About Us
SOAR for Youth, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was established in February 2009 to provide high quality support, opportunities, and rapport that foster youth would have otherwise received from their loving parents.
Through a summer residential academic enrichment program, counseling, outdoor adventure camps, collaboration with the University of California at Berkeley, community foster youth organizations, and Bay Area children services agencies, SOAR helps teenaged foster youth (grades 6-11) gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to pursue higher education and succeed.
We believe additional support at this stage of their lives would have the most positive influence on their achieving their full potential & helping them become independent and productive citizens of society.
Our goals are to:
- Offer opportunities for foster youth to grow in mind, body, and spirit.
- Help foster youth realize their full potential.
- Enable foster youth to contribute and succeed in society.
- Make a difference in the lives of youth we serve by giving them hope and confidence in their future.
Did You Know?
- There are over 500,000 children in the United States Foster Care System
- 1 out of every 5 of our Nation's foster children lives in California.
- 3 out of every 10 of our Nation's homeless are former foster youth.
- 70% of foster youth dream of going to college. Only 3% actually make it.
- 83% of children in foster care are held back in school by 3rd grade and 75% are working below grade level.
- 35% of foster youth have experienced four or more school changes and each school move results in a six month loss of educational progress.
- 51% are unemployed at age 22.