Join a Club
YMCA Earth Service Corps (YESC) is driven by school clubs. Youth-led meetings last 30 minutes to 2 hours and are supported by YMCA staff and teacher advisors. Contact us to see if your school is partnered with YESC, or to start a new club!
Take Action
YESC hosts monthly service projects open to all 6-12th graders. Contact us if you want to lead or participate in events!
- Habitat Restoration
- Climate Action
- Letter-Writing Campaigns
- Beach Cleanups
- Cooking Classes
- Day Hikes
- Environmental Challenges and Competitions
- Field Trips and Tours
- Environmental Film Screenings and Filmmaking
- Kayaking
- Snowshoeing
- Waste Reduction Programs
- Community Science Projects
- And More!
Upcoming Events
Eco-Retreats | Spring | March 2-3, 2024
Dive deeper into your leadership skills and environmental activism! Join a one-day or weekend-long retreat with other teens in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Through workshops and reflection, strengthen your own abilities as a leader, understand multiple sides of environmental issues, and build community with a passionate network of peers. If you are interested in participating or want to learn more, please contact us.
Environmental Symposium | Spring | Late March 2024
Each spring, youth and environmental professionals learn from each other during a day of engaging, hands-on workshops. Like the Summit, workshop topics are selected, curated, and often presented by youth leaders. If you are interested in participating, leading a workshop, being an emcee, volunteering as a youth event support, or want to learn more, please contact us.
Environmental Leaders Summit | Winter
Each fall, youth from across the Puget Sound Region gather to tackle pressing environmental issues in their communities. The Summit unites young environmentalists with environmental professionals to create more sustainable schools and neighborhoods and explore environmental careers. Table-topic discussions culminate in a town hall meeting that transforms conversation threads into a tangible and meaningful call to action.
If you are interested in participating, hosting a table, being an emcee, bringing a school group, volunteering as event support, or want to learn more, please contact us.
iNaturalist | Ongoing
Are you interested in learning more about wildlife in Seattle? Do you enjoy being outside? Do you watch Planet Earth and wish you could see amazing nature in real life? iNaturalist is a mobile and web-based app where users from all over the world upload cool pictures of wildlife they see all around them. YESC started a year-long project to see how many species we can document all over Seattle and Washington.
Join the YESC Greater Seattle BioBlitz >
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STAY ENGAGED WITH THE Y
BOLD & GOLD
Our outdoor leadership trips will take teens to some of the most beautiful and natural places in the Pacific Northwest while inspiring them to be their most courageous and confident selves.
Youth & Government
Nurturing innovation, fostering a sense of responsibility and building leadership skills, we ensure our future leaders will be active and engaged servant leaders.
Global Programs
Teen Global Programs are designed to develop international understanding, leadership skills, and cultural competency as well as provide service learning opportunities for teens ages 14-17.
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