As the school year comes to a close, we are celebrating everything that YES! and our teams accomplished this year. Please join us in three community conversations that will celebrate the work of teams this year and explore the future of YES!
Read on to explore what current and former YES! students are accomplishing and what events they have been attending.
Sincerely,
The YES! Staff
YES! Alumna Highlight by Kimberly Colgan
Kimberly Colgan, YES! aluma, presenting during her internship at the MN Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Last year I was on St. Cloud Apollo High School's YES! team. I am currently a student at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois studying Industrial Engineering. I love what I am doing now, and I wouldn't have gotten any of [my internships and jobs] without the experiences that YES! gave me. Through YES!, I made many connections with people who are passionate about the environment. Whenever I am in an interview, people always ask about YES! I couldn't be more thankful for my involvement; it taught me so much!
YES! students touring the Lac qui Parle Valley YES! team greenhouse during the Milan Local Foods Winter Workshop
YES! Winter Workshops
Over 160 students and coaches from 16 YES! teams participated in the 6 Winter Workshops offered thus far this season. They learned from a variety of experts and toured a dozen businesses and organizations. They also learned from their peers and gained valuable insight into what could make their own projects successful and impactful.
Katie Becker of the GFW YES! team fills her water bottle at one of several hydration stations they have installed at their schools
Did You Know?
YES! teams are focusing on the first of the 3 R's: reduce! Thirteen YES! teams have installed 32 hydration stations in their schools in the past two years and by the end of this year we expect the total to be close to 40. These stations have resulted in a collective 670,000 fills, diverting many plastic water bottles from the waste stream and encouraging healthy behavior in their student bodies.
YES! empowers youth to partner with their community to create economic and environmental vitality through hands-on learning and team-based projects.
YES! provides a unique opportunity for students to learn by engaging directly in community efforts that lead to dramatic demonstrations of renewable energy technology and conservation practices and exposes them to how science is applied in real life.
