SOAR Camp & GAP Year

★★★★★Jack Ryan

I loved attending Soar. I was a gap year student from September 2024 to May 2025. I made so many fun memories including going on expeditions, rock climbing, and doing food buys at Walmart. I made a lot of new friends who I still keep in touch with. My mentors Serenity, Chad, Robyn, and Lawson were great at helping me build more confidence. Amelia, Kevin, Big John, Gabe, Harlan, Grace, and Holland were awesome as well. On parent’s weekend, I cried because I was going to miss Soar so much. I do hope I can make a surprise visit one day.

★★★★★Michelle Davis

My son has attended Camp Soar for 5 years. He loves it! After camp he is more confident, has added a couple new foods to his limited list and is overall happier. Thankfully they revised their age brackets so he can continue to attend. His experience is so positive that his IEP director has written a clause into his IEP forgiving the missed days of school as the experience is beyond what school can offer. We are so grateful.

★★★★★Kimarie Ankenbrand

My 12 year old son attend the Christmas in the Keys session, which was our first SOAR experience after struggling with some previous overnight camp experiences (mainly with staff not properly trained and prepared to navigate and help our son with this gaps). SOAR exceeded all our expecations and our son was only back home 24 hours and said "I wish I was back at camp" and already wants to sign up for the same session next year. So grateful there is an organization like SOAR that is experienced in providing a safe and welcoming experience that has mainstream activities where kids like mine can feel "normal". Thank you to the entire SOAR camp organization!

★★★★★Asa Johnson

My 11 year old son went on the SOAR NC Canoe Trip this summer. He has ADHD and previous day camp experiences have been challenging. SOAR was the perfect environment for his 1st major stay away from home. The staff were knowledgeable and resourceful. The tasks and activities were engaging and the fact that he could be physical at any moment (as opposed to sitting in a classroom) was incredibly helpful. He returned happy and confident in his new skills.

★★★★★Derik Marrero

Our son Diego just completed the North Carolina Horseback Adventure Program Session I (June) at SOAR, and the experience was truly unforgettable. The program is thoughtfully designed to help kids build confidence, independence, and meaningful friendships in an outdoor, supportive environment. Diego came home proud of himself, more resilient, and full of great stories and memories from the trail. Like many kids, he experienced some homesickness but that’s part of the growth SOAR encourages. It was incredible to see how he worked through it and came out stronger. We’re so grateful for the care and structure the staff provides to guide them through these moments. If we could offer one suggestion for future sessions, it would be to post occasional photos during the camp. For parents, especially those sending their child away for the first time, that extra window into the experience would be greatly appreciated and very reassuring. Thank you to the amazing SOAR team for what you do. This was a transformative experience, and we’re already looking forward to what next summer brings!