Launched in 2021, Our Future Is Science (OFIS), an initiative of the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program, connects high school students with scientist-mentors, builds real-world skills, and supports them in creating projects that address challenges in their communities.
Our Mission is to equip young people to apply science to real-world challenges in their communities through mentorship, applied learning, and leadership development.
Many of the challenges communities face—from health to environment to infrastructure—are scientific and technical in nature. OFIS equips young people with the STEM skills, mentorship, and hands-on learning experiences needed to understand these challenges and develop real-world, community-based solutions.
We develop students through a structured pathway—from exploration to application to leadership—equipping them to use STEM to understand and address real-world challenges.
Explore
Explore your community, identify local challenges, and begin to understand them through the lens of the scientific method, supported by OFIS Community Talks and mentor-led lab tours.
Apply
Work with graduate-level scientist-mentors to apply the scientific method, use tools and strategies, engage stakeholders, and develop evidence-based solutions to local challenges.
Lead
Continue and share your work, engage with the OFIS community, and grow as a leader in both scientific and local communities.
Participants engage with OFIS at different stages of the pathway, including the Mentorship, Ambassador, and Champions programs, and the Educational Campaign. Learn more about the OFIS Pathway on our About page.
Through the OFIS Pathway—Explore, Apply, and Lead—students build the skills and experience to use science in real-world contexts. OFIS begins with students' understanding of their communities—defined broadly by geography, shared experiences, and common challenges—and supports them in using science to engage with and address the issues that matter most.
When young people are given the tools to engage with science, they are better equipped to understand their communities, ask critical questions, and develop solutions that create meaningful change.
What Participants Do
Across the OFIS Pathway, participants:
Explore their communities and identify local challenges
Learn from scientists through community talks and lab tours
Engage with science and community issues at different levels of the program
Develop and share ideas for how science can address real-world challenges
What You Gain
A $1,000 honorarium for Mentorship and Ambassador Program participants
Exposure to scientists, research, and real-world applications of science
Skills in research, communication, and critical thinking
Opportunities to present work and engage with a broader network
Across the country, OFIS participants are using science to understand and address challenges in their communities.
From local projects to national engagement, OFIS is building a growing network of science-informed leaders. This impact is reflected in the program’s reach and continued growth:
950,000+ engagements across digital campaigns, programming, and national outreach
645+ learning experiences (e.g., mentorship team Meetings, OFIS Community Talks, Workshops, and more
700+ applicants from across the U.S., reflecting growing national demand
2024 Falling Walls Foundation Science Engagement Award winner
SUPPORTERS
Current
PAST
FOUNDING
To inquire about sponsorship and partnership opportunities,
please contact info@ourfutureisscience.org.