Summit and Wasatch youth among 3,000 to benefit from $45,000 in SOS Outreach Scholarships

Photo: TownLift // SOS Scholarship

PARK CITY, UT — SOS Outreach, a youth development nonprofit, plans to award approximately $45,000 in scholarships to families this winter season as part of its outdoor-based mentorship program. The organization, which engages more than 3,000 youth annually across 10 states and 15 communities, aims to help young people develop life skills through the power of outdoor mentorship. Approximately 200 scholarship recipients will be Utah-based, with all participants coming from Summit and Wasatch counties.

“It is central to the mission of SOS Outreach that no family is denied participation based on financial limitations,” said Elizabeth Williams, Chief Operating Officer of SOS Outreach. “We provide all programs at a significantly discounted rate to ensure affordability and accessibility.”

For SOS’s introductory program, which includes five on-mountain ride days with a ski or snowboard instructor, the cost to the organization is $675 per youth, while families are charged a $100 fee. For the Mentor Program, which offers additional ride days, off-mountain workshops, and community service activities, the cost to SOS is $2,000 per child, with families paying $150. The organization has found that requiring a fee helps families feel invested in the program, motivating youth to participate fully. To offer these discounted rates, SOS fundraises nationally and locally.

Families who cannot afford the fees are awarded scholarships to ensure their children can still participate. Youth must undergo a strength and needs assessment to qualify, meeting two criteria from a list of approximately 25, which includes challenges such as academic difficulties, mental health struggles, or low-income household status. Of the more than 3,000 youth involved in SOS programs, 45.7% come from households earning less than $40,000 annually.

Last year, SOS awarded scholarships to 590 youth, and it expects to offer a similar number this season. “SOS not only provides access to the mountains, but through our multi-year mentor program, we are giving youth access to so many opportunities and resources that extend far beyond the outdoors,” said Williams.

SOS receives significant in-kind support, valued at $4.8 million, from its founding partner Vail Resorts and other local mountain partners, which provide professional ski and snowboard instruction, lift tickets, season passes, and gear rentals. These contributions help reduce the overall cost to the organization but are not included in the operational costs outlined for delivering the program’s positive youth development curriculum.

In an effort to continue providing mountain access, Vail Resorts’ Epic Promise has introduced special 10-day passes for SOS alumni who return as volunteers. “We know there are financial barriers to participating in the sport, and we wanted to make sure that young people still had access even after they graduate from the program,” said Travis Tafoya, Epic Promise’s Senior Manager of Inclusive Access and an SOS alumnus and board member. “Just because you age out of the program does not mean you have to age out of the mountains.”

SOS is set to kick off its 2024-25 winter season in December, with more than 3,000 young people expected to participate in its programs.