Grissom personnel SOAR into local schools Published Sept. 17, 2007 By Lt. Col. Gary Lockard 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind -- Grissom personnel will once again SOAR into local schools this fall to help students and teachers in a special mentorship program. Students Obtaining Academic Results is an after school program for sixth graders that takes place in all three Miami County school corporations. The goal of Project SOAR is to help students understand that success in school equals success in life. "I feel very strongly that we can have a positive influence in our community," stated Major Rebecca Fox, 434th Communications Squadron commander and volunteer SOAR speaker. "We have so many people with different career fields and experiences. We can help to mentor the students who may be at high risk and show them some of the things they can do to be successful in life." During Project SOAR, students meet for 90 minutes each Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in their school's library. Two licensed teachers and adult mentor volunteers manage the program. "After a quick snack, the students do homework and then participate in a character-building activity," explained Marie Radel, Project SOAR coordinator. "This is where Grissom ARB comes in." Speakers from the community play an important role in the program by meeting with the students and sharing information about jobs and careers. Ms Radel got the idea to have Grissom personnel involved in the program after visiting the base through a special civic leader outreach program and learning about the various jobs and occupations. For Major Fox, this is not the first time she has been involved in mentoring activities. "I have been involved in similar programs with Big Brothers/Big Sisters. When I was a high school teacher, I started an after school program for students who were having a difficult time with homework. We worked on homework but I also tried to find out what they were interested in and tried to help them find a path to get to where they wanted to go." The Spring of 2007 was the first time Grissom personnel supported the program. Due to their success, additional opportunities were added for the Fall program. "When we advertised the need for SOAR volunteers for the Fall sessions, the response was outstanding," stated Lt. Col. Gary Lockard, GARB chief of public affairs. "We could have easily handled more speaking opportunities." So far, Grissom SOAR volunteers have included people from all major organizations including operations, maintenance, security forces and mission support. The individual benefits a person receives from being a SOAR volunteer varies explained Major Fox. "It is different for each person. For me, it's if the kids are really responsive or get excited. I think most people feel better when they do something positive in their community."
