International GEAR LIST
All items must be labeled with your child’s name.
Appropriate clothing and gear is essential for students to be able to have fun and succeed on a wilderness course. If possible, please send a combination of synthetic and cotton clothes. Synthetic materials are better for staying warm when wet and for drying quickly. Cotton is good for comfort and sun protection. Some items are described in detail on the attached gear guide.
To Download the International Gear List as a PDF, click here.
** PLEASE BE SURE TO NOTE ANY COURSE SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT BELOW **
Clothing2 pair Pants/ Jeans 2 pair Shorts 5 Shirts 2 Swimsuits 6 pair Socks 1 pair Tennis Shoes 1 pair Light Weight Hiking Boots Fleece Sweater or Light Jacket Hat/Cap Water Shoes (no Velcro straps please) 2 sets Sleepwear General NeedsDuffle Bag or similar soft bag/luggage Day Pack Sheet and Fleece Blanket Flashlight with extra Batteries 2 Nalgene Water Bottles (quart size) Insect Repellent (non-aerosol) Pen and Paper Nylon Cord (Clothesline) Rain Jacket and Pants Sunglasses Small Travel Umbrella
Additional ItemsDisposable Camera (optional) Fishing Pole (optional) Binoculars (optional) Stamps, envelopes, and paper |
Eating GearPlastic Bowl and/or Plate Eating Utensils Plastic Cup
|
Belize Only:Rash Guard Mask Snorkel Fins Peru OnlyWarm Fleece or Warm Jacket Warm Hat Gloves NOTES1. Please label all clothing and personal effects. |
.
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 which is 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 which enable 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 which empower the student 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 Jon Terry.
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: