Program Structure

The Youth Exploring Science program is comprised of several components that include:

Community Partnerships:
The St. Louis Science Center launched the YES program in 1997 by recruiting fifteen low-income minority teens from community organizations.  Today’s YES teens continue to be recruited from more than twenty community partners which help to serve low-income families in the St. Louis community.

Fall and Spring Programs:
In September of each year, YES teens engage in Saturday Learning Labs and after-school programs structured to help them continue to develop both academic and work-based skills and create a knowledge base in science, technology, engineering and math.  The teens work four to ten hours per week with YES staff, learning and teaching science in after school programs, and reflecting on their teaching practices and work skills.

Summer Program:
For 8 weeks during the summer, YES teens work 5 days a week, engaging in Learning Labs and work based-skills workshops. Teens also demonstrate their confidence in core STEM concepts by facilitating hands-on activities, workshops, and demonstrations to a variety of public audiences. 

Year-Round Professional Development:
Throughout the year, YES teens participate in professional development workshops that address the developmental needs of teenagers and focus on timely and relevant topics that face today’s youth.  In addition, they develop fundamental workplace skills that include managing diversity, improving interpersonal communication, and developing a positive self-image.