Solving the STEM crisis is too complex a challenge for any one organization—school, cultural institution, or community-based center—to solve alone. That is why four of the nation’s largest and most experienced youth development organizations came together in 2015 to launch Imagine Science—an initiative that harnesses and unites the distinct expertise and resources of each organization: YMCA of the USA (Y-USA), Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), Girls Inc., and the National 4-H Council (4-H). Imagine Science specifically targets under-represented youth that lack access to STEM learning opportunities. Imagine Science then coordinates STEM learning activities for those youth by building upon partner and affiliate resources. Concurrently, Imagine Science implements a common standard of “essential program elements” rooted in evidence-based STEM, and out-of-school time (OST) youth development practices.

Imagine Science is the first-ever national, joint-operations effort to design and implement high-quality, out-of-school time (OST) STEM programming for underserved youth. Collectively, the four national Imagine Science partners reach 18 million youth annually in every U.S. state and territory. The combined assets of these four uniquely impactful organizations include more than 110,000 program sites as well as over 75,000 full-time employees and one million volunteers dedicated to reaching youth.

To date, the Imagine Science partnership has reached more than 10,000 under-represented youth and has plans to reach more than 33,000 youth annually across 22 communities by 2020. Bolster Mission Consulting has staffed the Imagine Science partnership and collaborative program management since the initiative launched in 2015.