SOS Outreach University Program
We are excited to have you continuing on with the SOS Outreach University Program this season! This handbook has tools and information you will need to successfully participate in SOS this season. It outlines youth guidelines and specific requirements to be completed to be a part of SOS. Please make sure to take some time and look through this handbook. If you have any questions please talk to an SOS staff member. Make sure that you are ready to commit to all the requirements asked of you to be part of SOS this year. Check out our SOS Outreach website at www.sosoutreach.org and sign up to be a member today so you can always know what SOS is up to this winter and like us on Facebook. All SOS program days start and end with a circle of love that focuses on the SOS Core Values (Courage, Discipline, Integrity, Wisdom, Compassion, and Humility). During the on hill ride days the focus is on the day’s specific Core Value. Youth are to come ready with that day’s' Core Value sheet completed. They will not be going on the hill until this is complete. On service days and other SOS events, Core Values will be discussed and defined according to the activity being completed. Multiple Core Values may be discussed depending on the activity or service project being completed. Closing circles will reflect back on the use of the day’s Core Values and/or all of the Core Values during the day’s activity. CURRICULUM BREAKDOWN: SOS University allows Learn to Ride graduates to continue with SOS for four years. University students are matched up in groups of 4-6 students and an adult mentor called a Sherpa. Specific requirements for each year of University vary to allow for the growth of the youth and their skills while in SOS. All youth are required to complete the following in all years of SOS along with the specific requirements in each year. All Youth Participating in SOS are Required to: University Complete registration, paperwork, and pay the FFS to be eligible to participate Attend the 5 SOS On hill days Set goals with their Sherpa Attend the Winter Celebration Along with the below depending on the Year of SOS you are in: Year 1 focuses on the skill of skiing/snowboarding and exposes youth to different Service Learning Projects and the SOS Core Values. It also guides youth with goal setting and leadership skills. Y1
Requirements:
Meet & Greet Night with Mentor and group Complete 3 SOS planned Service Learning days
Year 2 continues to focus on the Core Values and snowsports and begins to develop youth’s decision making skills through their completion of 10 hours of Service Learning with one organization. Youth in year two also begin with their first Life Skills Workshop and continues their leadership training journey.
Y2 Requirements:
Meet & Greet Night with Mentor and group Complete 10 hours of Service Learning with one agency Attend a Well Being Life Skills Workshop
Year 3 steps up the leadership and Core Value discussions with Monthly Workshops. Youth will plan and execute their own Community Issue Project with SOS, along with continuing their snowsports and Life Skill Workshops. Y3 Requirements: Attend and participate in Monthly Workshops Complete 1 Service Learning Project Complete a Y3 project focused on a selected community issue Complete 1 Service Learning Project for your Community Issue Project Attend a Healthy Living Life Skills Workshop Year 4 dives deeper into leadership and advocacy as youth can relate the Core Values to all avenues of their life. Youth will plan and host a Leadership Panel to help further these skills and complete a Core
Value Project. Youth will continue with Monthly Workshops, Service Learning, and Life Skills Workshop to help prepare them to be a part of the Junior Sherpa or Master program and Peer Mentor. Y4
Requirements:
Attend and participate in Monthly Workshops Complete 1 Service Learning Project Complete a Y4 Core Value Project Complete 1 Service Learning Project as part of your Core Value Project Attend a Life Skills Workshop
Junior Sherpa & Master’s Program: Graduates from the four-year University Program, assist Sherpas, and groups of younger University Students through ride days and Service Learning Projects. This leadership development program teaches positive reinforcement, empowerment and goal setting skills. Summer-Backyard Adventures: Is a day camp that exposes youth to a variety of outdoor recreational activities. Each day is made up of different activities which teach participants new ways to play in their local surroundings and become familiar with the wilderness in their own backyard. Introduction to Outdoor Recreation and Camping: With the comfort of a stationary base camp, youth will explore the White River National Forest through day hikes, rock climbing, paddle sports, or mountain biking. After days out recreating they’ll return to camp for nights of stargazing and storytelling. This course is designed to introduce the beginner to outdoor recreation and camping and to enhance skills already learned. Introduction to Backpacking and Wilderness Travel: This course introduces teens and young adults to the art of backpacking, hiking, group leadership and backcountry travel. The first day and night will be spent at home base preparing. Then, with their packs on their backs, youth will hike into the forest for four days of outdoor fun. Wilderness Expedition: Expanding on the skills achieved in the introductory backpacking course or building on existing skills, this course encourages student participation in route finding, logistics, and in exploration. In hands-on activities students will work together to craft a new expedition approach to the area, implements their route, and shares their journey. This course is designed to deepen each youth’s relationship to outdoor adventure. SOS OUTREACH STUDENT GUIDELINES/EXPECTATIONS SOS Outreach Staff have high expectations for all of our participants, so it is important that you accept these responsibilities and commit to all aspects of the SOS program. It is also important for your parents, guardians and teachers to understand that they are a great part of the commitment and that without their support, the students; (YOU!) may not be successful. 1. Give 100% participation at SOS events and attend ALL SOS DATES that are required of you, for your Year of the program (listed on your calendar in this packet). 2. Listen to and respect all SOS Staff, instructors, and chaperones, Sherpa’s, Junior Sherpa’s, volunteers, mountain employees, other SOS participants and others around you. 3. No violence, threats of violence or use of inappropriate or offensive language 4. Follow the mandated Mountain/Water/Wilderness Safety Code that applies to your program. 5. Any destruction of SOS property or facilities in use by SOS will be paid for or replaced by the offender. 6. No use of any electronics during SOS activities: headphones, speakers, cell phones (calls, texting, games or watching videos on cells). 7. No illegal or sexual activity or use of illegal substances. 8. Have Fun! By signing up to be in SOS this season you are agreeing to the above guidelines and are expected to follow them otherwise there will be consequences, including a behavior plan, a call home to parents, being sent home, and/or possible expulsion of the program. This includes all the guidelines and those actions not listed that fall into these categories.
SERVICE LEARNING All youth in SOS are asked to become a part of their community through service learning. Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with a reflective practice to enrich learning, build civic engagement, and strengthen communities. Why is Service-Learning Important? Service-learning allows students to: Create an authentic connection between what they learn in their school or organization and what occurs in their community Enhances critical thinking and teamwork skills It allows for personal connection to critical issues It creating significant opportunities for social learning and development. As importantly, service-learning also provides a positive impact on the community served through direct and indirect service, or advocacy. Through quality service experiences, youth can develop important skills such as: critical thinking a sense of civic responsibility An increased sense of self efficacy that will be useful to them throughout their high school, college, and work lives. Service learning helps youth to connect to community members, positive adults, and other youth. Youth engagement in a community, especially when tied to a curriculum and when the youth are given an active voice, can be an enormous benefit to the path of the youth’s future and the community's future. Briefing and Debriefing at Service Days SOS also briefs and debriefs at all the service days. Briefing or frontloading is simply a term for talking about why we are completing a service projects and who it will benefit. Briefing refers to giving an example before the experience rather than afterwards. Debriefing is used in experiential education to describe a question and answer session with participants. Debriefing an experience helps to connect actions and activities they have participated with to the outside world. It is a very important piece of learning as a whole. It gives youth a time to reflect on the experience and activity they completed and allows them to relate it to the outside world, so learning is not lost. So including debriefing is really valuable after powerful experiences like service learning. WORKING WITH YOUR SHERPA (YOUR SOS MENTOR) All youth in SOS will have a Sherpa (their mentor) for the season. This Sherpa will be calling youth to talk to them about the following: Reminding them of dates and SOS commitments also listed on your calendar Reminding youth of things they need for certain activities. Checking in to set goals and help youth accomplish goals Calling just to chat and see how you are doing Calling with any changes in activities due to weather or times. It is important you are communicating with your mentor, talking to them when they call, calling them back when they leave a message, and getting to know them. All youth should make sure they have their mentor’s phone number and can always call the SOS staff to get it. It is important to make sure you give your mentor your phone number especially if it changes during the season. It is a good idea to pick a night of the week and a time to set as your weekly call to chat with your mentor. That way you can be sure to get all the info you need and also keep in touch with your mentor.
Tips for a Successful Mentee & Mentor Relationship
Building Trust: Building trust can take time. As a mentee, you are placing trust in your mentor to provide you with helpful insight and guidance. At the same time, mentors are trusting that mentees
will not take advantage of the relationship (e.g., wasting your mentor's time, repeating information not intended for others, asking for favors). Remember that your mentor is there for you. Finding Your Comfort Zone: Most of us can become more comfortable in any situation by being prepared. Some ways you can prepare for your mentoring relationship and SOS are: 1. Have a list of questions in your head or written down, either about the SOS program or things you want to learn about your mentor. 2. Visualize conversations between your mentor and you as if you've known him or her for a long time. It may help you open up more. 3. The more you learn about one another the more comfortable you will be. 4. Your mentor will be asking you questions to get to know you more as well. So don’t be caught off guard if your Sherpa asks what you like to do, where you like to go, and ask questions about your life. Listening: All the best questions in the world are useless unless you can actively listen for the information that will be helpful to you. Your mentor is going to listen to you so make sure you listen to what your mentor has to say. Mentors will be calling you at home with lots of information about SOS. Communicating and Progress: Mentors are volunteering their time to work with you and SOS, so be up front with them. Let your mentor know what your goals are and what you hope to take away from the program. Be polite and courteous. Keep up with your e-mails/ phone calls and ask questions. Let your mentor know if you don’t understand something or have a differing opinion. Get to know each other. Remember that people come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Get to know each other on an individual basis. Let them know that types of activities and things you are into.
SAFTEY KNOWLEDGE WHILE PARTICIPATING IN SOS PROGRAMS The Sun: If it’s not snowing, it will most likely be sunny. At high altitudes, the atmosphere is thin and the sun can have an even greater effect on us. Even in the winter sunburns can happen and lead to skin cancer. The sun can also drain your energy quickly. To prevent these dangers cover exposed skin, wear lots of sunscreen, wear goggles with dark lenses, and remember to drink plenty of water and eat a snack when needed along with a healthy lunch. All participants are to stay with their ride/Sherpa groups on SOS days. These mountains are big and it can be easy to get lost or end up in the face of danger. In the snow many objects look the same so it is hard to distinguish landmarks. Remember to set an emergency meeting spot in case anyone in your group gets lost. Always have a trail map and follow the marked trails for your ability level. MOUNTAIN SAFETY CODE Part of learning to ski and snowboarding is learning the rules of the mountain. Each mountain has the same set of rules to help skiers and snowboards are safe while they are skiing and snowboarding. Below is a list of the seven rules that makeup the Safety Codes. The Safety Codes Are: 1. Always stay in control and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects. 2. People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them. 3. You must not stop where you obstruct a trail or are not visible from above. 4. Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others. 5. Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment. 6. Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas. 7. Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely
TERRAIN PARK CODE Most sessions will make it to the terrain park during their SOS program. SOS focuses on the fundamentals of skiing and snowboarding and will only take youth into terrain parks when these skills are mastered. Part of learning the fundamentals is following the mountain safety code along with the terrain park code. Look before you leap: Ride through and check out all features, know what to expect before you hit a feature, and use a spotter to ensure that the landing is clear. Easy style it: Start small and work your way up. Getting hurt will slow your progression. The best way to improve your riding is to gradually work your way to more difficult terrain. Respect gets respect: Call your drop in, don’t cut people off, and clear lips and landings quickly. Remember- everyone is here to have a good time!
My Program Day Information Ride Days- Youth should come ready each day with their Core Value sheet fully completed. They will not be going on the hill until this is complete. Drop Off Time: 9:00am
Pick Up Time: 3:00pm
Please be on time!
These will always be the times unless an SOS staff tells you differently ahead of time. Please be at the mountain at these times. Youth should not be calling home to parents/guardians at the end of the day to come get them. We would like to be mindful of the mentor’s and staff’s time. In the morning for the start of our program we will meet at McCoys at the base of the Centennial Lift in Beaver Creek and students will be dismissed from there at the end of the day. BRING YOUR OWN HEALTHY LUNCH or money to buy a HEALTHY lunch- Food is pricy at the mountain so make sure to plan ahead of time what you will be doing for lunch. Youth will need at least $15.00 with them to purchase a lunch and will be accompanied by a volunteer, Sherpa or staff to make a healthy purchase for lunch. IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS & SOS INFORMATION The SOS staff that works with my program is: Mikayla Curtis I can reach her at: 970-926-9292 X 104 or 253-225-7367 Email:
[email protected] (note that staff may be out on programs during the winter season on
weekdays) My Sherpa is: _________________________________________ Phone #:_______________________ My Sherpa’s Email is: ___________________________________________________________________ Best times to call my Sherpa are: _________________________________________________________ Best time I told my Sherpa to call me:______________________________________________________ My Service Learning:
Project:____________________________________
Date:______________________________________
