OUR VISION & MISSION
Vision
We envision a future where young people use science to shape solutions, strengthen their communities, and lead in a more resilient and sustainable society.
Mission
Our mission is to equip young people to apply science to real-world challenges in their communities through mentorship, applied learning, and leadership development.
We do this through a structured pathway—from exploration to application to leadership—building the skills, relationships, and experience needed to apply science in real-world contexts and pursue pathways into STEM and science-adjacent careers.
WHAT WE DO
Our Future is Science (OFIS) is a national virtual informal STEM learning program that connects science, community, and youth leadership. Participants engage with science through community-based exploration, mentorship, and project-based learning, building skills in research, communication, and problem-solving.
Through this work, OFIS contributes to an education and workforce pipeline by preparing young people to pursue pathways in STEM and science-adjacent careers.
Students build skills, connections, and leadership that they carry into college, careers, and their communities.
HOW PARTICIPANTS ENGAGE
Participants engage with OFIS in different ways, depending on their level of interest and commitment:
Participants engage with OFIS in different ways, depending on their level of interest and commitment:
Mentorship Program: The core OFIS experience. Participants work in small teams with graduate-level scientists, meet regularly, engage with the OFIS curriculum, and develop Science Engagement Projects.
Ambassador Program: Extends engagement beyond the core program. Alumni continue to contribute, support current participants, and share their work in public and professional settings.
Champions Program: Provides access to OFIS programming for selected applicants who are not enrolled in the Mentorship Program. Champions participate in Community Talks, workshops, and selected learning experiences.
National Educational Campaign (Ideas to Impact): Open to anyone ages 14–24. Participants submit short-form videos showing how science can be used to address challenges in their communities.
HOW OFIS WORKS
Explore → Apply → Lead
Participants engage with OFIS in different ways, but all experiences are grounded in a shared approach to learning and engagement. Throughout the program, participants explore issues in their communities, apply scientific thinking through learning and engagement, and, in some cases, continue to share their work and take on leadership roles. Students build skills, connections, and leadership that they carry into college, careers, and their communities.
Explore
Explore your community, identify local challenges, and begin to understand them through the lens of the scientific method, supported by community talks, workshops, and mentor-led lab tours.
This stage is part of all OFIS experiences. Participants observe their communities, identify issues that matter to them, and begin asking questions about what is happening and why. Community Talks, lab tours, and campaign participation introduce participants to scientists and real-world applications of science.
Apply
Work with mentors, curriculum resources, and program experiences to apply the scientific method, use tools and strategies, and engage with real-world challenges. Participants in the Mentorship Program—and some Ambassadors—engage more deeply by working in teams, participating in structured learning modules, and investigating issues through research and stakeholder engagement. Mentees develop Science Engagement Projects that connect scientific knowledge with community needs, and some Ambassadors continue or build on this work.
Lead
Continue and share your work, engage with the OFIS community, and grow as a leader in both scientific and local communities. Ambassadors and alumni extend their engagement by contributing to programming, supporting current participants, and sharing their work in public and professional settings.