Our Program

Youth ought to be able to have fun, be well protected, and given proper guidance. This does not happen naturally when their loving parents are not around. This is difficult to achieve when a youth is placed in foster care.

Only 50% of foster youth complete high school by the age of 18 compared with 70% of their non-foster peers. Only 20% of those who graduate from high school attend college compared with 60% of high school graduates in the general population. As a result, a high percentage of emancipated foster youth end up on the streets when the foster care system no longer supports them in their homes. The recent Chapin Hall Study report indicates that the problem is not that foster youth have less desire to pursue college education. Many foster youth do not receive encouragement to study hard in school, are not provided with information about applying to college, and/or are not given the opportunities to explore their options.

We believe that high quality support, opportunities, and rapport should be provided as soon as a foster youth reaches middle school age (grades 6-8). Additional support at this stage of their lives would have the most positive influence on their achieving their full potential and becoming independent and productive adults. To accomplish this goal, SOAR hosts residential academic summer camps for foster youth on the UC Berkeley campus.

It is a 3-year program.  Once selected, each youth will be invited to attend three summer camps (“Prepare To SOAR”, “Learn To SOAR”, and “Time To SOAR”). The program curriculum includes:

• Academic enrichment in critical subject-areas like writing and math.
• College orientation and guidance, including help with the application processes.
• Outdoor adventures where teamwork is key.
• Success stories from former foster youth and career role models in various professions.
• Life-skills training, including help with personal finance.
• Career development, including job search and interview skills.
• Connection to emancipation services and college scholarship programs that continue to provide a safety net for SOAR youth.

In addition, there are follow-up activities for the youth to stay connected throughout the following academic year. In doing so, we create a home base for the youth to look forward to returning to, provide a peer group that they feel secure in connecting with, and create a program that reminds them of those who care.

With sustained attention and support from SOAR over several years – real follow through to encourage their progress - we expect that unlike their foster peers, 100% of SOAR youth will graduate from high school, and more than 50% of them will attend college. We expect every SOAR youth will become a contributing member of our society.