What is EVOLUTIONS?

Each year, EVOLUTIONS offers a rich, informal learning environment for 100 of the most passionate, high-potential teens in New Haven. Through weekly after-school classes, weekend job opportunities, and summer internships, students work collaboratively with peers, museum educators, and scientists. We seek to create a safe physical and social space that offers access to cutting-edge scientific research and access to cultural artifacts and natural history collections. The EVOLUTIONS space is co-created with students from New Haven and West Haven, who will become the next generation of science communicators, policy-makers, artists, community leaders, educators, and researchers. In EVO, we seek to:

Create a safe after-school space. The program supports high-potential youth who may not otherwise have a place to go after school, and who have an interest in exploring different possible futures.

Address barriers to and providing pathways into science. For many New Haven teens, systemic barriers and structural inequalities limit access to scientific research and the spaces where the work occurs. By addressing these barriers head-on, EVOLUTIONS encourages youth to take up space in predominantly white spaces, and have their voices heard.

Support a more diverse museum workforce. The offerings in EVOLUTIONS position graduates to aspire to leadership positions in science, education, and museum fields. EVO alumni have gone on to pursue jobs in museums, libraries, schools, and community non-profits. The future leaders of STEM education will emerge from within this powerful network of EVO graduates.

Students in EVOLUTIONS work together to create an annual exhibit to display in the Yale Peabody Museum. The topic of each exhibit is chosen by the students and is worked on throughout EVO classes during the year. The exhibits serve as a way for students to showcase the knowledge they've learned, practice their collaborative skills, and demonstrate how they use their creativity to tell a compelling story.

This year’s title: In this exhibit, students explore the question: “What does culture mean to you?”

Each year, EVO students explore the Museum galleries and closely observe cultural artifacts from early civilizations. This year, we tasked our students with the question: “What does culture mean to you?” The Thursday and Friday classes answered this question by creating collages focused on 7 topics: Food, community, clothing, string instruments, storytelling, celebrations, and potatoes!

Students played fundamental roles in the development of the exhibit. They shared photographs showing how their everyday lives are representative of their cultures and worked with the exhibitions team to bring their work to life. The food group brought together images of meals they shared with family and friends; the community group shared images of the places they find comfort in; the celebrations group decorated presents and reflected on what Christmas and New Years means to them. The students picked out items that showcased their topic, ranging from cutouts of string instruments, the shapes of their countries of origin, 3D printed folktale characters, and a variety potato-based dishes. Students also got to practice their writing skills by creating labels for their projects.

This is the first EVO exhibit to be showcased at the renovated Peabody Museum.

Thank you for your interest in applying to the EVOLUTIONS After School Program. Applications are closed for the 2025-26 school year.

What is EVO?
EVO is a program that provides New Haven and West Haven Public high school students with opportunities to engage with science, nature, and culture at the Yale Peabody Museum. Watch the video below to find out more!

Who can apply?
Applications are open to New Haven and West Haven public high school students in grades 9 and 10. Our expectation is that students participate through all four years of high schools.

Do I need to have good grades?
Nope. It doesn’t matter to us if you have straight A’s or if you are struggling to pass your classes. We are much more impressed by your kindness, your creativity, your interests, or just your desire to find a different path. And if you need academic support or tutoring, we are happy to help you identify resources.

How do I apply?
Click on the button at the bottom of this page to access the application. We suggest writing your answers in advance on a different document (3-4 sentences).
The following questions are included in the application:

• What are some possible careers you could see in your future? 
• In what ways are you a good student?
• In what ways would you like to improve as a student?
• What do you typically do after school and/or on the weekends?
• What is one science that you find really interesting?
• Please describe something you have done that you are proud of.
• In what ways do you think other people look up to you?
• Why do you want to be in the EVOLUTIONS After School Program?

How do we select students?
Your answers to the 7 questions are reviewed anonymously by EVO seniors, who rate your responses according to four criteria:

• Enthusiasm: Are you excited to join? Is this a program YOU really WANT to do?
• Dedication: Will you be able to make a weekly, multi-year commitment?
• Need: Will the program fulfill a need you have that you may not get otherwise?
• Strengths: What are the unique assets that you have that will help the museum and community? Think beyond academic skills- what do you have that the museum needs?

Can parents submit an application?
No. We appreciate enthusiastic parents, but all applications must be completed by enthusiastic students.

When can I apply?
This application period is open from July 10 - September 17, 2025. We will notify accepted students around September 24. Classes begin the first week of October.

This application period is now closed.