SUMMER EXPERIENCE RESOURCES

Our national Summer Search website is a great place to learn more about our organization and how we're supporting your child. Go to www.summersearch.org to learn more!

To learn about our Bay Area team & program, check-out our High School Program website.

For even more info, you can watch this brief video and hear directly from Summer Searchers about their experience with us!

For Sophomores:

You'll be going on an outdoor adventure! Our outdoor adventure trips are focused on helping you develop your leadership skills and step outside of your comfort zone.

Sophomores will be placed on a 1-2 week long outdoor leadership trip which will include a few days of backpacking and additional activities which will vary based on trip. These activities may include kayaking or rafting, as an example.

Learn more about our Sophomore Summer Experiences on our website here!

For Juniors:

You get to choose a few options that best meet your goals! Our Junior trips are focused on helping you work towards your goals and explore what you're interested in.

You can choose from out-of-state or international service-learning programs, pre-college academic programs, arts programs, business program, or even choose to go on another outdoor adventure.

Learn more about our Junior Summer Experiences on our website here!

You'll complete a Summer Experience Survey that asks a variety of questions about your preferences and what you're interested in. Based on your response, we'll match you with one of our programs.

After you receive your Summer Experience Placement, we ask that you review your placement with your family to make sure it works and bring any questions to your mentor.

You must complete our Summer Experience Survey in order to receive a Summer Experience! If you do not complete it, we will not be able to offer you a trip.

Your scholarship covers A LOT!

Your scholarship covers the tuition for your program, transportation, food during your program, and most equipment. You and your family will not need to pay for these - Summer Search will cover it!

We know it may be the first time going on an outdoor adventure trip, so we'll provide you with all the key outdoor gear you'll need, such as hiking pants, quick dry t-shirt, fleece jacket, etc.

All of the mentoring, college and post-secondary advising, and ongoing support is also part of their participation in the program and does not cost anything.

There may be a few instances where you and your family may need to contribute a little bit of money, depending on what you want to bring on your trip! This might look like paying for:

• Smaller items on your packing list that you don't already have or aren't able to borrow, such as athletic shorts, swimsuit, etc.

• Passport or IDs if you don't have a valid passport or California REAL ID

• Checked luggage if you need to fly for your trip & want to check-in a bag (carry-on luggage is free!)

• Spending money in case you want to buy any snacks or souvenirs on your trip (all full meals are covered). This might look like bringing $20-$50 for Sophomore trips and $50-$100 for Junior trips.

If any of these extra costs are a barrier and you need support from Summer Search, please reach out to your mentor!

Your outdoor summer experience will be a 1-2 week trip in California. Activities vary based on trip, but most of our trips include 3-5 days of backpacking paired with another activity, such as kayaking or rafting. You can learn more about the types of activities you might do on our website here!

A sample itinerary may look like:

• Day 1-2: Build community & learn key skills, such as how to pitch a tent & go to the bathroom in the outdoors

• Day 3-6: Go backpacking!

• Day 7: Rest day

• Day 8: Learn how to sea kayak

• Day 9-12: Sea kayak from beach to beach

• Day 13: Rest & clean up

• Day 14: Return home!

All activities are meant to be fun, inclusive, and challenging. They're meant to take you out of your comfort zone just enough so leave you feeling accomplished.

We do have a few select spots on a trip that is out-of-state. If you and your family are interested and comfortable going out-of-state, let us know on your Summer Experience Survey!

Our Summer Partners do!

Summer Search does not operate the trips and our mentor do not go on these trips.

Instead, we create strong partnerships with organizations who run trips for youth. These programs and their staff are leaders in their field and are highly trained professionals. Summer Search has an extensive vetting process to ensure we our partnering with safe and reliable programs.

For our outdoor trips, all instructors are Wilderness First Aid certified - at the minimum. Many instructors have additional training, such as being a Wilderness First Responder or EMT.

We’ll provide you with the name and contact information for the exact program your going on so you know who's running your trip.

For sophomore experiences:

The majority of our trips will include Summer Searchers from around the Bay Area, so you'll get to meet students from different schools.

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 mentor will not be going on your trip with you.

For junior experiences:

Most junior experiences will include youth from around the country (and possibly internationally!). There may be a couple of Summer Searchers on your experience, but it will mostly comprise of youth from different schools and cities. Everyone 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.

Each program has trained leaders who are experts in their field and help guide you through the program.

For Sophomore Experiences:

Our outdoor adventure trips are technology free. You'll have your phone with you as you travel to and from your trip, but you won't be able to use it on your trip.

Your trip leaders will collect your phones when you arrive at basecamp (where you'll be setting up camp for a few days!) and keep them in a safe spot until you get ready to go home.

That doesn't mean you'll be out of contact! Your trip leaders will have satellite phones to communicate with Summer Search and home base. If there was an emergency, they'll be able to call to get support.

Why are outdoor trips technology free?

There are a couple of reasons for this:

1. We believe that unplugging from technology lets you be fully present to take in everything around you & build stronger connections with other participants

2. There will be limited cell phone service in the areas you'll be. That's why your instructors will have satellite phones to stay connected in case of emergencies.

For Junior Experiences:

This will depend on whether your program is domestic or international.

• If your program is within the United States: For most programs, you will be able to keep your phone and use it to stay as you'd like. It’s up to you to balance between using your phone and being present during your summer experience. Please note, some programs may be technology free. You'll need to make sure to research your program thoroughly to know!

• If you are traveling internationally: 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 your abroad, but most programs will allow you to call home once.

During the summer, Summer Search offers a Summer On-Call Hotline to support students and families.

Our Summer On-Call System is a phone hotline that is available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week and is staffed by trained professionals.

You and your family can call this number for anything related to your Summer Experience, such as...

• You have questions about transportation (e.g. you need directions to your program or are having trouble finding your gate at the airport)

• You're feeling homesick

• Your family has an emergency and they need to get in contact with you

• Your family wants an update on how you're doing

We'll share this phone number with you and your family in the late Spring.

This depends on your program!

• For outdoor summer experiences: The shelter you stay in will depend on your specific trip, and some trips use multiple forms of shelters. During the backpacking potion of your trip, you will stay either in a tent or a tarp structure. While camping you will also be given a ground sheet and a foam sleeping pad to place under your sleeping bag to increase comfort and help you stay warm.

• For international or academic experiences (Juniors only): You’ll be staying in a hostel or dorm room with people from your program. You’ll have your own bed in a shared room and have access to a shared bathroom.

This also depends on your program!

• For outdoor summer experiences: You’ll eat lots of things! You will be cooking on gas camp stoves and your instructors will teach you backcountry cooking techniques. Everyone in your group will be responsible for helping with the preparation of all meals. You will eat things like rice, oatmeal, tortillas, crackers, salami, cheese, peanut butter, jelly, tuna fish, pasta and trail mixes and more. When at basecamp, your food will be more spectacular. You may not typically eat these items at home, but they can pretty darn tasty in the outdoors.

• For international or academic experiences: Your program provides you with all your meals! If you’re international, you’ll eat food local to the communities you’re in while also having access to foods you’re more familiar with. If you’re on-campus at a school, you’ll eat in the dining hall with other students and have access to a variety of different foods to choose from.

While on your outdoor Summer Experience you will at some point have to use the bathroom outside. This can be intimidating and/or uncomfortable which is normal! This will be a new experience for almost everyone on your experience, so your program will teach the whole group how to use the bathroom on one of your first days. As you learn to use the bathroom in the outdoors, you'll grow accustomed to it and some students make it a competition to see who can find most scenic and beautiful bathroom experience.

How do I pee?  This is often an easier one, as many folks have done a nature pee at some point in their life while they're hiking. While camping you will generally want to pee 15-30 feet away from the trail and 200 feet from a water source. If you are traveling on a large body of water you might pee directly into the water while kayaking on the ocean or rafting on a large river. 

If you need to squat while peeing finding a surface that will minimize splash-back is helpful as well as keeping a wide stance to stay balanced. Keeping a bandana handy is also nice if you need to wipe any after peeing. 

How to poop? This is the more anxiety inducing and most common question asked about summer experiences. The short answer is that pooping in the outdoors often requires digging a hole in the ground and pooping in it.

To be prepared you need to have hand sanitizer, toilet paper, a small shovel, and a sealable plastic bag.  You'll then carry your supplies (hand sanitizer, toilet paper, shovel, etc.) 200 feet from the campsite, water source, or trail, and find a space with soil that you can reasonably dig in without too much difficulty. Dig a hole about 6-8 inches deep and 4 inches wide. 

Pop a squat, and poop!  Then wipe with a little bit of toilet paper. Since toilet paper while camping is a limited resource, try to use as little as possible to conserve paper for yourself in the future and others in your group. Then, and this part is important, place the toilet paper in the little plastic bag you brought with you. Toilet paper isn’t totally biodegradable so you can't leave it in the wilderness without considerable impact. 

You will be outside while on course and won't have access to a shower or bath, except for when you’re at basecamp or a campground that has showers. You will be able to do basic cleanup every day: brush your teeth, wash your face and comb your hair. During backpacking, there will be many streams and lakes for you to wash up in and sometimes your program will ask you bring wet wipes to do a quick clean. At the end of your course, you will be able to take a full-on shower. The staff on your course are very skilled in field hygiene so please don't hesitate to approach them with any questions or concerns.

Having questions or concerns about how to prepare for your menstrual cycle while in the outdoors and in new settings is completely normal. We are here to support you. Your trip leaders will be there to answer any questions too. Even if your cycle isn’t expected during your course, please be aware that increased physical activity during your course may cause a change in your menstrual cycle.

For all outdoor adventures, come prepared with the items noted below:

• Twice the number of tampons, pads or panty liners you normally use during your cycle. If you use tampons exclusively, we suggest bringing panty liners as well.

• 1 to 2 extra pairs of underwear

• 1 to 2 opaque quart-sized zip-lock bags or small soft cosmetics bags to store your unused menstrual products.

• If using zip-lock bags, we recommend placing duct tape around them to make them opaque.

• 1 to 2 opaque quart-sized zip-lock bags or small soft cosmetics bags to store your used menstrual products.

• 1 opaque gallon size freezer-grade zip-lock bag or medium-sized soft cosmetics bag. This bag will hold the two smaller bags noted above, plus the following items:

• 1 travel pack of wetwipes

• Extra bandanna (can be used after the wipes to help keep clean and dry)

• 1 travel size bottle of instant hand sanitizer or anti-bacterial soap that does not require water

You will practice low impact camping techniques. Therefore, you will pack out everything that you pack in. This means that you will be expected to store and carry used products with you until you reach a destination where you can properly dispose of any trash (typically every three to seven days).

If you need support, your instructors are very experienced in helping solve menstrual care concerns while on course. Don’t hesitate to ask them questions while on course. Also, please talk to your mentor to get more info or talk about any questions or concerns you may have.

Some courses include a service project that is completed within the local community. Projects range from campsite restoration and maintaining hiking trails in the wilderness to supporting the surrounding communities by assisting families in need, sharing outdoor activities with others, or helping local wildlife restoration centers. Service projects typically last 6-8 hours or 1-2 days of your experience. Furthermore, a “we” and “service” ethic among your group will be a continuous theme throughout your course. The ethic of service is practiced through low impact camping techniques, reaching out with compassion to your fellow crewmates and working together as a team to overcome the challenges of your course.

If you won’t have access to your cellphone during your Summer Experience, we’ve created alternate ways for your family to be in contact if they have questions or if there is an emergency. We make this possible in a few ways:

1. Summer Search has a 24-hour hotline during the summer that your family can use to call us to get information about you and how you are doing, if needed. We can then reach out to the summer program partner for any updates.
   

2. In the unusual event that your family needs to reach you due to an emergency, we can reach program leaders via phone or satellite phone. We will work with the program and your family to make sure a connection can happen and take the needed steps.