Get to Know the Young Explorers Program!

Also known as Y.E.P., the Young Explorers Program is an afterschool program for tweens (5^th to 8^th grade) offered by the Poseyville Carnegie Public Library in Poseyville, Indiana.

Each month has a different theme related to a career field, such as those found in the arts, sports, science, etc. There isn’t a specific order or method we use to determine the theme of each month, although, if a certain theme relates to a specific time of year, we try to reserve it for that time period.

Each week we do different experiments, try different art mediums, play different games, or whatever activities fit best with the theme of the month. We use a combination of virtual resources and literary resources as teaching aids, and provide the most current and trusted information sources.

There is a party at the end of each month, and obviously, they are related to whatever the theme of the month is. This month, in October, we focused on careers in the film/theatre industry. We did acting exercises the first Wednesday of the month, to become familiar with the different things actors might have to do within their field. The following week we chose a play and went over the various processes involved in putting on a production in the theatre. During the third week, we filmed the Young Explorer’s putting on a part of the play we had chosen, and edited it using video and moviemaking software. In the final week, we practiced doing special effects makeup in preparation for a zombie walk-off & movie party.

Upcoming themes include oceanology, space exploration, volcanology, forestry, zoology, journalism, painting, children’s illustration, digital photography, finance/banking, marketing, and different fields found in athletics, and that’s just a small portion of the themes we have planned for the upcoming years. Although some of the themes might seem a little too advanced for 5^th to 8^th graders, the programs are designed to meet their education level, and simply introduce them to the various jobs one might consider in a particular field.

To give you an idea of what the program looks like in one of the upcoming months, here’s a general outline of next month’s themed programs:

Oceanology: Week 1 – “Creatures of the Deep Blue Sea” (We will be learning about the different types of aquatic life found in oceans.), Week 2 - “Rip-Roaring Science” (Currents & Waves.), Week 3 - Seafloor Geology/Ocean Chemistry (We will be doing various experiments like the acid oceans & shells experiment,), and “Virtual Ocean” – (Virtual ocean experiences: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov).

This program is designed to introduce young people to a variety of different career fields, so that they have the best chance possible to pursue something their passionate about, when the time comes.

Aside from our program being educational, it’s just a lot of fun! It’s a place for you to come hang out with your friends, experience new things, and just generally have fun. We’ve already had a lot of success with the program, and the number of kids attending continues to grow. We hope to see you at one of the Young Explorer’s Program meetings!