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Enrichment Programs

Enrichment programs serve as supplements to the YWLCS curriculum in order to give students an extended world of learning beyond the classroom. Our partnerships with the following organizations are quintessential to the YWLCS experience:

Chicago Youth Centers

(View Chicago Youth Center's website.)

Chicago Youth Centers' (CYC) mission is to invest in youth in underserved Chicago neighborhoods to help them discover and realize their full potential - from early childhood education to and through college. CYC builds the confidence of YWLCS young women through after school programming ranging from dance to ACT preparation to fashion design. Students are able to participate in CYC programs Monday-Thursday after school and Saturday mornings. For more information on CYC programs at YWLCS, please contact Caitlin Figurski, on-site Program Coordinator, by phone at (312) 949-9400 x 413 or by email.

Friends of the Chicago River

(View Friends of the Chicago River's website.)

Since 2003, Friends of the Chicago River has made it possible for YWLCS students to share in an annual real-life science experience investigating the life science, physical, environmental, chemical, and biological aspects of the Chicago River. The purpose is to increase their awareness and understanding of how all science disciplines are connected and impact each other. Representatives from Friends of the Chicago River accompany YWLCS students of grades 7-12 on their journeys to the Chicago River and often return to YWLCS as Science Fair judges. During the Science Fair, students present their conclusions from the Chicago River field trip to a group of teachers and guest panelists.

Northwestern University's Institute for Women's Health Research

(View Northwestern University's Institute for Women's Health Research website.)

“This program prepares and empowers high school girls to pursue leadership roles in science and medicine by engaging them in interactive learning experiences in the fields of reproductive science, cancer biology, and oncofertility.” - Teresa K. Woodruff, PhD

Dr. Teresa Woodruff, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine founded the Oncofertility Saturday Academy (OSA) for 16 juniors and 16 seniors of YWLCS in 2007. Dr. Woodruff and Megan Faurot, former YWLCS biology teacher, now manage the OSA science program, which is designed to engage YWLCS students in the exploration of the basic science, clinical applications, and career options in reproductive science, cancer biology, and oncofertility. Oncofertility refers to an interdisciplinary and interprofessional approach to developing and providing new fertility preservation options to young men, women, and children who have been diagnosed with cancer or other serious disease and who must undergo potentially fertility-threatening treatment. Currently, Dr. Teresa Woodruff and Megan Faurot are expanding the Women's Health Science Program (WHSP) to include a Cardiology Summer Academy, Infectious Disease Summer Academy, and the Physical Science Summer Academy in addition to the Oncofertility Saturday Academy.

View trailer of OSA: Sisters in Science here.

Project Exploration

(View Project Exploration's website.)

Project Exploration was founded in 1999 with the purpose of making science accessible to underserved youth and women. Through Project Exploration, the Montana State University’s Thermal Biology Institute (read article about this collaboration) has coordinated an All-Girls Expedition to Yellowstone National Park for the past three years. Students from YWLCS experience hands-on scientific discovery with professional scientists through this summer enrichment program.

Additionally, YWLCS’s middle school students participate in Project Exploration’s Sisters4Science, a weekly science and leadership program for Chicago public school girls.  YWLCS students co-create the curriculum by choosing what types of science they want to investigate. The sessions are then facilitated by professional women scientists. YWLCS students this year have so far chosen to study nanotechnology, material science, and forensic science. 

Smith College STEP UP Program

(View Smith College's STEP UP website.)

After YWLCS received its charter in 1999, YWLCS and Smith College alumna Linda Salisbury '78 developed the Smith College STEP UP (Summer Talent Exploration Program – Unleashing Potential). YWLCS middle school students are eligible to visit Smith College for a week-long program, which helps them explore their talents and interests through these experiences:

  • Visiting the historic home of poet Emily Dickinson
  • Viewing the night sky at the Smith College observatory
  • Developing public speaking and presentation skills
  • Exploring art, drama, and science
  • Discussing adolescent girls’ health and wellness issues through the By Girls, For Girls project
  • Learning about financial management and planning a budget

Charlie Trotter's Excellence Program

(View Charlie Trotter's Culinary Education Foundation's website.)

Each year, YWLCS students who excel in academics have been treated to a dinner and tour at Charlie Trotter's Restaurant in Chicago. The students get the opportunity to tour the restaurant, dine in the studio kitchen and speak directly with many of the key individuals at Charlie Trotter's. The students learn about different types of foods, organic farming and etiquette. Below is a slideshow of photos from the June 2010 visit to Charlie Trotter's. To read the captions of each photo, just double-click on the below photo album.