SOS Outreach South Lake Tahoe

"I remember the first time I snowboarded. When I finished my last carve at the bottom, all I could think was 'I know I can do that again.' " - Jose, SOS Participant

We all know how powerful the shift is from maybe thinking you can do something, to absolutely-without-a doubt knowing I can do this. 

But it takes a heavy dose of self-determination to get there. At SOS Outreach, we introduce this mindset through outdoor experiences and continue it through our value-based leadership development. Through a series of off-hill workshops, our kids uncover challenges that need to be addressed in the community, develop important life skills, and learn to incorporate our six core values in their daily lives.

OUR VISION: 

SOS Outreach believes that every child should have the opportunity to live their full potential. Our vision is to be the leader in providing continuous, multifaceted youth development programming utilizing outdoor experiences to connect with youth to provide skills for a successful life. 

OUR MISSION: 

SOS Outreach changes young lives, builds character, and develops leadership in youth through mentoring outdoors. 

ABOUT SOS OUTREACH: 

At SOS Outreach, we empower youth to belong everywhere. Whether it’s on the ski slopes, the trail, or at home in their community - we are committed to creating supportive spaces where everyone is welcome. 

Through our outdoor based youth mentoring program, SOS Outreach has transformed the lives of over 80,000 underserved youth since 1993. While providing outdoor recreation experiences for that many kids is impressive, it’s only a partial demonstration of SOS’ impact. Using a unique combination of outdoor adventure experiences, positive adult mentorship, and leadership development opportunities, SOS enables participants to unleash their full potential to thrive. Serving over 3,000 youth each year, across 25 resorts in 15 locations across 9 states, SOS provides opportunities for personal growth for the kids in our communities who need it most.

This past winter, SOS Outreach is thrilled to have worked with 260 kids and teens from South Lake Tahoe at Heavenly and Kirkwood!

With your support SOS can:

• Grow program impacts to engage over 350 youth across South Lake Tahoe communities
• Expand opportunities for young adults to access paid career opportunities in the outdoor industry through SOS' career development program
• Encourage youth to develop a lifelong connection to winter sports and maintain access through our alumni network 

OUR IMPACTS:

Through a robust curriculum and intentional progressive program model, SOS achieves three overarching goals. South Lake Tahoe youth reported the following progress in relation to these goals: 

Goal 1: Develop positive relationships and a sense of belonging

• 87% of youth felt they were an important part of a team
• 95% of youth report "My SOS mentor made the experience exciting"
• 91% of youth report "SOS mentor(s) and participants helped me feel proud of myself"

Goal 2: Enhance self-regulation through Social Emotional Learning Skills

• 87% of youth felt they had freedom to develop and use their own ideas
• 80% of youth felt they had a voice in their SOS experience

Goal 3: Develop strong character by applying core values and through community service

• 84% of youth report having meaningful experiences with SOS
• 81% of youth felt they made a contribution to others

Together, we can equip our youth with the skills, resources, and support they need—and provide a strong foundation for them to face challenges and make positive decisions no matter what obstacles arise.