One month ago today, the Saint Louis Science Center convened a meeting of staff assigned to its Community Science program—and then informed all of them they were being let go, effective immediately.
The staffers supervised the science center’s long-running Youth Exploring Science program, better known as YES, which supports local students from underserved communities with mentoring, science experiences, and paid employment that lasts throughout all four years of high school. Three days after staffers were laid off, all the youth were informed by email that the program was being paused, and their participation was no longer needed.
For decades, the Saint Louis Science Center has hosted a Community STEM Showcase on Martin Luther King Jr. Day—something Community Science staffers and YES teens had both been preparing for for months. That event has been canceled as well…