Happy New Year! We hope that the start of your 2024 have been full of joy, laughter, and maybe some good pow turns too…
We love January, because in addition to having our season in full swing, it’s National Mentoring Month!
Mentorship is integral to our impact at SOS and for the past few years, we’ve had our Mentor Program evaluated and verified through the completion of the National Quality Mentoring System (NQMS) assessment performed by MENTOR Colorado.
We are thrilled to share that we once again have received the highest rating: a gold badge.
This designation reflects the effectiveness of SOS programs in excelling in the six core areas of effective mentoring practice: recruitment, screening, training, matching and initiation, monitoring and support, and closure.
Thanks to this critical evaluation process, we are ensuring that our participants are getting the most from their mentor and from our Mentor Program! You can read more about SOS’ intentional approach to mentorship and the significance of a gold badge here.
Lastly, we want to give a HUGE shout out to all of our volunteer mentors, present or past, who dedicate their time and energy to helping SOS youth thrive. We could not do this work with out you – thank you!
In the meantime…
Spread the Love!
We know mentorship is impactful across multiple facets of life.
Psychology Today states “Nonparent mentors – teachers, clergy, and civic leaders – were highly instrumental in how these teens learned to believe in themselves and tackle challenging goals“.
And Forbes Magazine highlights how mentorship plays a huge role in helping young people establish and move upwards in a career.
It’s for these reasons and so many more that mentorship is a critical piece in all the work we do at SOS!
Gaby Hernandez, 35, is forever grateful for her first SOS mentor who taught her snowboarding, connected her to the community, and motivated her to become a mentor herself later in life. At age 12, Gaby moved to the Vail Valley from Mexico City and was encouraged by her school to sign-up for SOS Outreach.
“It was a big shock coming from a city to a small ski town and seeing snow for the first time. I was excited to try snowboarding but scared at the same time. I did not speak English and was very fortunate to have a mentor who spoke Spanish. Having someone there who spoke my language to help me learn snowboarding and simultaneously learn English made a huge difference. I don’t think I would have stuck with snowboarding if I also had to work through the language barrier. He was like an angel to me.”
North Lake Tahoe alumni showed up to the first ride day of the season at Northstar to volunteer!
Our alumni know the ins and outs of this program and their help last weekend ensured that the day went off without a hitch!
First ride day of the season at Steamboat Mountain!
We had over 50 youth from the Steamboat Boys & Girls Club and Integrated Communities come out for an amazing first day on snow.
Awesome alumni ride day last week at Keystone!
We had a small group of Colorado based alumni come out to shred for the day. We love these events because it’s such a great way to reconnect.
First ride day in Detroit kicked off this week at Mt. Brighton!
We are thrilled to be partnering with Hamtramck high school for another season. The stoke is high and are participants can’t wait for more!
Wax Party | Park City, UT: Join us at the Patagonia store this Friday, Jan 16., from 10 am – 6pm to get your skis or board waxed!
$10 suggested donation for all waxes, plus a raffle with a chance to win some epic prizes!
All proceeds benefit SOS Outreach.
See you there!
How an SOS Outreach graduate is working to grow opportunities for other alumni (Vail Daily) – “Since its start, SOS Outreach has worked with youth in grades 4-12 to introduce them to the outdoors and provide them with valuable life skills needed to unlock their potential. In recent years, however, the nonprofit organization has started to reach beyond high school and help support and provide opportunities for its alumni”...read more.
How 3 Eagle County nonprofits are expanding outdoors access with Colorado grants (Vail Daily) – “Among this year’s awardees are three organizations from Eagle County: Mountain Pride, which was awarded $45,100, SOS Outreach, which was awarded $65,000, and The Cycle Effect, which was awarded $100,000.“…read more.
What happens when business, art and philanthropy intersect? Vail Symposium takes a look (Vail Daily) – “Doing good isn’t just common sense, it also makes financial sense. At least that was the case for Zeal Optics, which partnered with pro-snowboarder-turned-artist and mental health advocate Pat Milbery to design Zeal’s Open Hearts Collection“…read more.
Ridgelines: What’s your mountain town New Year’s resolution? (Park Record) – “Avery Rognan, one of the youngest U.S. Ski & Snowboard employees, has been skiing for 10 years, moving from cross country to downhill because she loves riding chairlifts! She is grateful for her opportunity to be a junior mentor for SOS Outreach, helping introduce the next generation of kids to the sport she loves.“…read more.
Small Town Stories: SOS Outreach (Visit Park City) – “Ever wonder what happened to your old summer camp counselors? The whole experience was so gratifying for Palmer Daniels that it sparked an entire career. “I learned so much about myself as and grew as a young person at camps,” says the Program Manager at Chamber partner SOS Outreach. “I wanted to continue to be part of that for others“…read more.
National Ski Area Association (NSAA) Journal –
SOS Outreach, CO, a youth development nonprofit, expanded its Career Development Program to serve participants across Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California. Through this summer program, teens aged 15 and up were placed in paid apprenticeships with industry partners, including Vail Resorts, evo, Sonnenalp, Epic Mountain Gear, Oberalp, and Optic Nerve after completing a two-week training intensive… read more.
