Philadelphia

Welcome to Summer Search Philadelphia, where change has begun for more than 40 students in our community since 2006!

News

Welcome to the class of 2010! From January through March, we interviewed 100 additional students in schools throughout the city, nominated by our referral partners in schools and community groups. Of those interviewed, we accepted 63 students into the program, and we expect to send between 26 and 30 sophomores on summer experiential education programs this summer. Our new students are from three special admission, four city-wide admission, and five neighborhood schools, one suburban and one private school, and one nonprofit. All our students are from low-income backgrounds, and similar to the inaugural class, our new cohort represents a diverse population: 71 % African American, 14 % Latino/Hispanic, 11 % Asian, and 3% Caucasian. Above all, our students have resiliency, altruism and performance—and the desire to realize their leadership potential and make a difference.

Good luck and bon voyage to our juniors! This summer, our first 13 students are planning to travel on wilderness, academic and community service trips from Thailand to Costa Rica.

Thank you to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for giving twenty-two sophomores and juniors free tickets to attend the Frida Kahlo exhibition on March 28, 2008. The trip was a huge success, and the students spent over two hours learning about Frida’s life and viewing her works. For many of the students, it was their first visit to the art museum!  

This spring, we provided our juniors with a scholarship for SAT prep classes. Greg Lowe, a Teach For America alumnus, led the eight week prep session to help our juniors who are taking the SAT in May and June. We’re also offering academic tutoring to those of our sophomores and juniors who request the extra help.