Christopher Hohman, of Santa Rosa, jumps into the Colorado River this summer

Something happened recently that gave all of us at Deer Hill a thrill of pride. Last week we received the results from the Summer Search Foundation’s survey of Deer Hill participants. Summer Search is a wonderful organization that seeks out talented young leaders from diverse backgrounds and places across the U.S., mentoring them throughout their teenage years. In partnership with the Deer Hill Foundation, Summer Search sends a number of participants for meaningful teen summer camp experiences with Deer Hill. Over the years these talented, motivated and fun students have contributed an immense amount to our programs.

The survey reveals an extremely high level of satisfaction amongst these participants with their Deer Hill program. Some highlights from the survey:

100% of students said that their leaders were knowledgeable

100% felt that the leaders communicated clear goals and expectations of the trip

95% felt that their leaders engaged and interacted well with the participants

100% felt supported by the leaders during the program

100% feel more confident to face new challenges after their program

100% said that to some degree they feel more comfortable with themselves

100% gained new skills that will help them in the future

100% said that during their trip they had the chance to lead their group

100%  felt proud of their performance on the trip

100%  were challenged during their program

100% had fun on their program

100% would recommend Deer Hill to others looking for a teen summer camp

We are ecstatic about these results because they show that everything we do to make our programs meaningful, challenging and fun is working for these participants. It shows that wilderness and community service programs like Deer Hill Expeditions truly have the potential to change the lives of young people.