Empowering older youth and teens through STEM in Yakima Valley, Washington

Photo credit: Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic

In the Yakima Valley area of Washington state, a federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program is proving that afterschool hours are prime time for learning and growth. Funded through the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and awarded to the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, this initiative provides a safe, enriching environment where K-12 students explore crucial subjects like STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), art, music, and community service. The program is built on a simple yet powerful idea: students deserve to have fun while acquiring essential knowledge and skills, especially in the ever-important world of STEM.

The 21st CCLC staff understand that older youth and teens have unique needs outside of school hours compared to younger participants. Older youth and teens need opportunities to find a sense of belonging, build self-confidence, and experience positive personal growth. However, successfully capturing the attention of middle and high school students requires a creative strategy. As Cristal Reyes, program coordinator at 21st CCLC in Yakima Valley, explains, "We have to be super creative with grabbing middle schoolers’ attention, so they want to come back." She and her team achieve this by making learning immediately relevant and exciting through hands-on activities, field trips, and "outside the box" projects.

"STEM is really important to our students. Introducing these projects in STEM to our students is crucial because without that, they’re limited," Reyes emphasizes. One phenomenal example that successfully grabbed middle schoolers' attention was a comprehensive physics project centered on roller coasters completed last summer. Students dove into the science behind roller coasters, created original roller coaster designs using Minecraft Education, developed presentations, and even learned about how the human body handles the intense forces involved. The ultimate payoff? A fantastic field trip to Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho to experience those very physics concepts firsthand!

The learning and engagement do not stop at middle school - the 21st CCLC program offers engagement opportunities for high school students, too. In a practical demonstration of technology and creativity, high school students who participate in GEAR UP and MESA programs recently developed gaming applications. To refine their work, they involved middle schoolers from the 21st CCLC program to test their apps. The high schoolers then acted as product developers, evaluating the apps' success by considering the middle schoolers’ feedback. This hands-on process not only built crucial technical skills but also introduced students to the real-world cycle of product development, market research, and evaluation, equipping them with vital steps toward a successful career path. "We want to open them up to the possibility of finding a career path," Cristal notes.

The success of the 21st CCLC program in Yakima Valley hinges on its dedicated staff, many of whom are already ingrained in the local educational system. To ensure they are equipped to deliver top-tier programming, staff receive quarterly training sessions and regular professional development. Additionally, most of the staff are already daytime workers with the local school district—some are certified teachers, and others are either paraprofessionals or front-desk personnel. This integration allows the program to flow seamlessly within the school district’s existing schedule, from school hours into afterschool programming.

The 21st CCLC program in Yakima Valley is doing more than just providing a safe space; it's cultivating the next generation of innovators, thinkers, and problem-solvers. By transforming afterschool hours into engaging, relevant, and fun learning experiences, the program ensures that older youth and teens are not just consuming knowledge but actively applying it. Through initiatives that connect academic concepts to real-world careers—whether it’s the thrill of physics on a roller coaster or the challenge of designing a successful app—the program is successfully opening up a world of career possibilities and giving students the essential skills they need to thrive in a STEM-driven future. The success stories emerging from the Yakima Valley are a powerful testament to the value of investing in dynamic, hands-on learning outside of school hours. Ultimately, this 21st CCLC program is about building brighter futures for the local youth in Yakima Valley, giving every K-12 student a safe and engaging path to discovering their potential in STEM and beyond.

Reaching and supporting older youth through afterschool STEM requires creativity and adaptive models. This blog is part of a series showcasing afterschool programs serving older youth through STEM engagement. If you are involved with or know of an afterschool STEM program that is impactfully engaging older youth, please let us know by emailing us at stemhub@afterschoolalliance.org.

Find more solutions and strategies to support the afterschool and summer workforce in the Afterschool Alliance’s Workforce Solutions Database. Learn about how other programs are implementing innovative solutions in our report, Exploring the Afterschool STEM Educator Landscape: Challenges, Needs, and Opportunities at 3to6.co/STEMeducators.