At Exploration, our commitment to financial aid is mission-driven. Our students — both individually and collectively — benefit greatly from living and learning in a community that is derived not only from different states and countries, but also from different backgrounds, interests, ethnicities, and ideologies. Cultivating a summer community that is rich in socioeconomic diversity plays an essential role in ensuring that Exploration is full of different voices, ideas, and opinions.

Since its founding as a not-for-profit, 501(c) organization in 1977, Exploration has offered need-based scholarships and grants for deserving students who could not otherwise afford to attend Exploration. Last year alone, more than $500,000 was committed to financial aid. While this is a significant amount of money, on a percentage basis, we are only able to help 5% of our student body attend the Programs with the assistance of financial aid. Each year we are forced to turn away hundreds of exceptional scholarship applicants because of limited funds. For Exploration to deliver on its mission, we must do more.

We have a long-term goal of increasing the number of scholarship students who attend Exploration to 20%. Building this community requires us to engage in fund raising on a scale previously not attempted by Exploration and in a way that is sustainable over time. This is both aggressive and entirely possible.

We need your help.

We are calling on our alumni base — former students, faculty, families, and friends — to participate in a “show of hands” campaign in support of our financial aid initiative. We hope you will consider making a gift of any size to show your support for Exploration’s commitment to financial aid. By demonstrating broad-based support amongst our alumni and alumni families, Exploration will be better positioned to reach out for large-scale investments from foundations, corporations, and other donors to help us quickly achieve our financial aid goals.

Please make a gift today to help support financial aid at Exploration. Your gift will make an immediate impact, helping students during the summer learn to challenge themselves, discover the world of people and ideas, and experience the joy of learning.

Please donate today!

Thank you!