OARS Foundation seeks tangible and measurable outcomes and thus has undertaken a follow-up initiative that seeks to achieve these ends while focusing on leadership within one’s community. Dubbed The Community Response Requirement, this initiative asked that each program participant identify a topic, issue, or problem within/relevant to their community and consider that community item through the week’s activities and lessons. Upon completion of the trip, using the information and enthusiasm gained on the trip, participants (or group of participants if from the same community) are urged to craft a response to the pre-determined community item. Group discussions of The Community Response Requirement will be scheduled-in with the daily lessons with the goal that these forums will help stimulate ideas, exercise problem solving skills, generate positive group dynamics, and begin to empower individuals and what they can achieve. The efforts they make as part of fulfilling this requirement will be assisted by mentors from OARS Foundation, its partners and or associated community groups and schools. It is an ambitious goal but perhaps with striking outcomes.
