Youth Eco Solutions

2025-2026 YES Teams

This page will be continuously updated with resources, information, and links for YES Coaches and Students.

2025-2026 Registration & Procedure

Please complete the online YES Team Registration Form.

  • After your registration is received, a YES Staff member will be in touch by phone or e-mail to welcome you to the program and to set up a time to meet personally with your team. The YES program is designed to “meet you where you’re at” and provide the interaction that is most useful to the unique needs of your team, school, and community.
  • The team fee varies depending upon the number of participants per YES Team and allows YES to provide Teams with customized education programs, hands-on events, and 1:1 support from YES Staff. Some teams offset the cost by seeking a local sponsor, organizing a fundraiser, or implementing a student-participation fee.
    • $150 Team Fee – 1 to 10 Student Participants
    • $300 Team Fee – 11 to 25 Student Participants
    • $500 Team Fee – 26 to 50 Student Participants
      • * Please Note: Once YES has received the 2025-2026 YES Team Registration form, YES Director will email the listed business office contact with the invoice.

Youth Eco Solutions (YES), a program of Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center, is proudly supported by Minnesota’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. This funding allows YES to provide reimbursement opportunities to participating teams, helping offset project-related and school district expenses.

Reimbursement Details:

  • Project Expenses:
    Teams may request up to $500 in reimbursement for costs directly related to their YES project.

  • School District Expenses (including transportation):
    Each YES Team may request up to $750 in reimbursement for school district-related expenses. This includes transportation costs to attend YES events, site visits, or project-related travel.

Activity Checklist 

Directions: Complete three or more items from the following checklist. Submit photos and descriptions to [email protected] and YES will supply doughnuts to celebrate YOUR Teams’ accomplishments. Deadline for checklist items: April 30, 2026

Funding from Other Sources

YES Team Manager, Jake Schwinghammer, can help your team seek funding from local and regional organizations such as Rotary Club, Lion’s Club, Walmart, utilities, etc.

Coach Resources

  • Helpful tips, from coaches, to coaches

Important Media Guidelines

We LOVE it when teams share the news about their activities through local media outlets! Please follow these guidelines:

  1. All press releases naming YES must be reviewed by YES Team Manager, Jake Schwinghammer, before the article is published so we can verify that program information is correct.
  2. If a YES Staff member was involved in the planning or implementation of the activity described in your press release, include their name and title in the article.
  3. EVERY press release must give credit to our major funder, the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resource Trust Fund (ENRTF). It is a written stipulation for us receiving the grant money, and neglecting accreditation can be a reason for termination of grant funds! Copy/paste this funder language into your media release, website, poster, etc.:

Major support for YES comes from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). Thank you!

YES! Logo ENRTF Logo

YES Blog Guest Post: Students are encouraged to showcase their team and its projects by writing a short article that will be posted in the YES Blog on our website! Contact YES Staff for more information.

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