Program areas at Summer Search
SUMMER PLACEMENT AND MENTORING: Each student receives two full scholarships to life-changing summer experiential education programs, including wilderness leadership expeditions, academic enrichment programs, community service, and internships. These programs provide opportunities for growth and connection through concentrated experiences that challenge and empower students. Through mentoring students build supportive and sustained relationships with full-time professional staff mentors and peers to reflect on life experiences, actions, identities, and communities.
Alumni Program: An array of alumni services supports graduates to be successful in the world after the post-secondary years through networking events with other alumni and donors and professional development services such as career workshops, internships, and volunteer leadership opportunities.
Staff training and development: Summer Search conducts a strong training effort to teach the uniquely effective interview process that identifies students that have leadership potential through an original youth development model that identifies three character metrics that it hopes to cultivate in young people: resiliency, altruism, and performance. The Organization provides a comprehensive training to staff in order to develop and improve mentoring skills which can help students develop relational, leadership and resiliency skills. Training is conducted year-round through a series of intensive workshops delivered in person by highly-trained staff and youth development experts.
Post-secondary access and success services: The Organization provides students support to towards their education and long-term goals. The Post-Secondary Program supports a broad set of mid and long-term outcomes for its participants: educational attainment, career readiness, integrated identity, sense of purpose, and financial well-being. The Organization's redesigned Post-Secondary Program will include the implementation of a three-part service model, which will offer more in-depth matriculation and transition assistance, greater access to social capital through alumni and corporate partners, and increased hands-on career and financial resources.