The SOAR (Support, Outreach, Action, Resilience) teens showed their support for fellow military children, and also their selfless service with a canned food drive during in April.
“Our military children are wonderfully unique and amazing! Despite the deployments, multiple relocations, constant life changes, and various other challenges, they continue to adapt and conquer. They are true heroes serving this great nation too,” said Sharene Brown, spouse of the 22nd Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
SOAR is a resiliency program for teens at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and was created in the aftermath of two teen suicides in 2020. The ultimate goal of the program is to help kids grow into healthy adults by developing good coping mechanisms for stress.
While the Department of the Air Force offers many resources to help military and civilian personnel, Greenwell said SOAR extends some of those tools and resources to teenagers. For example, the program has four teens certified as Resiliency Training Assistants.
SOAR also teaches a “Four Lenses” course, a personality assessment to help teens gain insights into themselves and each other.
SOAR is open to any teen in the area who is allowed on Edwards AFB, where the local public school is located. The program is promoted primarily on social media and is completely voluntary with parental permission. There is even a podcast the teenagers produce themselves, SOAR Teens, that features topics on resiliency, mental health and suicide prevention.
SOAR offers education, peer-to-peer mentoring, adult mentorship, a safe space and community, as well as resources unique to teens that focus on their needs and concerns.
For more information about SOAR, email soar.edwards@gmail.com.