On Thursday, July 18, inside the McDonnell Planetarium’s Orthwein Star Bay, nearly 80 teens in the Science Center’s Youth Exploring Science (YES) Program gathered to meet innovative professionals across a variety of fields and backgrounds, gaining exposure to careers and practicing important networking skills as part of the 2024 YES Networking Extravaganza. Representing a range of organizations from across the St. Louis region—including Boeing, Mastercard, Nestlé Purina, and more—the approximately 45 professionals in attendance began the day with breakfast and mingling. Antonio McCloud, Production Engineering Manager with Boeing, served as the event’s emcee.
During the networking portion of the day, the attendees each sat down at a table to meet with small groups of YES Teens. Rotating every 20 minutes, the YES Teens had a chance to meet the professionals, practice soft skills like communication and networking, and discuss their own career goals or even discover inspiration for a career they may not have considered. One key aspect of the four-year YES Program is connecting teens with real world STEM careers. Since its introduction more than 25 years ago, the YES Program has exposed participating teens to real-world opportunities in STEM-based fields and developed them into role models for future generations. YES graduates have gone on to play leading roles as scientists, engineers, medical providers, entrepreneurs, researchers, teachers and more throughout the city, region and country. Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2024 YES Networking Extravaganza and shared your expertise with our YES Teens!
See more photos from the day:
Want to support impactful STEM learning programs like YES? Make a gift to the Science Center’s Curiosity Fund here.
