Our projects are planned in conjunction with local organizations in the countries we travel to, ensuring that we directly and efficiently meet specific needs of a community. As a result, SOS volunteers have assisted in building classrooms, health care centres, bridges, solar panels, community gardens, libraries and more. We embody a holistic approach to our projects, meaning not only do we only run projects that are needed in communities and sustainable after SOS volunteers leave, but this mandate is translated into how money is raised for these projects.
SOS strives to support education all over world and that is at the heart of why SOS chapters are present in over 30 universities throughout North America. SOS supports students in North America through our Exam-Aid sessions, providing students with volunteer opportunities, a vibrant sense of community, and help with class content, all the while raising money for sustainable development projects in Central and South America. From beginning to end, SOS places education, community, and volunteerism in the highest regard. If you are looking for an opportunity to be part of an organization that starts where you are but can take you around the world, SOS is the organization for you.
Students Offering Support is a charitable sustainable social venture that develops and supports SOS chapters residing within post-secondary schools across North America. Each University SOS chapter raises money to raise roofs through raising marks during our 'Exam-AID' group review sessions, taught and coordinated by student volunteers for university and college students. Each year, the money raised is spent creating sustainable education projects in developing nations on annual outreach trips. Since 2004, over 3,000 SOS volunteers have tutored over 25,000 students and raised more than $1,000,000 for various development projects across Latin America.
Each university chapter of Students Offering Support, operates the Exam-AID initiative. These are 2-3 hour volunteer-led group review sessions held shortly before an exam, taught by bright senior students who are proven communicators. The cost of an Exam-AID session is between $15 and $30 depending on length and coverage of the session.
With over 100 million children worldwide without access to the education needed to break the cycle of poverty, our efforts are focused around providing sustainable educational support to communities in developing nations, helping children have the opportunity to gain a quality education.
All of our projects are not only funded, but also built by SOS volunteers on annual volunteer outreach trips. Students travel to a community in Central or South America, to spend roughly two weeks building their project, seeing first hand the impact of their time and effort on the lives of others.
To select, facilitate, and monitor SOS's projects, our volunteers work very closely with a local NGO which has a strong relationship with the community to best determine where the need exists, ensure the trips are properly organized, and support / follow-up with the target community long after the group has left the country.
