Sundog Outdoor Leadership Initiative’s (SOLI) 2024 Fall canoeing program kicked off last week.

Over the course of 5 weeks, local students in 4th-6th grades will participate in two weekly sessions where they will explore our local lakes and rivers and learn canoeing skills. In week #5, students will pivot to intro to climbing and expedition preparation before embarking on an overnight expedition with Hurricane Island Outward Bound School on Burnt Island. In addition to building participants’ outdoor adventure technical skills, each Sundog program is also enriched by our socio-emotional skills curriculum which centers around four core values: Resilience, Confidence, Integrity, and Craftsmanship.

Additionally, each program includes a service learning day to give back to our local community. On September 25th, we will be heading to Darrowby Farm Sanctuary, a non-profit animal rescue that provides a safe and lifelong home for farmed animals in Jefferson.

SOLI, formerly Sundog Outdoor Expeditions, was founded with the vision of providing after school programs that get kids outside, learning and practicing new skills, and being challenged to build the social and emotional resiliency needed to navigate the teenage years. Unlike other organizations who provide outdoor experiences for youth primarily using in-house resources, SOLI programs leverage the capabilities and expertise from the myriad existing youth serving outdoor organizations in the area. We do this by subcontracting through these vendors while offering affordable tuition and full scholarships to increase financial accessibility for all. This increases community involvement and integration without creating another stand alone organization that duplicates the educational competence and expertise already resident in the region.

This year, our fall program is guided by the wonderful folks at MountainSea Expeditions in Rockport in addition to the aforementioned Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Camden.