WITH SINCEREST THANKS TO OUR 2025 YES! SPONSORS as of November 4, 2024
2024-2025 Advisory Group Members
Stephanie Trainer, Charter School of Wilmington
Sherri Evans-Stanton, Sierra Club Delaware (retired)
Stacy Bartkowski, Newark Charter School
Karen Igou, Green Building United
Tami Lunsford, Newark Charter School
Marissa McClenton, Sierra Club Delaware Chapter
Erica Miller, MOT (Middletown Townsend Odessa) Charter School
Dee Durham, Plastic Free Delaware/Zero Waste First State
Elisa King, Plastic Free Delaware/Zero Waste First State
THE HISTORY OF YES!
How YES! began
Plastic Free Delaware (founded as BYOBag Delaware) was launched in 2010 by the Brandywine Sprouts, a group of youth in a Jane Goodall Institute Roots & Shoots program, when they were seeking to undertake a quick little “done-in-a-day” project. Seeing how countries, counties, and cities all around the globe were banning or discouraging the use of “single-use” plastic bags, the Sprouts thought “we could do that here in Delaware.” So, thus began this journey steeped in the power of young citizens.
Over the next few years, as Plastic Free Delaware worked to advocate for plastic bag legislation in the Delaware legislature, it became apparent that the youth involvement was a superpower to securing support from the state legislature. As the legislation’s momentum grew through the state House of Representatives and then the Senate, youth from age five through high school were fierce advocates, making the trek to Dover and fearlessly testifying before legislative committees or writing letters to legislators. In 2019, with their participation in the advocacy process, Delaware became the 4th state in the U.S. to secure passage of a plastic bag ban law. It was apparent we needed to engage and inspire Delaware’s youth even further and give them more tools to be involved in making a difference in the environmental arena.
The idea for YES! was born. In summer 2019, a group of interested teachers and environmental nonprofit representatives began meeting and brainstorming what a youth environmental summit might look like. It was agreed that students themselves should be an integral part of planning the conference. An application process for the student leadership team was created and the basic structure laid out for the inaugural summit.
In February 2020, the first annual YES! was held at DelTech in Dover with an at-capacity attendance of 270 students and teacher-advisors representing 17 Delaware high schools. In 2021, YES! pivoted online due to Covid-19. YES! was moved to Clayton Hall in 2022 and again was an over-capacity crowd of 300+. In 2023, YES! hosted 500+ students and their teacher-advisors from 33 high schools, and in February 2024, YES! was again over-capacity with 500+ students and teacher-advisors from 34 schools. Schools from all three counties have been represented each year.
Every year the conference is largely planned by a student leadership team with guidance from an adult team of educators and nonprofit professionals. Students apply each spring and the team begins meeting in late August. They are responsible for researching topics, and inviting and confirming speakers, then facilitating the sessions. Logistics, fundraising, and communications are also responsibilities of the student team.
An exhibitors hall at YES! provides an opportunity for the students to learn about many nonprofits, agencies and colleges with environmental programs and volunteer/advocacy initiatives. Corporate, agency, and nonprofit partners and sponsors make it possible for the event to be free for all attendees. YES! functions as a program of Plastic Free Delaware, with PFD acting as the fiscal agent for the program.
Planning is well underway for the 6th annual YES! summit. In order to accommodate more students and greater high school representation from across the state, the 2025 summit is moving to the Chase Center on Wilmington’s Riverfront and will be held on Friday, February 28th.
Founding Advisory Team 2019-2020:
Dee Durham, Chair, Plastic Free Delaware
Stephanie Trainer, Wilmington Charter School
Stacy Bartkowski, Newark Charter School
Melissa Tracey, Odyssey Charter School
Michael Anderson, Plastic Free Delaware
Sherri Evans- Stanton, Delaware Sierra Club Chapter
LeAnne Harvey, Delaware Pathways to Green Schools & Green Buildings United
Diana Burk, St. Andrews School
Kim Ilardi, Delaware Pathways to Green Schools
Tatiana Poladko, TeenSharp
Jammie Gaffney, TeenSharp
Roni Gates, Odyssey Charter School
Michelle Kutch, Brandywine School District
Meredith Hooper, Odyssey Charter
Kristin Brubaker, Whiting-Turner
Nora Lober, Delaware Pathways to Green Schools
Shweta Arya, Plastic Free Delaware
