Youth Ambassadors highlight innovation and community impact through STEM
The Young Scientist Academy provides hands-on programs that encourage students to apply the scientific method, think critically, and design real-world solutions. By encouraging collaboration and innovation, YSA equips youth with the skills to explore pressing scientific and societal issues.
Recently, The Young Scientist Academy received a Community Grant from The Endowment to support the Youth CAUSE Workshop Series, a STEM education initiative which launched summer 2025. The program engaged middle and high school students in climate science and urban sustainability research through three intensive, two-week workshops in field research, coding, and data science. These sessions enabled students to develop technical and problem-solving skills while working on projects with direct relevance to New Hanover County.
On Monday, August 18, four Youth Ambassadors from YSA presented their research to the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners. In their remarks, the students presented the importance of youth science for the future of New Hanover County, and how preparing young people today ensures the next generation is ready to solve emerging challenges. They highlighted how technology can be used to better understand urban issues like development, sustainability, and environmental health, and they showed how STEM can serve as a powerful problem-solving tool, empowering students to think critically and create data-driven solutions. Their work also connected global science and technology trends to issues faced here at home, underscoring that even local challenges are part of a larger, interconnected world.
When we invest in youth through programs like YSA, we’re not just advancing education in New Hanover County, we’re igniting the passion and potential of future scientists, innovators, and leaders who will shape what comes next for our community and the world.
Watch the full meeting on New Hanover County’s website.