Mission Road annually offers the Summer Outreach And Recreation (S.O.A.R.) & MORE program to our resident children as well as children from the community with an IDD diagnosis. S.O.A.R. & MORE was created for children who have been diagnosed with IDD and is a strategic educational and engagement program that helps keep children engaged in academics, life skills, art, play, and more during summer breaks. The program serves our residential children, each of whom has been removed from their families by the State due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. During the summer, it also serves children from the community who live with their loving families throughout San Antonio. We call these children our “Koalas”.
S.O.A.R. is a summer camp that offers a unique opportunity for children diagnosed with IDD to have a classic camp experience. For most of the children in MRDC’s care, S.O.A.R. is their first experience attending any type of summer camp. Over the years, S.O.A.R. camp proved to be so valuable that we added “& MORE”, which is the after-school and school holiday break component of the program for our children residing on our campus. This program provides our resident children and Koalas with a safe and inviting place to spend their summer days and opportunities to experience the type of joy, fun, and excitement that they deserve and that only childhood can bring.
All of the children we serve have varying degrees of IDD and many have accompanying physical disabilities. S.O.A.R. & MORE is integral to their continuing progress and personal achievement. Children with IDD require a great deal of structure, consistency, and predictability to maintain their progress and move forward academically, socially, spiritually, and behaviorally. Without consistent reinforcement, especially over the summer, they tend to regress in all areas.
S.O.A.R. & MORE is considered an enrichment program by the State. Therefore, it’s ineligible to receive State funding, so each year we must raise ALL of the funds necessary to continue this vital program. The funds we raise are put toward staffing, programming, materials, meals, transportation, special field trips, activities, and more. If you would like to make a donation in support of our S.O.A.R. & MORE program, please CLICK HERE to be directed to our donation page. We are grateful for your generosity!
Volunteer opportunities for S.O.A.R. & MORE are also available! Click here for volunteering details and info.
Click here to check out our 2023 S.O.A.R. newsletter!
Please scroll to the bottom of the page to complete and submit our online S.O.A.R. Interest Form.
What makes S.O.A.R. special:
- Our longtime, professional, well-trained staff care for the child during the program.
- Children are put into small groups that are age and level-of-care based.
- S.O.A.R. camp is held for eight (8) weeks of summer break.
- S.O.A.R. camp is offered Monday-Friday, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
- S.O.A.R. & MORE is attended by all of our resident children and up to 26 Koalas, based upon available staffing.
S.O.A.R. Fees
For participating families, full tuition payment is required for all seven weeks of summer camp. Refunds may be denied for any days and/or weeks during which your child is absent. Limited spots are available for Koalas campers. If tuition is not private pay, please share this with our staff.
Tuition:
- $300.00 per week/child.
- Registration and payment for all eight (8) weeks are required.
- A non-refundable deposit of 1,200.00 (four-week tuition) is due Friday, June 7, 2024.
- The total balance is due July 12, 2024.
- Daily pick-up is at 3:00 pm. $1.00 per minute is charged for each minute after 3:00 pm until children are retrieved.
The Six Domains of S.O.A.R.
- Community Service
- Life Skills
- Education
- Arts & Crafts
- Leisure & Recreation
- Spiritual Development
- Culinary Arts
Our Campus: 22 acres of Peace & Tranquility
Unlike more metropolitan facilities that may only offer a single playground and one or two classrooms in which children may spend their summers, at Mission Road we are proud of our tranquil, wooded, 22-acre campus along the banks of the San Antonio River. Campus features:
- Air Conditioned Gym
- Pool with beach entry, water slide, and wheelchair lift
- Covered Pavilion with Movie Screen
- Life Skills Kitchen
- Two Playgrounds
- Multiple Academic Classrooms
- Arts & Crafts Classroom
- Quiet Sensory Room
- Chapel
- Soccer Field
- Sports Court with Basketball Hoops
- Fitness Park & Walking Trail
- And more!
The history of S.O.A.R. Field Trips has included:
- Fiesta Texas
- Sea World
- Morgan’s Wonderland
- Witte Museum
- San Antonio Zoo
- Doseum
- Bowling
- Movie Theater
- Skating
- Special Olympics
- Nature Walks
- LEGOLAND
- Heart Club
- San Antonio Aquarium
S.O.A.R. Community Service Projects (We give back!):
- Baking and gardening at the Ronald McDonald House
- Beautifying San Antonio parks by painting benches and painting over graffiti
- Playing Bingo, singing, and arts and crafts at nursing homes
- Meals on Wheels delivery
S.O.A.R. & MORE Interest Form:
Complete and submit our S.O.A.R. & MORE online interest form below. Upon receipt, our team will contact you via email or phone to schedule a meeting and interview. At that time, the S.O.A.R. & MORE application and necessary release forms will be provided. For more information, please contact us at info@mrmsat.org or call (210) 924-9265.