Looking for inspiration? We publish blogs highlighting programs working at the intersection of youth leadership, community engagement, and STEM learning. Many of these programs are run by our CYESS partners but we welcome blogs from anyone who is engaged in this work. Please contact us via email if you would like to discuss submitting a blog about your work to us.
Want to do this work but don't know where to start? There are a plethora of resources that can support you to incorporate youth voice and community engagement in your STEM programming or vice versa! We have collected and curated curricula, toolkits, frameworks and more to help you out. Check out the database and email us if you have a resource you would like us to consider including.
CYESS is building powerful professional development for educators, starting with an engaging youth voice training created in partnership with the North Dakota Afterschool Network. These trainings give adults the tools to amplify young people’s ideas, leadership, and impact. More resources are in the works — and you’ll be able to explore them all here.
Everyone needs funding for their programs! The Afterschool Alliance's Funding Database helps you search for funding by state, grade level, and also filter by funding type (private or government). We have added tags to search by program area such as civic engagement and community service in addition to STEM and workforce development. Application deadlines, eligibility requirements, and a brief description of the opportunities are available at a glance, and one click will get you to the details of the funding announcement. We have also created a handy guide to help you with messaging your talking points for funding proposals!
For even more tips on messaging, take a look at the Advocacy Toolkit on the Afterschool STEM Hub website.
How are afterschool and OST programs approaching the intersection of youth leadership and community engagement with STEM in their initiatives? We conducted a study to find out! Our report describes our findings from our survey and interviews along with recommendations for what we need to amplify and scale such approaches. We have also developed a database that lets you search by program type so you can dig in more - check out the dashboard! Think your program should be included and add to our knowledge base? Add your information by clicking on the survey below!
Now more than ever, it’s crucial that we listen to young people and elevate their voices—their perspectives hold the insights and solutions we need now and in the future!
- If you are a young person between the ages of 13-22, you can join our Youth Consultant Pool and hear about targeted opportunities to share your views and expertise. You will also have access to a range of professional development opportunities.
- If you are an adult who'd like to engage with youth insights and youth perspectives, CYESS Youth Consultants are dynamic young leaders, ages 13–22, dedicated to driving meaningful change in their communities. They are available to offer their expertise and participate in panels, advisory roles on projects, proposals, and legislation, and powerful communication campaigns. Learn more about how these youth are shaping the conversation and how you can get involved!