Youth Eco Solutions

2026-2027 YES Teams

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

Join Youth Eco Solutions Today!

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As a participant in the Youth Eco Solutions (YES) program, your team will receive a comprehensive range of support and resources designed to inspire environmental leadership and drive impactful projects.

Here’s what you can expect:

  1. Educational Content covering key sustainability topics such as water quality, energy efficiency, waste reduction, renewable energy, local foods, land restoration, climate change, and more.
  2. Ongoing Support from dedicated YES Staff and a statewide network of participating teams across Minnesota.
  3. Access to Funding to help cover program-related expenses, including transportation, substitute teacher fees, and project materials.
  4. Customized Tours and Workshops tailored to your team’s interests, including:
    1. The annual YES Fall Summit at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center in Spicer, MN.
    2. The YES Weekend Retreat at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, MN.
  5. Connections to Experts and Partner Organizations to support and enhance your team’s project work.
  6. Project Planning Facilitation to guide your team from idea to implementation.
  7. Support for Community Engagement, including assistance in organizing events that promote and celebrate your projects.
  8. Tools, Resources, and Project Guides to help you successfully implement, measure, and evaluate your environmental initiatives.
  9. Participation in the Annual YES Competition, where teams can showcase their projects to a panel of green career professionals. The top two teams will receive a fully funded field trip—details coming soon!

We look forward to supporting your team in making a lasting impact this season.

 

We’re thrilled to have you and your students join us for an impactful year of environmental action and innovation. Please complete the registration form below to get started.

Register Now

If you have any questions or concerns during the registration process, feel free to contact Kalley Pratt at [email protected] for assistance.

Team Fee Structure for the 2026–2027 Season:

1–10 students: $150
11–25 students: $300
26–50 students: $500

An invoice will be sent to each registered team. All fees must be paid by December 1, 2026.

We can’t wait to see what your team accomplishes this season!

Register Now

Activity Checklist 

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.

Save The Dates

  • Monday, November 20, 2026 through Friday, January 8, 2027: Holiday Light Recycling
  • Friday, January 30 to Sunday, February 1, 2027: YES Weekend Retreat at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center
    • More information to come

    • Chaperones are welcome to attend. YES will cover expenses for school employees; however, any additional chaperones will be responsible for their own expenses.

  • Monday, February 1 to Monday, March 15, 2027: PCs for People

YES Competition

Complete and submit all YES activities by March 31, 2026 to be eligible. Choose one project—either a specific initiative or a broader theme—to present in a 10-minute video by April 16, 2027. Judges will review submissions, and the top two teams will win a trip of their choice to: Great Lakes Aquarium, Bell Museum, Science Museum of Minnesota or Southern Minnesota Museum of Natural History (tickets and transportation up to $1,000 covered).

*Please note that the trip must be taken on or before June 30, 2027.

Virtual Workshops

 

Reimbursement Request Details

2026-2027 Reimbursement Form

For the 2026-2027 YES Season, your team may request up to:

  1. $500 for Project Seed Funds
  2. $750 for District Expenses, including substitute teacher costs and transportation to YES Events.

Once these expenses have been incurred, please submit this form along with the receipts as soon as possible. All forms and receipts must be submitted by May 31, 2027. If you have any questions, contact Kalley Pratt at [email protected].

2026-2027 Reimbursement Form

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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