Helping Teens SOAR
At a time when the pressures on young people are mounting — from social media to climate anxiety — The Soar Foundation is creating spaces where teenagers can take a much-needed pause, reflect, and reconnect with who they really are.
Virgin Media’s investment helps Soar deliver immersive programmes that build confidence, foster emotional resilience, and equip teens with the tools to stay true to themselves, no matter what the world throws at them. But what does this actually look like on the ground? We spoke to Soar CEO Tracey Dollard and workshop facilitator Hazel O’Kelly to find out how they’re helping a generation of teenagers find their voice.
At the centre of Soar’s workshops is one big, deceptively simple question: Who am I? You won’t find lectures or cheesy slogans here. Instead, trained facilitators - young adults only a few steps ahead of the teenagers themselves - share their own real stories first.
“They’re able to open themselves up in a really raw and vulnerable way,” says Soar CEO Tracey Dollard. “That makes them hugely relatable to young people who can then connect with their own inner character.”
“Specifically we allow a safe space to explore the things that are holding them back from truly being themselves,” Tracey explains. “That could be young people coming in with a persona that they feel they need to wear, or how they’re conforming to what’s expected of them rather than connecting to who they really are.”
There’s no life-coaching jargon or over-earnest pep talks either. Facilitators model the kind of openness they hope to see. As facilitator Hazel O’Kelly puts it: “Young people know what’s going on within themselves, but sometimes it needs to be unlocked by the right questions.”
That unlocking often starts small - low-stakes activities or honest conversations - rather than anything heavy or high-drama.
“So much of it is modeling what you want teenagers to bring to you,” Hazel says. “Letting them know that whatever they’re saying, you’re hearing them, you’re not trying to fix it, you’re not putting an agenda on it, you’re just listening.”
Listening has never been more crucial. Today’s teenagers aren’t just balancing normal growing pains — they’re doing it under the watchful eye of an online world that’s always ready to judge. “The prevalence of social media and influencers, and maybe negative influencers, has magnified and intensified those pressures,” Tracey says.
And although Covid lockdowns feel like a blurry memory to many adults, teenagers are still feeling the social whiplash. “They missed those transition periods during Covid, those natural social connections that would have been built in schools in First Year,” Tracey explains. “It’s definitely had an impact.”
Recognising that load is important. But creating a space where teenagers actually feel seen — that’s where Soar’s work really lands. As Hazel says, progress looks different for every young person: “For one young person, it might be a huge deal just to acknowledge experiencing an emotion. For another, it might look like sharing something personal about their life. Both are valid.”
Some moments stick long after the workshops end. Hazel recalls a recent session focused on why young people struggle to celebrate themselves. “After spending an hour with those young people, we gave them an opportunity to step forward and celebrate their wins,” Hazel says. “Hearing them own the things they say they love about themselves was really emotional for me. It’s definitely something I struggle with sometimes, so seeing them do it was incredibly powerful.”
Part of what makes Soar’s approach so effective is how in tune it is with teenagers’ real lives — not some adult’s idea of what teenagers are like. “Because so much of what we do is led by the young people in our workshops, it stays grounded,” Hazel says. And staying relevant takes work behind the scenes too: “We’re also always looking for training opportunities to make sure that we’re keeping on top of what’s relevant — and what isn’t — for young people today.”
For parents wondering how they can help teenagers open up without getting the classic one-word grunt response, Hazel and Tracey have simple advice: Get curious about what your teenager is already watching or listening to. Shows like Adolescence, Heartstopper, and Sex Education (Netflix, Virgin TV channel 999) can be brilliant conversation starters.
Check out Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast by Caroline Foran on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
“If they’re connected to something, they’re going to have a more real conversation with you,” Hazel says. Tracey also recommends checking out podcasts like Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast by Caroline Foran and Dr Richard Hogan’s work — plus Soar’s own free parent toolkit online.
At its heart, Soar’s message to teenagers is refreshingly simple: you don’t need to reinvent yourself to fit in. As Tracey puts it, “We want them to walk away knowing that they’re not alone, that they’re worthy, and that they’re special in their own unique way — and that’s absolutely acceptable to the world.” That’s the power of Soar. Simple, real, and incredibly needed.
