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Students Offering Support (SOS) is a Canadian, volunteer based, charity that raises money to fund outreach project in Latin America by offering EXAM-AID tutoring sessions at post-secondary schools

History
Students Offering Support (SOS) was founded in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada in 2004 by then second-year Wilfrid Laurier University student Greg Overholt. The organization started as a simple student club, the BUCS (Business and Computer Science) Association. Overholt wanted to give back to the community so started tutoring beginner level economics courses at WLU with the help of his peers from the BUCS. This was the creation of Exam-AID sessions. The BUCS then started to offer more courses, tutor more students and raise more marks. By charging a $10-$30 donation to attend a session, the BUCS were able to raise $31,000 in the ’05-’06 school year, which was donated to Free the Children, to help foster education projects for Kenyan children.

In 2006, the BUCS had reached their capacity and could no longer keep up with the expending Exam-AID program. It was at this point that Students Offering Support was formed. In the following academic year, SOS raised $65,000 and created its first annual outreach trip. Working with a partner organization, ProWorld, students from WLU organized, funded and personally paid to fly to Belize and refurbish a rundown school house in the rural community of Calla Creek.

In 2007, SOS successfully expanded to Trent University, in Peterborough, Ontario. The Trent chapter raised more than $8,700 in its first year. Shortly after, the national association was created to manage the two current chapters and allow for further expansion at other universities. Since the launch of the national organization, SOS has expanded to a total of 21 Canadian University Chapters (as of 2011) and has launched its first American chapter at Albany University in New York State.

Mission
Students Offering Support uses an original concept of “360 degrees of volunteerism” to enact social change. Senior students volunteer to tutor sophomores and freshmen. The tutors then volunteer on annual outreach trips to Latin American communities where they take part in building projects.

Exam-AID Program
Each SOS chapter organizes several Exam-AID sessions each semester. Sessions typically cost participants a $20 donation and are about 2-3 hours in length. Sessions are taught by senior students who volunteer to tutor groups of 10-100 freshmen and/or sophomore students. Students are then sent home with a review booklet to direct their future studying.

Since 2007 Students Offering Support has raised more than $300,000 for outreach projects in Latin America. According to the Executive director’s interview for GreenMarketingTV, 90% of the money raised during Exam-AID sessions is sent to fund development projects

Outreach
Students Offering Support focuses on, “the three pillars required breaking the cycle of poverty”, according to Greg Overholt. However, their prime focus is on bringing accessible education to rural communities. SOS takes a holistic approach to development projects by working with local NGO’s to assess and plan builds focused on the needs of the communities.

Trips typically come from a single university chapter; however, some trips are open to the public.

Chapter Outreach Trips

 * Laurier SOS - August 2007 - Calla Creek, Belize
 * Laurier SOS – August 2008 – Flor Azul, Honduras
 * Western SOS – May 20009 – Unidor Por Dios, Peru
 * York SOS – August 2008 – El Cedro – El Salvador
 * Waterloo SOS – August 2009 – El Cedro, El Salvador
 * McGill SOS – August 2009 – Poasito, Costa Rica
 * Laurier SOS – August 2009 – Poasito, Costa Rica
 * Laurier SOS – May 2010 – Colomba La Florida, Guatemala
 * Western SOS – May 2010 – Namaldi, Costa Rica
 * Dalhousie SOS – May 2010 – Pueblo Viejo, Nicaragua
 * McGill SOS – August 2010 – Silico Creek, Panama
 * Laurier SOS – August 2010 – Ocalca, Nicaragua
 * Waterloo SOS – August 2010 – Tika Tika, Peru

Open Outreach Trips

 * 2010 – Unidos Por Dios, Peru
 * 2010 – Namaldi, Costa Rica
 * 2011 – Aldea el Novillero, Guatemala
 * 2011 - Los Jazmines, Costa Rica

NGO Partnerships
Students Offering Support works in partnership with the following Non-governmental Organizations in Latin America to coordinate and assess the needs for building projects

Reto Juvenil Internacional (RJI)– A Costa Rican NGO which is “recognized for its commitment to youth development and sustainable community development" . SOS has partnered with RJI on projects in Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

Awaiting Angels – A Peruvian NGO that focuses on providing, “love, care and education to Peruvian children as well as help them to improve their quality of life and to serve as agents of change in our society" . SOS has partnered with RJI on projects in Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

Columbia River Cooperative (CRC) – A Belizean NGO “seeking to conserve and protect the land, forest, rivers, and people of Belize's rural South" . SOS will partner with CRC on a building project in Belize in August 2011.

ProWorld Service Corps – partnered with SOS on their first outreach trip to Calla Creek, Belize.

Friends of Honduran Children (FoHC) – A Canadian charity dedicated to helping impoverished children and their families who partners with Sociedad Amigos de los Ninos, a Honduran NGO. SOS worked with FoHC in Honduras.

Experience Mission – an organization which brings people from all walks of life together to provide resources and support to underdeveloped communities. SOS has worked with Experience Mission in Honduras and Jamaica.

Feed the Children - SOS worked with Feed the Children in El Salvador.

Corporate Sponsorships and Initiates
Students Offering Support has several national partners; Manulife Financial, KPMG, and AGFA HealthCare

AGFA HealthCare Challenge
Students Offering Support and Agfa HealthCare partnered together to run the AGFA HealthCare Innovation Challenge in the fall of 2010. During the month long competition students were asked to submit their proposals for making Canada a healthier place. Five finalists are chosen to present their ideas to a panel of judges. All the finalists granted an interview with Agfa HealthCare for summer employment, while winner, Michael Mak of McMaster University, received a $3000 scholarship and the opportunity to work for Agfa HealthCare during the summer following the competition.

Chapter List (by date founded)

 * Wilfrid Laurier University
 * Trent University
 * University of Waterloo
 * Queen's University
 * McGill University
 * York University
 * McMaster University
 * Windsor University
 * University of Western Ontario
 * University of Victoria
 * Carleton University
 * University of Toronto Scarborough Campus
 * University of Toronto
 * Ryerson University
 * Dalhousie University
 * Simon Fraser University
 * University of Ottawa
 * University of New Brunswick
 * Memorial University
 * University of Manitoba
 * University of British Columbia
 * University of Guelph
 * Concordia University
 * Brock University
 * University of Calgary
 * University at Albany