an after-school club

Young Environmental Stewards Club

YES (Young Environmental Stewards) club combines kids’ boundless energy, creativity, and curiosity with caring, supportive teachers, and an award-winning, hands-on science curriculum.

Semester-long after-school club

Kids are encouraged to sample, handle, and perform experiments to develop an understanding of how ecosystems support human life. Field trips, guest speakers, service projects, and family days broaden students experiences. The semester culminates with a Student Research and Service Symposium at Colorado College, where students follow their own interests, applying what they have learned in a final project that will teach others or improve their community. YES Club students become ecological stewards who develop a deeper understanding of their dependence on Earth’s ecosystems and the positive and negative impacts their choices can have, one system at a time!

YES participants spend an entire semester meeting after school once a week for two hours. We provide snacks, materials, field trips, guest speakers, educators and researchers that work with YES club members to discover leadership qualities, technology, and environmental science projects throughout the semester.

Forests

Discover all the wonders tucked away in the forests ecosystems in our state.
Learn about forest animals like owls, watch how a forests grows, play games, visit local parks, and more!

Explore

Current Semester

Colorado Animals

Discover all the wonders of the animals living and thriving in our state. Learn about animal adaptations, dissect a grasshopper, play games, visit local parks, and more! (Only for 3rd grade at select schools)

Get Wild

Current Semester (3rd)

Science in the Sky

Science in the sky is the study of the airborne particles, big and small, that depend on each other and live together in the atmosphere
above Earth’s surface.
Currently only at Centennial, Monterey, and Soaring Eagles Elementary Schools.

Let's Fly

Aquatic ecosystems

Water is one of our most limited and precious natural resources, and it allows life to thrive. This semester focuses on everything from water bugs and fishing to hydroelectric power and how they’re all connected.

Time to get wet

Fire ecology

Wildfires are scary but natural parts of Colorado ecosystems. Burn damage and ecosystem recovery time are often dependent on our human actions. This semester focuses on forest and grass fire safety, fire-wise landscaping, and fire restoration.

Bring on the heat

Underground ecosystems

The dirt and rocks under our feet are critical for survival on our planet. Not only do they provide habitats for animals, but they are also essential for recycling matter, growing foods, and providing minerals for our daily activities.

Get grounded

Bi-Yearly Science Symposium

Each YES semester wraps up with the completion of a project of the club’s choosing. Selecting the topic that most interested students, they can take action, complete research, or find a creative way to share what they’ve learned. The students present their projects to parents, other clubs, and community members at the Student Research and Service Symposium at Colorado College.

Students present their original work and have the opportunity to view other clubs’ work.
Colorado College students introduce our 4th and 5th graders to college life with a campus tour.
Guest speakers share a final lesson about their work in the ecosystem focus.
Awards are presented to the groups–with the top award being the Environmental Steward Award for the group whose project had the greatest impact in the community.

Start a YES Club at your school

Get paid to teach a YES Club at your school. We are looking for teachers, parents, or principals who want YES Club for their kids.

Scholarships

If the cost of YES Club is a barrier please apply for a scholarship. We have limited need based scholarships available.