Empowerment is a key development need---youth wish to be valued. By placing youth into fun and challenging experiences involving science we can enhance the way our youth contribute to society in meaningful ways. Teens will step up if given the opportunity. I have used this asset first hand with the introduction of the Celebrate Earth event where my high school ecology and biology students facilitate over 30 activities involving 500 4th & 5th graders within our district. My colleagues thought I had gone mad when I suggested having an event where high school students facilitate booths on environmental and biological concepts for younger students during the school day. Comments like, “They won’t follow through.” or ...