Farther Foundation Annual Report - 2024

President’s Message

Thank you for your support last year! Times are volatile and those who live in underserved communities have nothing handed to them. Farther Foundation is proud to provide opportunities for advancement to students who are proactive in their lives and earn our support to strive for a better future. Our students traveled the world, explored new challenges, honed new skills, grew in confidence, and brought home the best in themselves.

Read more about our students, our impact, and news from our organization in our 2024 Annual Report.

David Weindling
Farther Foundation - Founder and Board President

Mission & Vision

Farther Foundation inspires greater aspirations and achievement from students in communities beset by chronic disinvestment and systemic inequities. We provide opportunities for students to participate in life-changing educational travel experiences across the country and around the world. Our students immerse themselves in new cultures, learn and develop skills, provide community service, cultivate leadership potential, and attain personal growth.

Student Explorations 2024

Forty-seven students spread out across the country and around the world for programs full of adventure, discovery, and learning. Whether they were pushing the boundaries of their comfort zones abroad, or challenging themselves socially and academically on college campuses, they returned home with new levels of confidence and ambition as they prepare to take the next steps in their education.

Allison and Stephanie chose different paths for their summer travel programs. Allison chose to experience college campus life by studying art at the University of Michigan, while Stephanie traveled all the way to Thailand to explore its language and culture. Both learned lessons that they could only have learned by going away from home and opening themselves up to new worlds. Enjoy the video presentations they shared to help us understand their journeys.

Alumni spotlight

In 2015, Farther Foundation provided a scholarship for Josh to spend his summer experiencing college campus life at Brown University. Josh eventually went on to earn a degree in environmental studies from Dennison College. He began his career at Medline Industries and recently moved over to Sidley Austin where he is a pricing analyst. We caught up with Josh and asked him to think back on his travel experience as a high school student and how it has affected his life path.

How did your high school summer experience at Brown impact your college search and selection?

“My summer at Brown was an incredible experience that gave me a glimpse into college life and helped shape what I was looking for in a university. Taking the “Alternative Energy Engineering” course not only introduced me to the idea of building structures powered by natural energy, but it exposed me to a collaborative learning environment. Being on campus, interacting with students, and experiencing that culture firsthand made me realize the type of academic and social atmosphere I wanted to be a part of in college. That experience played a key role in shaping my preferences and guiding my college search.”

What do you think is the best, most enjoyable, or most surprising thing you have experienced so far in your working life?

“The most rewarding part of my career so far has been the connections I’ve built simply by being myself. Forming genuine relationships with colleagues, mentors, and peers has been incredibly fulfilling. Beyond just professional networking, it’s about fostering a sense of community —having people I can learn from, collaborate with, and support. That aspect of work has been both enjoyable and surprising in the best way. It has reinforced the importance of authenticity and the value of meaningful relationships in any professional setting.”

partner spotlight

There are many programs for high school students to live, learn, and explore away from home during the summer. Farther Foundation maintains a directory of more than 100 program providers on our website! Some of these organizations are intentional about including students from under-resourced and underserved communities. We’d like to highlight one for you.

During the summer of 2024, Farther Foundation provided scholarships for seven students to participate on programs led by The Road Less Traveled. They traveled to Thailand, Spain, and Greece where they were immersed in new languages and cultures while completing service projects and finding adventure.

“At The Road Less Traveled, we are committed to expanding access to transformative travel experiences for students from all backgrounds. Reaching under-resourced communities is a vital part of our mission, as we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to explore the world, experience the outdoors, build confidence, and develop leadership skills. Our partnership with Farther Foundation allows us to support deserving students with life-changing adventures, ensuring that financial barriers don’t stand in the way of personal growth and discovery. We love welcoming recipients of the Farther Foundation scholarship into our RLT community each year and feel grateful for the ongoing partnership.”  -- Laura Dunmire, Director at The Road Less Traveled

impact

Life-changing educational travel experiences

We brag — with good reason and ample evidence — about our students’ exceptional college enrollment and graduation rates, but it is the attitudinal changes born from their experiences that lay the foundation for future success. Our students complete a post-program survey and tell us the following:

Events - Save the date

Storyslam 2025 

Thursday, October 16, 7:00 – 10:00

Fitzgerald’s Nightclub
6615 Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn

• Hear stories of discovery, adventure and mishap told by consummate storytellers.

• Enjoy food, drink and the company of friends.

• Support our hard-working and deserving students.

Featured storyteller preview:

Michele McGuire

Singer-Songwriter and Chicago native Michele McGuire has been writing and performing music for over 15 years. She cleverly combines candid lyrics with charming stage banter and a soulful voice that will stick with you long after the show ends.    https://www.michelemcguire.com/

One of last year's storytellers, Charlie Meyerson, recently shared his recorded storytelling performance with his blog and newsletter followers. If you missed our event or want to revisit this charming story, check it out here.

Stay tuned for more news about our featured storytellers and opportunities to buy discounted earlybird event tickets!

sustainability

Carbon compensation

We firmly believe that participation in educational travel is singular in its ability to open the eyes and unbind the aspirations of students whose experiences rarely escape the boundaries of their own neighborhoods. However, we recognize that travel also negatively impacts the environment through the burning of carbon-based fuels.

Farther Foundation has begun taking steps to compensate for our carbon footprint. Rather than purchasing traditional carbon offsets, we chose to make an impact closer to home and in line with our educational mission. We calculated the cost of our carbon footprint caused by the air travel we fund and made a grant in that amount to the Academy for Global Citizenship.

The Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC) is a Chicago Public Charter School. Students there learn how their choices impact their community and ultimately the world. The school campus itself is constructed to be a net-positive energy facility serving as a learning environment and a model for future school construction and practices.

During the 2024-2025 school year, AGC is using Farther Foundation’s Carbon Compensation grant to bolster several projects:

• Hydroponics systems that provide students with the opportunity to grow food year-round. The systems are a critical component of our curriculum, allowing students to explore topics such as plant biology, nutrition, and resource efficiency.

• Pollinator habitat expansion benefiting our onsite bees and other pollinators in the area. By expanding this habitat, we also provide students with a living classroom to learn about ecosystems, conservation, and the importance of pollinators in agriculture.

• Adding a new element to our garden, a squash trellis that will serve as a functional and educational structure. The trellis will support the growth of hops and other vining plants, creating a shaded tunnel that enhances the garden's usability during warmer months. This garden serves as a hands-on learning environment where students engage in planting, nurturing, and harvesting crops, fostering a deep connection to the environment and sustainable practices.

Sustainable investment

Farther Foundation maintains a reserve fund to help support our programs and operations. We have shifted a portion of these investments into funds that seek investments in companies that advance environmental sustainability or apply practices and philosophies that lessen their negative impact relative to other companies in their industry.

Expense Report - 2024

Highlights

• $186,000 in scholarships and awards

• Created a part-time salaried position of Executive Director

• Posted the results of our recent financial audit online.

Our Supporters

Farther Foundation is grateful to acknowledge the support of the generous donors who believe in our mission and the potential of the students we serve. https://www.fartherscholar.org/our-supporters

Thank you from the Board of Directors of Farther Foundation!

David Weindling        
Susan J. White           
Matt Crossett            
Melissa Coughlin       
Ed Cruickshank          
Nina Ricci                   
Rosario Gonzalez