My Nonprofit Reviews

I first got involved with the YSC in the late 1980's when my 7-year-old daughter took a class on electricity. I was amazed when she brought home a working flashlight she had made out of a battery, wires, a toilet paper tube, and a switch. It was one of many take-home projects she made that week, including a magnetic toy and a battery. She was able to explain how and why they worked, and she had FUN! I started working for the YSC, and over the years she took as many classes as possible until she grew too old for the program. Students learn so much in such a short time at the YSC. But its greatest achievement has to be the pure joy of discovery, the actual excitement in learning that it inspires, and that is so evident in the faces of these students. One mother - whose son evidently had somewhat ambivalent feelings about going to "school" during his summer vacation - told us that after the first day of class he came home in smiles. He told her, "I thought we'd be sitting in rows!" It wasn't the arrangement of chairs that made him eager to return the next day, but his teacher's use of the fun, hands-on approach that is the root of all YSC classes. The success of the Youth Science Center as it has flourished over 48 years can be attributed to the tireless work of its volunteers, the dedication and passion of its leaders, (most of whom are volunteers themselves), and its skilled and energized teaching staff. The operating word is passion: You get the feeling that they all really care about what they do. And it shows. Oh, and do I think the YSC had any influence on my daughter's life? I think so. She has been pursuing studies in particle physics and is scheduled to receive her doctorate next year. Yes, I think so.

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