Our events provide students with the most up-to-date knowledge and experiences in the field of sustainable innovation! Recognition events during the spring competition celebrate and reward teams for outstanding projects.
Fall Summit
We kick off our YES! season with the annual Fall Summit. Students from around the state gather for a day of team-building and interactive educational sessions led by local experts. Participants enjoy sharing project ideas and doing fun hands-on activities that help teams jump-start planning for their projects and spark excitement for the upcoming YES! season!
Winter Workshops
YES! workshops provide a unique learning experience with topics related to projects the students are pursuing. Experts share their knowledge and lead hands-on activities. Workshops often feature behind-the-scenes tours at a relevant organization or business.
Virtual Workshops
Our virtual workshops are accessible to YES! students statewide regardless of whether they are sitting together in a classroom or joining individually from home. Hosted on Zoom, all YES! virtual events are recorded so that YES! teams can watch them anytime. Similar to in-person workshops, virtual workshops tap into our network of experts who present and lead activities for topics related to projects the students are pursuing.
Regional Competition
This competition provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they learned, how they worked as a team, and the impact they had on their community during the year. Judges interview the teams, review their final report, and determine the top performers in the region. Monetary prize awards are given to the top teams and the highest scoring team advances to the statewide competition!
Statewide Competition
This is a competition among the regional winners. The YES! State Champion is announced at the MN Twin’s pre-game show on home plate at Target Field!
Summer Kayaking
YES! students are given the opportunity to kayak local bodies of water with their regional coordinator. Participants conduct chemical, physical, and biological assessments to determine water quality. During their kayaking adventure, students look for aquatic invasive species (AIS). This is just one of the many options for summer projects!
“The sessions at the Fall Summit really influence how the students approach projects such as using SMART goals and reaching out to community folks for support.”
–Marty Bratsch (Royalton YES! Coach)
