OUR MISSION
SOAR is a community-funded and directed organization dedicated to providing enrichment programs to the students of Salisbury Central School in areas not addressed in their daily school curriculum.
To fulfill its mission, SOAR strives to provide equal access to its opportunities and resources without correlation to any economic, social, cultural or other identity-based factors.
SOAR is proud that our Board and staff are composed of local community members, and we strive to ensure family and community voice is factored into our decisions.
SOAR promotes the self-discovery, talents, and interests of every child at SCS. Our goal is to foster and build a life-long love of learning and engagement. We implement our mission in a variety of ways:
WHAT WE DO
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS​​
Develop and arrange unique and enriching after-school programs and opportunities
IN-SCHOOL PROGRAMS​​
Organize in-school assemblies, author visits, and programs like "Region One Reads."
TEACHER GRANTS​​
Provide mini-grants to SCS teachers for curriculum-enhancing opportunities, including field trips and supplemental classroom programs.
REMOTE AFTER-SCHOOL CLASSES​​
Our latest addition of services, created in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, which allows us to continue to safely offer after-school enrichment workshops.
COMMUNITY-BUILDING EVENTS​​
Host community-building programs and events (the SOAR Trivia Challenge, the Fall Festival Pop-up Crafts Booth, and more) that provide an opportunity for SCS students to engage with the wider community in a positive and rewarding way.
OUR HISTORY
OUR TEAM
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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Lauren Brown
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SOAR was founded in 2000 by Zenas Block, a chemist, entrepreneur, and business school professor who served on the Salisbury Central School Board of Finance for many years. Block envisioned an enrichment program that would bolster and augment the school’s existing curriculum, and with the help of the school’s principal at the time, C. Zbynek Gold, and SOAR’s first program director, Karen Lundeen, he made that vision come to life.
Over his lifetime Block built many businesses, was awarded nineteen patents, and developed some of the first research and graduate-level courses on entrepreneurship. SOAR was his final project and one he held very dear. Block’s legacy lives on in every student who benefits from SOAR’S program. Each year, The Zenas Block Award for Excellence in Science is given to an 8th grader as a way to honor Zenas' legacy.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Keavy Bedell — Board Chair
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Elizabeth Schaufelberger — Vice-Chair
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Janet Graaff — Treasurer
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Ali DeProdocini — Secretary
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Darcy Boynton — Program Liaison
Tony Bright
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Laura Bushey
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Karen Faveau
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Karen Lundeen
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Larissa Morby
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Pamela Winters
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PROGRAM & EVENT COMMITTEE
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Ashley Adkins
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Darcy Boynton
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Marta Eso
Stephanie Hahn
Deborah Apsel Lang
Stephanie Magyar
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Kristen Neary
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Raydin Neary
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Kendra Percy
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Bridget Sayler