UIndy Receives Additional Funding to Support Summer Success Camp

The University of Indianapolis’ Pro Edge Summer Success Camp will continue to thrive after receiving additional funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Indiana Youth Programs on Campus (IYPC) initiative.

The $343,376 grant is helping the University encourage the younger generation to pursue higher education. The Summer Success Camp, launched in 2023, is a free, week-long camp that gives high school students a glimpse of college life. This summer marks the camp’s fourth year, and the grant will support its continued success through 2029.

“The University is very grateful for this funding from Lilly Endowment, which has enabled us to showcase the opportunities and impact that higher education can have for students who may not have previously seen it as part of their future,” said Andy Kocher, vice president for corporate and community partnerships and chief of staff. 

Spending a week on UIndy’s campus, students get to experience living in residence halls, eating at Ober Dining Hall and exploring other campus spaces such as athletic amenities. Through faculty-led academic sessions, hands-on learning in campus laboratories and classrooms and visits to Indianapolis employers, students have the opportunity to identify potential college majors in STEM, arts and humanities, business and healthcare. 

In addition to receiving guidance from faculty leaders and career coaches, high school students also build connections with UIndy students who serve as camp counselors. “That relationship is one of the key aspects of the camp,” added Kocher. “Not only do they see themselves in a physical space, but they see themselves as one of these future college students after meeting them. They see that that could very easily be them.”

Lilly Endowment launched the IYPC initiative, in part, to address the sharp decline in the number of Hoosiers pursuing higher education degrees. According to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, only 51.7% of Indiana high school graduates enrolled directly in college in 2023, down significantly from 65% in 2015.

After the 2025 Summer Success Camp, 90% of surveyed campers said the experience made them more confident in deciding to go to college and over 80% believed that they would succeed in college.

Thanks to Lilly Endowment, UIndy can guide young Hoosiers as they explore their interests, gain new skills and envision a future for themselves in college.