As our high school students prepare to head out on transformative Summer Experiences this summer, staff teams across the country are hard at work behind the scenes making sure every student feels ready, supported, and excited for what’s ahead. 

 

From gear packing and family meetings to mentor check-ins and prep workshops, the weeks leading up to summer are filled with preparation and anticipation. This year, Summer Search’s first trip departs on June 1! 

 

In Boston, Maria Farias, Senior Manager of Summer Experiences, says this season is “non-stop,” with staff focused on preparing students and families for everything from outdoor adventure trips to college campus experiences. 

 

Through one-day and overnight Adventure Prep Sessions, students learn practical skills like setting up tents, navigating dorm life, and building community with their peers before they leave. Staff are also busy packing and distributing outdoor gear — including hiking boots, rain layers, bug headnets, and headlamps — so students feel prepared and comfortable on their trips. These are items that students do not typically have in their wardrobes, so providing gear is a critical part of removing barriers to the wilderness trips they all embark on as sophomores. This summer, around 270 Boston students will participate in summer experience trips. 

 

What excites Maria most is watching students encounter new environments and possibilities: 

 

“A lot of them haven’t experienced being in nature or being in a different country or culture or being at a college campus for the first time. I’m excited for them to learn and grow and expand their minds.” 

 

In Philadelphia, Program Operations Coordinator Jillian Lacey is helping prepare one of the site’s largest summer trip cohorts in years. Her days are filled with coordinating logistics, supporting families, mentors, and partner organizations that run the trips, organizing prep events, and ensuring students are ready to go. 

 

“There’s a lot that goes into ensuring students, families, and partners are prepared for summer experiences, but hearing about students’ experiences on their trips makes it all worth it.” 

 

 

This year, Philadelphia students will participate in new outdoor experiences with Deer Hill alongside longtime partners like the Centro de educación ambiental de Pocono y Philadelphia Outward Bound School. 

 

For Jillian, the most meaningful part of the work is seeing students grow through challenges: “I’m excited to hear about the challenges they faced and how they overcame them,” she shared. 

 

While each Summer Search site prepares differently, el goal is the same: helping students step into summer adventures that expand their confidence, independence, and sense of possibility. Behind all of this is a network of staff, mentors, families, and partner organizations working together to help Summer Searcher’s have the best possible outcomes.