Why?

Service

In keeping with our mission to instill an ethic of service in our youth, Service Over Self recruits teen volunteers from each of our middle and high schools into community service projects. SOS volunteers log more than 6,000 hours of service each year to local nonprofit and service agencies of Georgetown County.

Character education

While community service is the driving force behind SOS programs, it is necessary to help "build" a well-rounded, well-prepared young adult. SOS provides character education in various ways including team-building workshops, health/CPR certification classes, and career guidance/job readiness activities. Additionally, SOS sponsors a teen pregnancy prevention initiative. These opportunities, along with the SOS service and esteem building components, prepare our youth to be advocates in our community.

Esteem building

In order for young people to make wise decisions and be active members of society - and the Georgetown County community - we must work to build self esteem. SOS encourages positive self esteem in several ways: by enlisting volunteers to speak and be advocates at local and statewide functions and at youth meetings; by providing access to opportunities to serve the community thereby gaining job/interpersonal experience through service, through character educational activities, by having no criteria for membership, and by offering the companionship and leadership of our dedicated adult volunteers.

A team building exercise at the 2006 Youth Summit - iLEAD