities offered by each course. c) Mail an application or fill one out on-line. It is recommended to apply prior to March 1st in order to secure your first choice of summer dates. Use the following link to access all applications: How will I know if my child has been accepted? You will receive an acceptance packet in three to five days. What is the staff to student ratio?
SOAR usually enrolls 7-8 students per group with a 2 instructor staff team. However, each course is also supervised by a Course Director who maintains daily contact with each group and is there to assist Instructor staff as needed.
What credentials do the instructors have? All SOAR Instructors are certified in First Aid and CPR and receive extensive training in all of our wilderness and adventure activities. In addition, most SOAR staff have or are working toward Bachelors or Masters degrees in Special Education, Recreational Therapy, Psychology, or a related field. What kind of food will they eat?
How many nights will my child be at base camp? This varies from course to course. Courses such as Academic
Discovery and Llama Trek spend the most amount
of time on basecamp with a total of 2-4 nights per
week. Most courses only spend two nights (the
first and last night) on base. Do all the kids sleep in tents?
What if my child gets sick while out on course? If your child gets sick while on course, you will be notified by staff if the condition is severe enough to warrant being seen by a doctor or if the staff would like to administer an over-the-counter medication (such as an antihistamine). If the student needs to go home, staff will contact you to make the appropriate travel arrangements. Is a passport necessary for Costa Rica? A passport is required for travel to and from Costa Rica.
What if my child wants to stay for two or more courses? Students are welcome to attend as many SOAR courses as they would like. Our Director of Admissions can assist you in putting together a series of courses to fit your needs and those of your child. Also available is the opportunity for students to stay at SOAR during the time between courses. This service is available for a fee of $100 per day and includes food, lodging at our base camp, and local tourist activities such as bowling, movie viewing, baseball games, and nature centers. Please let Admissions know about layovers as quickly as possible for staffing purposes. For some sample course combinations, click here. What do you do during a lightening storm? All SOAR staff receive extensive training on handling situations such as lightening storms in the field. If the group is near their van during a lightening storm, the group takes shelter in the vehicle until the storm has passed. If the group does not have access to their van, students take shelter in a safe area such as a low-lying stand of trees. They are also instructed to sit on insulated materials such as their sleeping pads or backpacks. Students only return to their activities once the storm has safely passed. Do I need to buy everything on the gear list? The gear lists were developed with careful consideration of the needs of each student depending upon the length of the course and the course environment. Therefore, it is vital to send everything on the gear list with your child in order to maximize their comfort, safety, and enjoyment while on course. Please consult your course Gear Guide for additional information and guidance. ( www.soarnc.org/html/gear.html ) Does my child need a backpack or a duffle bag? Some courses require a backpack while others are best suited for duffle bag use. Please consult your gear list to find out which is required for your child's course. If the purchase of a backpack is restrictive, SOAR has a limited number of backpacks available for use on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please contact Admissions at SOAR if you would like to reserve one.
What is the inbrief and debrief process? The "inbrief" is an opportunity for you to meet with your child's wilderness instructors when you arrive for a SOAR program. You will discuss what will take place on the course, review the student's goals, and review any medications that they will be responsible for administering. During the "debrief" at the end of the course the instructors will meet with you again to process your child's experience at SOAR. They will review goal progress, your child's success and accomplishments, and strategies for use at home. How do SOAR staff handle administration of medications? SOAR staff receives extensive training on all aspects of medication administration, including information about the common types taken by LD and AD/HD youth, their purpose and contraindications, and a standard protocol for administering the medication. SOAR instructors will review your child's medication information during the Inbrief process. It is imperative your child is sent with enough medication to last the entire course, plus two days extra. What is the spending money used for?
What about personal hygiene needs while on course? Personal hygiene times are structured into every course schedule. During these times, students are required to brush their teeth, change socks and underwear regularly, and wash their hands before every meal and after every bathroom use. Students are also given two shower opportunities during the course. Throughout the course, they are encouraged to maintain basic cleanliness through sponge baths. Will my child be able to have contact with home? SOAR courses provide the opportunity for students to experience a certain level of independence and to encourage self-reliance. Therefore, students are not allowed to make phone calls home or send e-mails unless they are on extended programs such as Academic Discovery or unless they are in-between courses. However, students are encouraged to write home as often as they would like. We have made available an article covering use of cell phones at camp: “In the Trenches”“ Cell Phone Deception — and other tales from the summer.”By Bob Ditterfrom Camping Magazine, January/February 2007To read the article click here. What is the typical profile of a child attending this program? SOAR attracts students who enjoy being outdoors and have a zest for activity and adventure. Most are experiential learners who learn best by participating in an activity rather than just talking or reading about it. SOAR students are of average or above average intellect and are often very creative and imaginative. Their interests and enthusiasms are often mirrored in the adventure activities of their chosen course. Some SOAR students love being a part of a team, while others simply tolerate the group setting as one of the requirements to participate in the program. Compassion and caring are common personal traits. Many have undeveloped leadership abilities that are nurtured throughout the SOAR program. Click here to download our Student Profile in PDF format.
How does the program identify and develop the strengths and abilities of the campers? Many campers come to SOAR knowing much more about their areas of challenge and frustration than they do about their strengths and abilities. SOAR encourages them to focus on identifying and developing their talents and abilities. Parents and teachers assist SOAR staff by identifying student strengths and abilities during the application process. On program, the staff continues this exploration process through informal conversation in the context of adventure activities. SOAR staff capitalize on these strengths and abilities throughout the entirety of the course by encouraging their use and development. Staff also discuss how these abilities can be developed once the student returns home. As a result, SOAR students leave their course more cognizant of their talents and gifts and looking for new opportunities to develop their strengths and abilities. How does the program accommodate for specific LD and AD/HD characteristics? Appropriate accommodation begins with knowledge and the SOAR staff team leaves no stone unturned in our search for information about LD and AD/HD. SOAR staff attend more than fifteen local, regional, and national conferences every year to stay updated on "best practices" in the field. With that said, we continue to be reminded that our best teachers are our students, and we have been learning from them for more than twenty-five years. SOAR has taken everything we know about the characteristics of LD and AD/HD and designed a program that removes obstacles while building in springboards for success. As a result, we ask SOAR students to set high, yet realistic, expectations and find ways to boost their capabilities to reach these goals. What type of feedback/evaluation system is utilized? Upon the conclusion of our standard SOAR programs, each student / parent will receive a written evaluation . Included in the evaluation is the student's performance review. Staff then complete a written evaluation indicating some of your child's strengths and reflect on growth towards given goals and objectives. Finally, each evaluation will have strategies we believe will support the continued growth and maturation of your child. What is the behavior management philosophy at SOAR? SOAR utilizes a variety of techniques to help young people get the most from this experience. We have found that utilizing our philosophy of natural and logical consequences, in conjunction with generous amounts of praise and positive feedback for successful performance, has been instrumental in supporting healthy behavioral dynamics at SOAR. How does the staff deal with homesickness? When a student begins to struggle with homesickness we encourage them to write a letter home letting their parents know how they are doing, what they miss, and most importantly, what kinds of fun things are happening here at SOAR. This last step is critical, and generally facilitated one-on-one with a staff. The most effective cure to homesickness however, is making a friend. Very often a SOAR alumni can be called on to give some positive attention to a young child dealing with the homesick blues.
The Registration Fee will only be refunded if the applicant is not accepted. Although the registration fee is non-refundable upon cancellation of a course, the fee may be used as a deposit for another course during the current season or as a deposit for a course during the next season only. The balance of the tuition (minus the registration depost) will be refunded according
to the following schedule: Students may be removed from course due to a variety of reasons, injury or illness, behavior issues, family emergencies, or other factors. In the event a student leaves a course early, no refund will be given. |
While
on basecamp, students will eat food prepared by our
basecamp cook. The menu consists of local favorites
such as pancakes, grits, eggs, bagel pizzas, grilled
cheese sandwiches, soups, pastas, fried chicken, homemade
macaroni & cheese, green beans, corn, and bread.
While in the field, students prepare their own food
(with assistance from staff) and are often involved
in their own menu decisions. Some SOAR favorites are "Trail
Pizzas," stir fried vegetables and rice, macaroni & cheese,
spaghetti, beans & rice, and burritos.
Students on all SOAR courses sleep in tents except
during their backcountry phase (e.g., backpacking).
During the backcountry phase, courses use tarps due
to weight considerations.
Spending
money is course specific and is typically used for
one meal out during the course and for souvenir purchases,
as the opportunities arise. Staff will hold onto each
student’s spending money until it is needed. Spending money will be invoiced along with the tuition upon enrollment in a SOAR course. 
SOAR is accredited by the American Camp Association
(ACA), the nation's definitive organization for summer
camps. SOAR chose ACA accreditation because of the
intense and rigorous standards it requires for its
camps and because of the quality information it provides
for parents seeking reputable camp experiences for
their children. SOAR has been accredited by ACA
since 2005. Prior to this, SOAR has been accredited
by the Association for Experiential Education (AEE),
the nation's leading wilderness adventure/experiential
education organization, from 1996 to 2005.
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Philosophy: SOAR believes all individuals identified with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit disorder (AD/HD) possess inherent talents and gifts. These abilities can mean incredible success in adulthood once these students negotiate the challenging obstacles of childhood, adolescence, and a traditional education system, usually unable to respond to individual learning styles.
Therefore, the SOAR model is based on two fundamental principles. First, youth with LD and AD/HD flourish when they are encouraged to focus on their strengths in an experiential setting. The second principle acknowledges that success can be generalized by encouraging our students to develop and utilize strategies, enabling them to compensate for those challenging characteristics of LD and AD/HD. To this end, SOAR staff strive to ensure success for each student across a wide range of experiences. Such success, in turn, builds essential self-esteem and self-confidence.
Based on these two foundations, SOAR participants develop problem solving skills, effective communication strategies, increased self-awareness, and social skills. Program activities include a broad base of wilderness adventure experiences that empower students to make healthy choices, learn more about themselves, overcome challenges, and establish relevance from these experiences to other aspects of their life.
SOAR's Specialty Courses are open to SOAR alumni and students with the maturity and experience level to be successful on the course. Acceptance is conditional on the approval of the course director. Most specialty courses are led by one of SOAR's year-round staff including Jonathan Jones, John Willson and Logan Walters.
SOAR’s programs are designed to allow students the opportunity to increase their independence while away from home. Independence is gained through self-motivation and life skills instruction. With this in mind, we involve our students in many decision making processes, such as setting individual goals, developing group guidelines, as well as trip and meal planning. This also comes into consideration when developing SOAR’s communication policy, detailed in our Parent Handbook.
SOAR is dedicated to serving the needs of individuals with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit disorder (AD/HD) and is proud to be the finest: