Program Options

Come escape the cold winter and join us in the sunny Florida Keys! The team will meet at the Ft Lauderdale airport before departing off to Camp Sawyer near Bahia Honda State Park. This six day program is a great opportunity for campers to develop social skills and participate in fun and exciting adventures that promote self-confidence and organizational skills. Open to new campers and SOAR Alumni alike, this course was originally designed to help campers revisit some of the strategies and success experienced on summer courses. Although short in length, this adventure is a powerful opportunity to remind campers of their gifts and strengths, which can be forgotten in the midst of a demanding school year. We offer two course options: the Christmas in the Keys Adventure and SCUBA Adventure.

This course provides campers an opportunity to learn a lifelong skill, one that enables them to explore a whole new world, filled with amazing corals, fish, and marine life. Groups meet in Fort Lauderdale before departing for the sunny Florida Keys! This incredible island chain will be their home for the next 6 days as they explore this paradise, both above and below the water. Courses begin with SCUBA instruction near Big Pine Key utilizing the spectacular Looe Key Marine Sanctuary. Campers will be awestruck by the beauty and diversity of the coral reef, exploring its amazing intricacies.

Our NC Llama Trek Adventure is specifically designed for younger campers who are new to being away from home and who may need additional help keeping track of belongings, maintaining hygiene, etc. Our low staff to camper ratio and more time spent on basecamp help these youngest campers feel more comfortable as they push themselves to try new adventures. The highlight of this trip is the 3-day, 2-night Llama Trek Expedition in Panthertown Wilderness area.

The NC Classic Adventure is considered to be SOAR’s original course! During this camp, the highlight is a 4-day, 3-night backpacking trip through Pisgah National Forest. Although backpacking is one of the most strenuous activities we offer, it is also one of the most rewarding! Campers will choose their route, acquire map and compass skills and learn the importance of organization and carrying just the essentials. After full days of hiking, campers will reflect over a campfire about the exhilaration that comes from hard work, perseverance, “unplugging” and tuning into nature and all its wonder.

Our NC Canoeing Adventure takes place in beautiful Western North Carolina. This courses highlight is a 4-day, 3-night canoe expedition on Fontana Lake in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Campers will learn the value of teamwork as they paddle from campsite to campsite and will get to reflect on their day each night as they camp on beautiful lake islands under the stars.

At 15-days our NC Expedition is designed to be slightly more physically challenging and offers a broader range of adventures than some of our other course options. The NC Expedition crew’s biggest adventure – a 5-day backpacking trip is in Pisgah National Forest, through which they learn the fundamentals of expedition planning: using a map & compass, planning their backpacking route, and organizing and packing just the essentials! Hiking days will be rewarded with exhilarating views and the satisfaction of navigating “the road less traveled.” Along with traditional activities you see in other courses this group also gets to go mountain biking, rappelling, and caving! Additionally, they spend more time on the water where they Funyak the Tuckasegee, whitewater raft down the class 2-3 Nantahala River, and whitewater raft on the Ocoee River, which is the site of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games Whitewater events and home to prime class 3-4 water.

The NC Twice Exceptional Adventure was designed to meet the special needs of our campers who are both intellectually Gifted and ADHD/LD (otherwise known as 2E students). The core of this course are the educational opportunities that speak to the exceptional nature of the 2E campers. Workshops & field trips include the WNC Nature Center, the Pisgah Wildlife Education Center, the Appalachian Mountain Farm Museum, the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, and more! This course also offers a broader range of adventures than some of our other course options. One highlight is the 4-day backpacking trip in Pisgah National Forest where campers can view firsthand the flora and fauna of our temperate rainforest. Additional activities include mountain biking, rappelling, and caving!

All of SOAR’s Eagle View Ranch adventures are 18 days in length and offer all of the excitement that the Wild West has to offer! The highlight of the WY Canoe Adventure is a 3-night canoe expedition on Bull Lake, which boasts incredible views and small cliffs perfect for jumping into the refreshing waters. Campers will reflect on their accomplishments each night as they camp on the sandy beaches under the stars. With the nation’s first national park in our backyard, campers will spend four days in Yellowstone National Park, discovering the area’s majestic geothermal features & geysers and abundant wildlife (including bears, wolves, bison, elk and moose). Campers also take a trip to the awe-inspiring Grand Teton National Park, journey to Sinks Canyon State Park, and go whitewater rafting on the class 2-3 Snake River. In true American West style, WY Canoe Adventure campers will then get to horseback ride, throw hatchets, shoot archery and rifles, learn survival skills, watch the Dubois Rodeo, and participate in our camp-wide “Cowboy Contest”!

This 18-day course was designed to meet the special needs of our campers who are both intellectually Gifted and ADHD/LD (otherwise known as 2E students). The core of WY Twice Exceptional Adventure are the educational opportunities that speak to the exceptional nature of the 2E campers. Campers will travel to Yellowstone National Park where they will participate in a Jr. Ranger program, learn about the geothermal features, and visit the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery center to learn about predators and prey. They visit the BigHorn Sheep Center for a lesson on antlers, visit the Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis for a dinosaur dig, and learn primitive skills. The group will explore the local area, in search of archaeological discoveries including petroglyphs and fossils, and will visit the Bighorn Sheep and the Dubois Museums before heading off to rock climb and rappel in Sinks Canyon State Park. Other Wild West adventures on this course include a day of whitewater rafting on the Snake River and a visit to the Dubois Rodeo; they also end the course with a campus wide Cowboy Contest!

Our WY Horsepacking Adventure participants will begin their journey with Horse School at Eagle View Ranch, where western riding skills are honed and practiced on trail rides into nearby Warm Springs Canyon. The highlight of this course is a 4-day, 3-night horsepacking expedition into the Wind River Mountains. With pack mules and real wranglers at their side, campers sleep under the stars surrounded by evergreens and soaring mountain ranges. Teams also discover Yellowstone National Park, America’s first National Park, which is home to the largest number of geysers in the world, including the popular Old Faithful. This course also takes campers to the Grand Teton National Park and Sinks Canyon State Park. Other Wild West adventures on this course include a day of whitewater rafting on the Snake River and a visit to the Dubois Rodeo! WY Horsepacking Adventure concludes with a day of camp-wide “Cowboy Contests” in which campers get to work together to showcase their newfound skills!

The CA Coastal Adventure is a satellite camp meaning participants tent camp the entire course. Campers will travel along the California coast and nearby areas as they discover this amazing world around them. The journey begins in Los Angeles where the campers begin their exploration of the coast through surf school. The fun continues as students learn organizational skills and prepare for their expedition to the Channel Islands, which will be their home for the next few days as campers explore the island on foot and by kayak. There is also a deep sea fishing excursion where their patience will be rewarded with a fish fry dinner. Campers then prepare for home as they travel back to the Los Angeles area for end of course festivities.

The CA Expedition is a satellite camp meaning participants tent camp throughout the entire course. The journey starts in San Francisco and will head to Sunset Beach campground for teambuilding and fun. The teams will explore the Monterey Bay Aquarium and participate in a sea kayaking adventure. They discover the wonders of Yosemite National Park and then will travel to South Tahoe to begin preparation for their exploration into the backcountry. The team will learn about expedition planning, including the importance of organization, as they pack and determine their backpacking route. Hiking days will be rewarded with the exhilaration that comes from being self-reliant and pushing past perceived limits. This trip will set the stage for the rock climbing portion of the trip – as campers again work on goal setting and problem solving skills. The course concludes with a whitewater rafting trip down the American River. The final night is spent celebrating the hard work and achievements of each camper before heading back to San Francisco for their departure.

The FL Keys Adventure is a satellite camp, meaning participants tent camp the entire course and are housed at Camp Sawyer in the middle FL Keys. The highlight of the trip is a 4-day, 3-night excursion to Dry Tortugas National Park, a beautiful island located half-way between Florida and Cuba and home to Fort Jefferson, a moat-surrounded, octagon-shaped fort dating back to the early 1800’s. While there, campers will explore the island discovering its shallow water shipwrecks, catch fish from shore, snorkel the patch reefs, and kayak in the beautiful aquamarine waters of the Caribbean. SOAR’s own 22-foot Mako boat provides campers with the perfect opportunity to catch snapper, sea bass, shark, and more. Campers also get to zoom across the water while tubing behind the boat!

The FL SCUBA Adventure is a satellite camp meaning participants tent camp the entire time and are housed at Camp Sawyer in the FL Keys.This course provides campers an opportunity to learn a lifelong skill, one that enables them to explore a whole new world, filled with amazing corals, fish, and marine life. The group will explore the FL Keys, both above and below the water. Courses begin with SCUBA instruction near Big Pine Key utilizing the spectacular Looe Key Marine Sanctuary. Campers will be awestruck by the beauty and diversity of the coral reef as you are free to explore its amazing intricacies.

The FL SCUBA Openwater Certification course, taught by qualified instructors, will be adapted specifically for those with learning and attention issues. This ensures campers are given the best opportunity to succeed in this challenging and rewarding course. Campers receive personalized instruction and will be closely supervised during the open water dives. In order to earn a SCUBA certification, campers must learn to pay close attention to detail and will see first-hand a practical application of science. Campers will learn to regulate breathing, which is an important skill in emotional coping strategies. In addition, successful completion of this course will provide campers a huge sense of accomplishment and life-long skill. To receive an SSI SCUBA Openwater Certification, campers must meet all three requirements of the course: Coursework to understand the basics of scuba diving, confined water dives, and open water dives.