GOAL:

The malls, street corners, theaters, and sports arenas of America present an irrational, distorted picture of the future to our next generation. They are being pressured on all sides – whom should they follow?

Our goal is to take a group of up to 12 young people to a place of contentment, light and peace. Oasis is a place where they can appreciate the idea – “To thine own self, be true.”
We will follow the example of great ascetics, writers and leaders of history who went to deserted places to compose and direct their thoughts to prepare for major life events.
We use these trips to help youth prepare for their future by getting them connected with the power of nature and the treasure of true friendship.

America’s greatest horticulturist, Luther Burbank, was a master of plant development. He said that children could achieve balance and strength in their lives if they were rooted in the “soils” of nature. He knew that an exposure to outdoor experiences gave them the balance to challenge any of life’s obstacles.

We will “graft” a nature experience with an urban culture and produce a new variety. We will give an intensive dose of nature to our students. Though the trip may only last 7 days our goal is to make it an antidote for the ills of society.

We get these kids to think “out of the box”. We let them see that their dreams can come true with hard work, determination, and the help they can get from true friends.

Summation:

Growing up in the Electronic Age has become a serious problem for our youth. The pace of life, pressure to succeed, and the overwhelming barrage of media messages, places massive hurdles on their road of life. When early traders crossed continents they stopped at an oasis to replenish and refresh. The Oasis for Kids project is just such a place for our young explorers. Our trips provide them with a chance to see the beauty of nature, the excitement of travel and the opportunity to learn cooperation and friendship with their peers.

Society has through the years built in times of rest. On the “Seventh Day” even HE rested. IBM sends executives on retreats, the military has “leave”, and certainly we all enjoy our vacations.
The Oasis experience is a time for our kids to have an epic adventure in a peaceful setting that lets them reflect on their life. A campfire in the desert, huddled together with new found friends, can erase a blackboard full of bad experiences.

On our tours we provide physical activities for the body, scholastic work for the mind and
moments of peace and serenity to feed their spirit. A balance of these three activities is the
keystone of our program. The present generation needs this equilibrium more than any thing else. It is an antidote for many of the ills of this era.

As adults we can all recall special milestones in our lives when we achieved a goal or succeeded in a competition. Our trips to the desert give young people a chance to have this experience too. They will make new friends by working with them. They will come to appreciate the vast beauty of a starry night instead of a computer game. They will bring home with them for the rest of their lives the serenity of the desert. The experiences gained from these trips have helped many youths for the past 50 years. It gave them a foundation for future success.

Two hundred years ago Lewis and Clark were dispatched by President Jefferson to explore the American Continent and document their findings. Oasis for Kids is a chance for you to dispatch your young explorers on a “Voyage of Discovery” too. They will return with memories of a lifetime and journals and images to share with you. More importantly, they will discover within themselves the strength of friendship, the knowledge gained from travel, and the wisdom of an intrepid explorer.