"Healing the broken bond between our young and nature is in our self-interest, not only because aesthetics or justice demand it, but also because our mental, physical, and spiritual health depend upon it."
— from Richard Louv "Last Child in the Woods"
The CU SOAR program has been designed to provide 13 – 15 year old boys and girls the opportunity to learn a variety of outdoor adventure based skills such as canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking and rock climbing. This summer we will offer 4 sessions and 4 activity choices within each session allowing space for a maximum of 40 participants per week. The 4 activity sessions are designed to accommodate beginner to intermediate level participants. Each session runs Monday thru Friday and begins at 8:00am each day and ends at 4:30pm each day. Our activities are designed around the experiential learning process. This means that we will work on building our skills during the first part of the week at an on campus site and then travel to various sites at the end of the week to put those skills into practice.
We hire staff that have a great deal of outdoor experience and are passionate about teaching outdoor skills to youth. We are able to provide a great deal of personal attention to skill development by keeping our staff to participant ratios low (1:5).
The goals of the program are:
-To learn a fun and challenging outdoor activity.
-To develop outdoor skills that will provide lifelong benefits.
-To develop an appreciation for the outdoors.
- To provide a fun and positive environment for learning.
Program Costs and Dates:
The program fee is $250 for Clemson University Faculty, Staff and Students and $270 for all others. This cost includes all field trips, equipment (except mountain bikes) lunch and snacks each day, and a water bottle with the program logo. A deposit of $125 per person will be required to reserve a space. The balance for each session will be due no later than the Monday prior to the session. All payments will be accepted at the program desk in Fike Recreation Center. We accept cash, check (made payable to Clemson University), credit card (Visa or Mastercard) or tiger stripe.
* $10 discount per session available for multiple children per family.
2008 Session Dates |
Faculty/Staff/Student
Registration Begins
|
Open Registration for Community |
Final Balance Due |
June 16th – 20th |
March 24th |
April 7th |
June 9th |
June 23rd – 27th |
March 24th |
April 7th |
June 16th |
July 7th – 11th |
March 24th |
April 7th |
June 30th |
July 14th – 18th |
March 24th |
April 7th |
July 7th |
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations received by April 21 st will receive a full refund minus a $25 processing fee. Cancellations received between April 21 st and the balance due date for that session will resort in a forfeiture of the deposit. If you cancel after the final balance has been paid you will not receive a refund.
Registration
Registration is taken on a first come first serve basis. Clemson University Faculty, Staff and Students will have access to an early registration period starting on March 24 th. Please bring your Faculty, Staff or Student ID to the program desk if you are registering between March 24 th and April 7 th. On April 7 th registration will open for all members of the Clemson community. The program desk in Fike is open Monday – Thursday from 8:00am – 7:00pm and on Friday from 8:00am – 4:30pm. You will need to bring signed copies of the Risk Management Forms with you when you register.
Participant Drop Off and Pick Up
Participants may be dropped off daily at Fike Recreation Center no earlier than 8:00am. Participants may be picked up daily at Fike Recreation Center no later than 4:30pm. You must list who is allowed to pick-up your child from Fike on the registration form. Every morning and afternoon you must sign for your child to be dropped off and picked up. If your child is to be picked up by someone other than the names listed on the registration form we MUST have it in writing. Late arrivals and early pickups need to be scheduled in advance due to the fact that the majority of this program takes place off campus.
Activity Options
Four different activity options will be available during each session. Each activity option will include at least one day of whitewater rafting (including Mountain Biking and Climbing). The following is a brief description of each option and skills that we will focus on during the week.
Canoeing
Participants will have the opportunity to learn skills needed to paddle canoes on flat water. We will cover basic equipment needed for canoeing, boat designs, safety and rescue techniques, basic strokes and provide an introduction to whitewater (the last day will be spent on a local river in either rafts or inflatable canoes). Participants should be comfortable on and in the water. The ability to pass a swim test is required for this activity. The swim test will consist of jumping feet first into 8 feet of water, swimming 100 yards, and treading water for at least 5 minutes. All boating equipment and safety gear is provided for this activity.
Kayaking
Participants will have the opportunity to learn skills needed to paddle kayaks on flat water and class I-II whitewater. We will cover basic equipment needed for kayaking, boat designs, safety and rescue techniques, basic strokes and provide an introduction to whitewater (the whitewater day will be spent in rafts, inflatable kayaks or hard shell kayaks depending on the skill level of the participant). Participants should be comfortable on and in the water. The ability to pass a swim test is required for this activity. The swim test will consist of jumping feet first into 8 feet of water, swimming 100 yards, and treading water for at least 5 minutes. All boating equipment and safety gear is provided for this activity.
Mountain Biking
Participants will have the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to ride mountain bikes on double and single track trails. We will cover basic mountain bike equipment and care, bike parts, bike safety, braking and gear shifting, as well as trail etiquette. We will use the extensive trail network in the Clemson Forest as the base for our mountain biking program. The last day will include a trip to Dupont State Forest to explore the trails and waterfalls of that area. Participants are required to bring their own mountain bike for this program. It is recommended that bikes be at least 21 speed and have front fork suspension. Please contact the program director for more information on bike rentals or purchase.
Rock Climbing
Participants will have the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to climb at a top rope climbing site. We will cover basic climbing technique, safety, knots, and equipment. We will use our state of the art climbing wall at Fike Recreation Center to build a foundation of skills. We will then transfer those skills to an outdoor setting and climb on real rock. All climbing equipment and safety gear is provided for this activity.
Sample Weekly Schedule (Canoeing):
| Monday |
AM – Teambuilding Activities
Lunch on Campus
PM – Canoeing Video, Swim Test in Pool |
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| Tuesday |
AM – Intro to Equipment, Skills Practice (paddling strokes)
Lunch on Campus
PM – Skills Practice (Rescues) |
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| Wednesday |
Day Trip to Lake Keowee – Paddle to waterfall and lunch @ falls. |
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| Thursday |
Day Trip to Lake Jocassee – Paddle to waterfall and lunch @ falls. |
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| Friday |
Day Trip to French Broad or Green River. Lunch on River. |
What to Bring
You will be provided with a detailed list of items to bring for each day but they will basically consist of clothing (activity appropriate), footwear (activity appropriate), water bottle (provided), small book bag or backpack, sunscreen, towel and change of clothes.
Stormy Day Activities
Since many of our activities take place outdoors we must be flexible during inclement weather. If we feel the safety of our participants is at risk due to inclement weather or potential inclement weather we may chose an alternative indoor activity or skills workshop. Refunds will NOT be given for inclement weather.
CU SOAR Staff
We seek staff that have a great deal of outdoor experience and are passionate about teaching outdoor skills to youth. We keep our staff to participant ratios low (1:5). All staff members are certified in Wilderness First Aid and CPR as a minimum and first aid kits are carried on all outings. All staff members go through a state background check prior to employment.
