On February 28, 2023, students from the Youth Eco Solutions (YES!) team at Harbor City International School dove into the topic of water quality during a full-day workshop where local experts taught them about threats to water quality in Duluth and actions that can protect aquatic ecosystems. Ryan Granlund, Duluth Utility Programs Coordinator, spoke about stormwater programs before taking the
Soil Health + Gut Health = Human Health Virtual Workshop
Who doesn’t have gut issues these days? During the Soil Health + Gut Health = Human Health Virtual Workshop on Jan. 27, 2023, high school students from Youth Eco Solutions (YES!) teams across MN learned about the relationship between the soil ecosystem and the human gut. Jolene Carlson, licensed nutritionist and soil health advocate, revealed the ways in which that relationship influences how we
Partnering with Institute on the Environment in a National Science Foundation Grant: Students Take Action Against the Climate Crisis
YES! is excited to announce our partnership with University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment in a National Science Foundation Grant 2147839 where students not only learn and talk about the climate crisis, but are called into action through a mock United Nations summit. In this mock United Nations summit, students propose climate actions on behalf of eight diverse interest groups.
Students Learn About Ecosystems and Each Other During YES! Fall Summit
On a brisk early autumn day, September 28, 2022, in Spicer, MN, 120 middle and high school students gathered outdoors at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center (PWELC) to learn about pollinators, healthy soil, community-building, and tips for successful eco-action projects during the Youth Eco Solutions (YES!) Fall Summit. YES! teams that participated include Lac qui Parle Valley, MACCRAY,
15th Annual YES! Awards Ceremony
On May 15, Youth Eco Solutions (YES!) held its annual awards ceremony at the Target Field Baseball Stadium. In attendance were three finalist teams, as well as Program Manager Joe Dunlavy, Program Coordinators Deb Groebner and Jasmine Nieto, Former Program Coordinator Taylor Templer, partners from the University of Minnesota, and additional non-finalist team members as well as their family and
A “treemendous” time: Forestry Workshop at Northern Lights Community School
Braving frigid temperatures, students from the Youth Eco Solutions team at Northern Lights Community School donned snowshoes to learn firsthand about their school's woodland during the YES! Forestry Workshop on March 10. The workshop was organized by YES! regional coordinator Deb Groebner; instruction was provided by Rachael Olesiak, Research Plot Coordinator at the University of Minnesota's
