Summer Search will be providing support through resource packets sent to you and your family, live events for application support and more Summer Experience information, and office hours for parents. Check out our event calendar to find these events! Please reach out to your mentor if you have any questions that aren’t answered on this site!

Your scholarship covers the Summer Experience tuition for your program, travel to/from your summer experience, food, and most equipment. You and your family will not need to pay for these. Every student receives a list of what to bring on their trip and there will be some smaller items, which are things you likely have at home or may be able to borrow. If you need support from Summer Search to cover any items, you can reach out to your mentor for support.

We do ask families to cover any fees associated with getting their student a passport or ID. Families are also responsible for providing students with spending money for souvenirs, and any extra snacks or drinks students want to buy while traveling to, from, or on, their summer experience. For a Sophomore experience, this is usually around $20-$50. For Junior Experiences, this can be around $150-$200.

Families also provide transportation to the group's meeting site, often the airport, train station, bus station, or Summer Search office.

Juniors

In a meeting with your mentor, you discussed your interests and goals for this summer and received a survey where you ranked program types based on your aspirations. The final trip placement is determined by Summer Search based on your availability and alignment with your goals.

Sophomores

Summer Search attempts to place you on a trip that we think align with your availability, interests, comfort levels, goals, and areas for growth based on what we learn about you during your Intro Conversations and throughout the beginning stages of your enrollment in Summer Search. We may not always get it right, but we do our best! If you don't think your assigned trip is right for you, talk to your mentor!

*Please keep in mind that spaces are limited, and we may not be able to place you on your top choice. We ask for flexibility, openness and the ability to see value in many different kinds of experiences.

If you are traveling on a Summer Experience outside of the United States or Puerto Rico, YES, you will need a passport.

Getting or renewing a U.S passport can take up to 16 weeks (~4 months). Check out the resources links above to learn how to apply for a passport and apply as soon as you are placed onto your international Summer Experience.

If you are traveling by plane inside the U.S and Puerto Rico, YES, you will need a New York REAL ID card. Check out the resources links above to learn how to apply for a NY REAL ID.

Summer Search does not operate the trips and your mentor will not be going with you.

Instead, we create strong partnerships with organizations who create trips for youth. These programs and their staff are leaders in the field and are highly trained professionals. We’ll provide you with the name and contact information for the person organizing your Summer Experience in case you have any questions.

As much as we would love to, your mentor won’t be traveling with you this summer (though we’re on your team, cheering you on!).

For Sophomores:

Most of our trips will include Summer Searchers from New York and potentially from other Summer Search sites. A couple of experiences are open enrollment programs, which means non-Summer Searchers will be able to join your group and you’ll meet folks from diverse backgrounds. Groups are typically 10-12 students and have two leaders. Your trip leaders are trained in outdoor safety, wilderness survival, and will have received tons of training on how to keep you feeling safe and supported.

For Juniors:

Most junior experiences will include youth from around the country (and possibly the world!). There may be a couple of Summer Searchers on your experience, but it will mostly comprise of other youth and program leaders. Each program has trained leaders who are experts in their field and help guide you through the program. Most people in your program will be in the same situation as you and will probably not know anyone. You may start as strangers and but end up making close friends that you’ll stay connected with!

This depends on your Summer Experience!

Sophomores:

You won’t be able to use your phone. You can use your phone while you are on route to your program and when it finishes, but not during your experience. There are a couple of reasons for this: 1) programs believe that unplugging from technology enables everyone to build stronger connections during your experience, and 2) most of our trips will be out of cell phone service so you won’t be able to use your phone anyways.

Instructors will have satellite phones in case of emergency and your parents/guardians can contact Summer Search 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the summer months if there are any questions.

Juniors:

This will depend on whether your program is domestic, international, or a wilderness experience.

If your program is within the United States, you will have access to your phone and be able to use them to stay in contact with your family. It’s up to you to balance between using your phone and being present during your summer experience. (The only exception is Putney School of Summer Arts – you won’t be able to use your phone at Putney!)

If you are traveling internationally or choosing a wilderness experience, you will be able to use them while you’re traveling to and from your program destination. You won’t be able to use them once in-country or checked into basecamp, but programs will allow limited contact with your family.

Most wilderness and international programs do not allow students to contact their families during the program. We recommend preparing yourself and your family for the fact that they will not be able to talk to you regularly while you are on your trip. Some programs allow families to send mail, check blog posts, or have optional, scheduled calls with you.

If families don’t hear from you or the Summer Programs Team while you are on your trip it means that everything is going well! It might sound strange, but it is good news if they don’t hear from you while you are away.

If there is an emergency, we want your family to be able to contact you. We make this possible in two ways:

1) Summer Search has a 24-hour hotline during the summer that your family can call if they need to speak with you about an emergency. After they call the hotline, Summer Search reaches out to the summer program partner to facilitate the conversation between you and your family and to talk about next steps.

2) Every group leader on your trip will have a satellite phone or cell phone that can be used if there is an emergency on the trip or in your family.

Summer Search follows all state and federal guidelines regarding Covid-19. As of now, we do not require vaccinations or PPE for participation in our programming.

Each Summer Experience has their own Covid-19 Policy. Students will be expected to follow the guidance and requirements of whatever summer experience they attend.