Snowboard Outreach Society

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Motto Riders making a difference.
Established 1983
Exec. Dir. Arn Menconi
Headquarters Avon, CO, USA
Founder Arn Menconi
Homepage www.sosoutreach.org

The Snowboard Outreach Society (SOS) is an American youth program 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization founded in, 1993 in Avon, CO by Arn Menconi.


Contents

[edit] Organization

The Snowboard Outreach Society provides high quality recreation programs to youth who benefit from the structure and consistency of the SOS curriculum. The primary aim of SOS is to reach out to at-risk and underprivileged youth through high quality, local, and national resilience-based snowboarding programs. Through these opportunities, and the adult mentor relationships that are central to the programs, SOS youth participants build strong morals, self-esteem and interpersonal skills.

During the 2005/2006 winter season, SOS brought 1400 youth, counselors and volunteers to 24 ski resorts nationwide for a total of over 250 days of helping our nation's youth-at-risk. SOS has been a 501 C 3 non-profit organization since 1993.

[edit] Mission statement

To build character in at-risk and underprivileged youth to enhance decision-making for healthy and succssful life experiences.

[edit] Vision statement

  1. Be honest, take responsibility and live the dream
  2. Improve the quality of life and instill hope in youth

[edit] Goals

  1. Live the Core Values - Courage / Discipline / Integrity / Wisdom / Compassion
  2. Provide a high quality adventure-based program that directly and positively impacts self-improvement
  3. Support at-risk youth through positive adult interaction
  4. Create appropriate behavioral and environmental boundaries for youth
  5. Provide opportunities for youth to improve and build social competencies
  6. Encourage positive values
  7. Expand current programming to provide follow-up opportunities for kids
  8. Continue to develop new partnerships with schools, youth agencies, winter sports corporations and government agencies

[edit] Programs

SOS partners with ski resorts, youth agencies, foundations, private corporations, and snowboarders to create an effective and efficient mountain adventure-based program for underserved youth.

Learn to Ride: The largest, most fundamental program we offer is called Learn to Ride (LTR). It is an outdoor mountain adventure experience designed for youth with risk factors in their lives. In concert with learning how to snowboard, the SOS Learn to Ride curriculum promotes a positive self-image and teaches social competencies and positive values.

Learn to Ride participants are provided with five days of professional snowboard instruction, equipment rental, lift tickets and clothing. Utilizing the fast learning curve and "cool factor" of snowboarding, students are able to overcome fears, reach new goals and discover new possibilities in a relatively short time frame.

SOS University: SOS developed the University program in response to feedback from participants, parents and counselors. These stakeholders expressed a desire that SOS continue beyond the Learn To Ride Program to help local students build resiliency and protective factors.

SOS University features a four year curriculum. Each year of the program includes five days of snowboarding and an increasing commitment to the community. Workshops and service days are scheduled to help students develop necessary life skills, such as civic and community engagement, leadership skills and job readiness skills. An overwhelming number of University students express that one of their favorite parts of the program is their time spent at a community outreach site.

Jr. Sherpa: After a participant graduates from the SOS University Program, their next step is the Jr. Sherpa program. This program was developed based on feedback from the University Program graduates.

The term "Sherpa" in the SOS program translates to "youth mentor." The Jr. Sherpa works as an assistant to the Sherpa, and they participate as mentors to first and second year University students. Jr. Sherpa’s support the development of SOS University Program participants. When a youth reaches the Jr. Sherpa level they are engaged in their sixth year of SOS programming, and they have mastered the SOS core value curriculum of Courage, Discipline, Integrity, Wisdom and Compassion.

Sherpa Society: The overwhelming response from adults who wanted to give their time, talents, energy and love for youth and snowboarding prompted SOS to create a program to provide outreach opportunities for adults. A Sherpa is an SOS-trained adult volunteer who helps to carry and guide the SOS youth through the LTR or University program. The Sherpa is given the responsibility of helping participants identify their strengths and use their assets to overcome risks in their lives. Partly through the Sherpa Society, volunteer hours total over 6,000 per season. SOS volunteer hours create an adult to youth ratio of nearly 1 to 2, increasing the positive adult contact for SOS youth.

[edit] Resort partners & mountains of operation

The Snowboard Outreach Society partners with more than 24 resorts around the nation to bring the Learn to Ride and University programs to many communities.

Resort Partners contribute lift tickets, instructors and rental equipment. Each resort gives what it can to provide for SOS outreach programs in their communities. They include:

  1. A-Basin, CO
  2. Angel Fire, NM
  3. Beaver Creek, CO
  4. Booth Creek Resorts, Inc.
  5. Breckenridge, CO
  6. Brighton, UT
  7. Copper Mountain, CO
  8. Durango Mountain, CO
  9. Eldora, CO
  10. Heavenly, CA
  11. Hunter Mountain, NY
  12. Keystone, CO
  13. Mt Hood Meadows, OR
  14. Mt LaCrosse, WI
  15. Northstar-at-Tahoe, CA
  16. Sierra-at-Tahoe, CA
  17. Ski Santa Fe, NM
  18. Snowbird, UT
  19. Steamboat Springs, CO
  20. Summit at Snoqualmie, WA
  21. Sunlight Mountain, CO
  22. Timberline, OR
  23. Vail, CO
  24. Waterville Valley, NH
  25. White Pass, WA

[edit] Youth agencies that work directly with SOS

  1. 17th Judicial District Probation
  2. 5th Judicial Probation
  3. Alternative School #1
  4. Alternatives for Youth
  5. Aurora North Middle School "Rough Riders"
  6. Avon Elementary School
  7. Battle Mountain High School
  8. Berry Creek Middle School
  9. Boys & Girls Club of Craig
  10. Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County
  11. Boys and Girls Club of La Crosse
  12. Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe
  13. Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows
  14. Breckenridge Elementary School
  15. Brush Creek Elementary School
  16. Camp Opportunity
  17. Casa Class - "I Have a Dream" Foundation of Boulder County
  18. Catholic Charities - Rishel Beacon Neighborhood Center
  19. Catholic Community Services
  20. Centaurus High School L.I.F.E
  21. Centennial High School
  22. Central Elementary
  23. Choice for Change
  24. City of Bellevue
  25. City of Bellevue Teen Services
  26. City of South Lake Tahoe Parks and Recreation Department
  27. City of Steamboat Springs Teen Programs
  28. cityWILD
  29. Colorado Springs Public Schools
  30. Denver East High School
  31. Deschutes County Juvenile Community Justice
  32. Dillion Valley Elementary School
  33. Dillon Valley Elementary
  34. Doulos Ministries
  35. Durango High School
  36. Durango High School-Affective Development Program
  37. Eagle Valley Elementary School
  38. Eagle Valley High School
  39. Eagle Valley Middle School
  40. Edwards Elementary School
  41. Englewood Parks and Recreation
  42. Escalante Middle School
  43. Excelsior Youth Center
  44. Franklin Middle School
  45. Friends of the Children
  46. Friends of the Children-Portland
  47. Frisco Elementary
  48. Frisco Elementary School
  49. Full Circle of Lake County
  50. Garden-Raised Bounty
  51. Gateway Youth & Family Services
  52. Gateway Youth and Family Services
  53. GIRLS INCORPORATED
  54. Gypsum Creek Middle School
  55. Gypsum Elementary School
  56. Heather Horton
  57. Intercessory Youth Ministry
  58. Intermountain Youth Center
  59. Janus Youth Programs
  60. Kennedy High School
  61. Lab School
  62. Lab School for Creative Learning
  63. Lester Tester
  64. Lewis and Clark Middle School
  65. Life Cultivation
  66. Lost and Found
  67. Meadow Mountain Elementary School
  68. Meadowbrook Community Center
  69. Mental Health Association in Ulster County/Harbour Program
  70. Mercer Island Youth & Family Services
  71. MESA: Mapleton Expeditionary School of Arts
  72. Metro Parks Tacoma
  73. Metro Parks Tacoma - Outdoor Adventures
  74. Metrocenter YMCA Earth Service Corps
  75. Michelle Russell (driver)
  76. Minturn Middle School
  77. Monument Valley High School
  78. Mt. Scott Learning Centers
  79. New Avenues for Youth
  80. New Beginnings
  81. Omega Youth Mentoring Program
  82. Peabody Public Schools
  83. Peak School
  84. Pitts Elementary School
  85. Portland Impact (Madison SUN Program)
  86. Portland YouthBuilders
  87. Rainshadow CCHS
  88. REACH CDC
  89. Red Canyon High School
  90. Red Hill Elementary School
  91. Red Sandstone Elementary
  92. Red Sandstone Elementary School
  93. Referals from newspaper article
  94. Rifle High School
  95. Robert E. DeNier Youth Services Center
  96. Robinswood High School
  97. ruth dykemen youth and family services
  98. Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence
  99. Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation O2 Program
  100. Silverthorne Elementary School
  101. Southern Ute Community Action Programs
  102. Summit Cove Elementary School
  103. Summit High School
  104. Summit Middle School
  105. Synergy Residential Treatment Center
  106. Taos Day School
  107. The City of Longmont - After School Program at Longs Peak Middle School also known as "The Place"
  108. The Independent Living Program
  109. The Odyssey School
  110. Tillicum Middle School
  111. Upper Blue Elementary School
  112. Utah Future Olympians, c/o Mike Brand
  113. Washington Middle School
  114. Wilson Middle School
  115. Yakima Police Athletic League
  116. Yampah Mountain High School
  117. YMCA Earth Service Corps
  118. YMCA Earth Service Corps - Metrocenter
  119. YMCA Transitions
  120. Youth Health Associates

[edit] External links

  1. Official Snowboard Outreach Society website www.sosoutreach.org
  2. The Snowboard Outreach Society on Myspace www.myspace.com/sosoutreach
  3. Video: Snowboard Outreach Society Program Introduction on YouTube
  4. Making Online Donations to the Snowboard Outreach Society
  5. Snowboard Outreach Society Northwest Programs Seattle & Portland

[edit] See also

  1. youth program
  2. Non-profit organization

[edit] Notes and references

  1. Snowboard Outreach Society: About Us
  2. Colorado Secretary of State: Charitable Licensing Center
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