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COURSE SUMMARY:
Our weekend courses are designed to introduce students to our program and
to the camp experience. They can also be a great opportunity for returning
students to practice the skills learned in other programs. We recognize that
developing Positive peer relationships can be an important part of your child’s
development.
For this weekend adventure, the activity choices are: Rock Climbing OR Whitewater Rafting. Each of these activity choices provides unique opportunities for students to learn and utilize strategies for success in developing social skills/
Specifically, we will work with each student in the following areas:
* Social Skills
o Identify behaviors that encourage friendships
o Identify behaviors that discourage friendships
o What do I do when I run into a problem?
+ Social autopsy:
identify social error, discover cause of error, determine damage, prevent re-occurrence
o What do I do when I feel frustrated or angry?
Strategies for frustration management:
+ Identifying causes of frustration / anger
+ Recognize physical signs of frustration
+ Strategies: Take personal time-out, relax
+ Create a personal plan
* Team Building
o Identify the characteristics of a good team.
o Identify behaviors that contribute to good teamwork.
o Identify behaviors that sabatoge good teamwork.
o Identify situations where you can be a good member of a team.
* Weekend Activities
Each student can choose between Whitewater Rafting* on the Nantahala River or Rock Climbing in Pisgah National Forest.
* Student Must Weigh at least 60 pounds to participate in Whitewater Rafting
GENERAL INFORMATION
PARTICIPANTS:
Youth 8-18 diagnosed with a learning disability or attention disorder. An
ability to enjoy the outdoors is a must.
PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING:
Top priority to the SOAR staff, this essential element is planned into every
program activity. Social, physical, and emotional security are continual
considerations.
FEE SCHEDULE:
$250 per weekend. A registration fee of $50 for each weekend should be
mailed with the registration form, or accompanied with the application online.
The balance is due two weeks prior to the start of each expedition.
APPLICATION:
You may access a student application form using the Online Registration Link above. Applications for SOAR Alumni are on file; however, we ask for an updated application yearly.
TRANSPORTATION:
Round trip transportation between the Asheville Airport and Balsam Base
is
available upon request. Weekend participants will travel in fifteen-passenger
vans with equipment trailers.
EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING:
All expedition equipment will be furnished with the exception of personal
clothing, gear, and sleeping bag. This will include a wetsuit, if necessary,
on the whitewater weekend. Upon acceptance, each participant will receive a
complete gear list. The gear list is also available to print using the link
above in the right hand column.
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 Jon Terry.
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: