VAIL VALLEY, Colorado — SOS Outreach, the Vail Valley, Colorado-based nonprofit that tries to help kids with school by teaching them to snowboard, is in the middle of the biggest week in its 16-year history.

This week, one thousand SOS students will take to the slopes on 18 resorts around the country. Last weekend was the first in which SOS had programs at Monarch Mountain in Colorado, and this weekend SOS will begin operations at Sierra Summit outside of Fresno, Calif.

"It's really exciting to see growth in new areas because it means that we're able to help out that many more kids, regardless of where they live," said Lindsay Davis, programs director for the Northwest region.

As SOS Outreach has expanded its operations, it has also diversified its activities. Last weekend marked the first time SOS took students snowshoeing.

"Three years ago, we served 1,200 youth annually, and now we're helping a thousand in a single week," SOS Executive Director Arn Menconi said. "We couldn't do it without the support of our contributors and volunteers, and it's exciting to see the reception we've received for the growth in our programs."

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