Company Profile
Summer Search
Company Overview
Summer Search is a national youth development organization dedicated to creating greater equity by increasing the number of students from low-income backgrounds who successfully enter and complete college. Our mission is to provide high school and college students with developmental opportunities and resources to strengthen their college-going identities and readiness to become first-generation college graduates and socially responsible leaders.
Since 1990, we have partnered with high schools, community-based organizations, and families to provide mentoring (by full-time staff), transformative summer experiences, and start-to-finish college advising and support. To date, we’ve served more than 6,200 high school students, college students, and alumni.
Our long-term investment (7-9 years) successfully supports our students in changing the nation’s college completion narrative. 96% are students of color; 92% are first in their families to attend college; 71% earn a bachelor’s degree within six years of graduating high school, compared to just 21% of their low-income peers nationally.
Company History
Summer Search was founded in 1990 by Linda Mornell an adolescent counselor in private practice, who was inspired by the positive impact of her own children's transformative summer experiences, and wanted to provide more young people with similar opportunities. In our first year, Summer Search sent fourteen students from low-income backgrounds—students with potential to succeed, but who faced systemic inequities that could get in the way of their journeys to higher education—on wilderness education programs, to help them strengthen the skills needed to succeed in school and in life.
Recognizing that students would benefit from year-round support, Summer Search began to offer long-term mentoring by trained staff, as well as college access and success support, thereby redefining itself as a leading innovative youth development organization.
Alongside local high schools, community-based organizations, families, and our summer program partners, our comprehensive program now spans a crucial seven-to-nine-year period, helping high school students strengthen the personal and practical skills needed to become college-educated leaders who give back to their families and communities.
Today, Summer Search has a national presence, working with young people, most of whom will be the first in their families to attend college, in five regions across the country—the Bay Area, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Since our inception, we’ve helped 6,200 students soar.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
National nonprofit based in San Francisco with regional sites in the Bay Area, Seattle, New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston.
Benefits
We are committed to staff learning, growth and development. Our intense investment includes:
Competitive salaries
Medical insurance with up to 90% employer contribution
Dental, vision, FSA, life and disability insurance plans
401 (K) and Employer Match up to $2,000 annually
Generous time off including 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, 2 floating holidays, 10 company-wide holidays and a 1-week December closure.
Individual, local, regional and national training
A commitment to developing leaders from within the organization.
An organizational culture that supports staff well-being and holistic self-care
Ample opportunities to connect with the students and communities we serve
Positions Available
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