What SOS Outreach has done for me.

SOS Outreach consists of five days on the mountain for each of which there is a core value that students try to learn about throughout the day. The core values used by SOS are Courage, Discipline, Integrity, Wisdom, and Compassion. There are also days spent off the mountain. Students receive an orientation into the program where they meet their Sherpas, Junior Sherpa, and peers. Participants also perform community service such as Salvation Army Thanksgiving Baskets. The program spans five years and each subsequent year within those five years incorporates more community service and character building. After going through the program participants may choose to return to the program and become Junior Sherpas or youth mentors. As a Junior Sherpa you assist the Sherpa with the students and are there to give the students more comfort and someone to relate with. I have been a part of SOS for eight years and have now been a Junior Sherpa for three years after going through the programs myself.
My primary reason for joining SOS was snowboarding. I saw SOS as a way for me to learn how to snowboard. SOS provided more time on the mountain than the school’s program. As I came back to the program after my first year I realized that SOS was about more than just snowboarding. I started to understand the core values of SOS and how they applied to nearly every aspect of my life; I created my own definitions for the core values. The core values really served to reinforce the values which my parents had already instilled in me and strengthen my foundation as a person.
Taking the opportunity to become a Junior Sherpa allowed me to give back and share what I had received from SOS. I decided that by becoming a Junior Sherpa I would be able to help others grasp the true purpose of SOS as well getting the most out of SOS. My first year as a Junior Sherpa I was excited to share my experience, but worried about whether I would be able to communicate with the participants in the way that I wanted. I can say that SOS provides and environment in, which every participant can feel secure and grow as people. SOS has allowed me to give back and share my personal experiences with others in hope of positively impacting their lives.