Q: “What’s first?”
A: “HI-- SC---L.”
Q: “And then what?”
A: “GR-DU-T-ON!”
THROUGH WHATEVER.
Q: “But will you have my back, for real?”
TO WHEREVER.
A: “A-WAYS...
#shoutoutcommunity
... & T-GETHER!”
Ready. FLY!
2023
Since 1990, 9,039 high school sophomores reflecting the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Seattle have chosen to become Summer Searchers.
Summer Searchers explore identities, lead through collaboration, and build community.
Supported by their full-time, professional Mentors, Summer Searchers stay ready and fly with 1:1 and group mentoring, experiential learning, and legit CONNECTs for life’s waypoints through the real world.
Today, we are an organization of individuals, donors, and partners who collaborate for and with Summer Searchers towards No Ceilings, systemic or within.
Together, we are Summer Search
Ursulina.
Today, 9,039 young people rise with Summer Search.
Philadelphia
2008
Alumni fundraising surpasses $100,000.
2015
2023
2020
Group Mentoring introduced organization-wide!
1996
Alumni fundraising surpasses $1,000,000.
Seattle
2003
NYC
Y2K
Our Program adds college counseling and professional development supports.
1990
Founding | Bay Area
Linda Mornell organized with her partners, donors, and supporters for the first (and FLY!) 14 Summer Searchers.
Boston
Q: Why Summer Search?
Dariela Colon
NYC Alumna & Former Summer Search Staff
Lupita Sanchez
Bay Area Alumna &
2023 Voices of
Summer Search Speaker
Alex Jesus
Boston Alumnus & National Staff
Activate prospective Summer Searchers with your own #ThatsWhy by sharing to thatswhy@summersearch.org!
A: #ThatsWhy!
- Answer “Why Summer Search?”
- Include Video or Photo
- Portrait-style
- Selfie or Selfless
- 60 seconds or less
Teke & Jeannine.
The individuals serving on our National and Community Boards are instrumental to the success of Summer Searchers, Talent, and our Organization at-large. Modeling accountability with love, they assure our strategic direction.
Teke Kelley
National Board Chair
Jeannine Carter
Bay Area Board Chair
#BehindTheData
9,039
96%
86%
Sherri Brooks
National Director of Learning, Evaluation, & Engagement
Summer Searchers are earning degrees, getting jobs, and creating their purpose.
99%
of C’23 high school seniors graduated!
61%
of our students earned a Bachelor's Degree within 6 years.
90%
continue their education beyond high school.
68%
are employed within 6 months of earning their highest degree.
77%
of post-secondary students re-enrolled in college.
+10%
more of our Alumni set aside “rainy day” funds than the national average (55%).
<$20k
>$50k
The majority of Summer Searchers graduated with $30K less debt (<$20k) than the majority of all young adults aged 22-35 (>$50k).
Mentorship.
Students build long-term, trusting relationships through 1:1 and peer group mentoring facilitated by our professionally trained full-time mentoring staff.
of students reported that their mentor
helped them set and pursue goals.
50%
of Summer Partners trained in Depth Mentoring
1,288
high school students served
77%
Summer Searchers continued with us through senior year
“I've grown just as much, if not more, than my students...I’ve learned so much from them.”
David Nguyen
Seattle Mentor & Alumnus
Experiential Learning.
In 2023, more than 750 Summer Searchers challenged themselves across the country and abroad.
“A Summer of Self-Discovery”
of eligible Summer Searchers participated in fully-funded summer experiences.
summer programs partnered with us, including a number of new BIPOC and Women-led/owned programs.
outdoor adventures &
internships &
college tours &
international volunteer programs &
academic experiences &
social justice initiatives &
there’s only room for so many ampersands!
All the flowers for Tashi Diaz, NYC Marathon Runner & New York’s Summer Program Manager, for telling our story! #VoicesAndCreators
Legit CONNECTs.
Post-Secondary students served.
Our Post-Secondary program provides Summer Searchers with individualized support as they explore and create options after high school and into adulthood.
3,847
individuals on CONNECT
77%
of registered Summer Searchers are engaging with CONNECT
65%
of post-secondary Summer Searchers registered on CONNECT
CONNECT, our virtual community featuring People, Resources, and Opportunities, is meticulously curated for our Summer Searchers.
“This is truly a unique platform, unlike any other...
In this platform, we’re Summer Searchers.”
Lisander Lopez
Partners like The Clorox Company, Rakuten International, and Equinix leveraged CONNECT to
recruit and engage with talented
Summer Searchers.
Summer Searchers fly through NO CEILINGS!
$100 Million and rising...
In 2023, we surpassed our three-year, $75 million goal by raising more than $100 million with our incredible community of contributors.
Our community has moved in unison, supporting our young people with the financial support required to affect positive change for Summer Searchers. The impact will ripple for years to come.
Most campaigns end; our marathon continues...
Flowers and gratitude for our campaign committee and its chairs, Stephanie DiMarco & Jack Kopnisky.
Through NO CEILINGS, Summer Search Alumni raised more than $1 million!
“It's more than just an economic goal. It's about, how do we continue to shape this program and move it forward so that more generations can benefit.”
Joe Darza
Bay Area Alumnus &
Campaign Committee Member
#SummerSearcherMade
Summer Searchers are business-owners, leaders, entrepreneurs, activists, artists, creatives, and whichever identities they explore, pursue, and embrace.
Savannah Smith
Co-Founder of Sea Potential, recognized in Forbes “30 Under 30" for Education.
Mohamed Abdi
Community-builder, activist, filmmaker, and youngest-ever Washingtonian elected to the Tukwila City Council.
Nathaly Arriola Maurice
White House Director of Partnerships and Special Assistant to the President.
Talented. Invested.
91%
believe they can work in a manner that suits them best
84%
agree that we prioritize staff well being
13%
lower
attrition rate
for all staff
Central to our work is the professionalism delivered day-in and day-out by our Mentors; we recognize and applaud their contributions.
Our Talent team centers the mental and physical wellbeing of our staff and assures comprehensive benefits and market-based compensation.
Jennifer Fichamba
College & Career Readiness Specialist, Foster High School, Tukwila, WA
“I have witnessed how transformational [Summer Search] is for young people.
I saw students that were struggling to find their place become leaders in and outside of school.
I have watched former Summer Searchers become adults that are making a difference in their communities!”
Elizabeth Braxton
University Recruiting Program Lead, Rakuten International
“Rakuten is immensely proud to support Summer Search's commitment to empowering students with skills and support to move past systemic obstacles and fulfill their potential.
Working with their team has been a profoundly enriching experience. It’s humbling to be a collaborator with Summer Search on their heartfelt mission to equip students with skills and knowledge that will transform their lives and build secure futures.”
Community College Persistence Discrepancy
Summer Searchers attending community college are not sticking with it like those attending university. We are exploring the long-term impacts and creating a plan for an independent evaluation of our program model.
ReAligning Metrics
Our definitions for certain indicators were misaligned with those utilized in today’s research. We have shifted our graduation outcome measures and definitions for more accurate impact comparisons.
As an example, we are moving from “percent BA attainment of students accepted to college” to “percent BA attainment of students who started a four-year college.”
Engagement Disparity | Young Black Men
77%
C’23 HS
retainment
Young Black men are declining to engage with or persist in our Program at the same rates as other Summer Searchers.
This focus, in turn, opens vision, strategy, and tactics benefiting other Summer Searchers with identities where our performance or service is imbalanced.
59%
YBM retainment
2024
Activations
Activating for Young Black Men
Duron Jones
Seattle High School Program Manager
Viche’ Thomas
Seattle Regional Director of Outreach & Recruitment
Summer Searchers are doing well; and, there are those, including young Black men, whom we are not reaching as effectively as we should. This manifests through Program recruitment enrollment, engagement, and retention.
Organizational Activation
- Seeking new referral partnerships (high schools, community organizations, and more).
- Prioritizing young Black men in the application and acceptance processes.
- Engaging current Summer Search students and alumni as recruitment ambassadors.
- Conducting focus groups with our young Black men to gain new perspectives and learn what is and is not working well.
Financials
Investment
Income
(3%)
ASSETS
Other Income
(1%)
Contributed Gifts & Services
(5%)
Summer
(13%)
Staff Training & Development
(23%)
Management
& General
(13%)
EXPENSES
Fundraising (17%)
Mentoring (21%)
Special Events
(7%)
REVENUE
Individuals / Board
(62%)
Contributions (90%)
- Change in net assets without donor restrictions: $7,187,310
- Change in net assets with donor restrictions: ($6,475,478)
- Beginning net assets without donor restrictions: $12,696,475
- Beginning net assets with donor restrictions: $17,188,562
Corporations
(7%)
Foundations
(15%)
Post-Sec
& Alumni
(13%)
TOTAL REVENUE:
$ 24,747,568
TOTAL EXPENSES:
$ 24,035,736
NET ASSETS AT YEAR END:
$ 30,596,869
Financials for Fiscal Year 2023 (Oct. 1, 2022 to Sep. 30, 2023)
Whoever you are, you have something to contribute.
Apply
Join
Partner
Donate
Board
Volunteer
Learn
CONNECT
readyfly@summersearch.org
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