Imagine you and your friends having the Museum of Science and Industry(MSI) all to yourself for an evening – going on a scavenger hunt among steam locomotives and meeting ordinary people who’ve done extraordinary things. 

Thanks to the generous help of our friends at the museum, that’s exactly how our 450 CIW YOU(th) participants will kick off the 2013 program Sept. 25! 

Tuesday afternoon a CIW YOU(th) team of three adults and five students dove into a three-hour planning session for the event – and took a sneak peek at some of the museum’s coolest exhibits, like

You(th) team members learn how to take vital signs .

“It blinks!” said Gloria Rivas, 18, as she listened to Stan’s heartbeat with a stethoscope.

Then the museum staff kicked it up a notch.

The groups had to diagnose Stan as he went through three consecutive medical emergencies. Though they scrambled to record all his relevant data within 60 seconds, each group eventually earned a badge for accurate diagnoses.

Anne Rashford, the museum’s director of temporary exhibits and events, said she hopes exhibits like Stan will spark curiosity in CIW YOU(th) participants.

“Our mission is to inspire the inventive genius in everyone, and we’d certainly like to start with kids in school,” she said. 

The team also took a behind-the-scenes tour of MSI’s upcoming Future Energy Chicago exhibit. Set in a futuristic space with projection walls and plastic models, the exhibit invites participants to explore the city’s energy choices through interactive games. 

Everyone listened in awe as Patty Ward, the museum’s science and technology director, pointed to a glass sculpture and explained that it was actually a plasma tree that glows blue and orange with electricity.

“We think that energy is a really, really critical topic, an area that’s just right for young people to think about entering as a field down the road,” Ward said. “It’s just a great opportunity to tell that story.”

Antonio Martinez, 18, had one just one complaint after the tour.

“I wish it were longer,” he said.

Back at an office on the second floor, the team discussed program details for September’s event, including potential speakers and having a networking session so the teens are prepared to engage with adults during Chicago Ideas Week in October.

Just who are the speaker candidates for the kickoff event?

Someone who grew up in a Chicago neighborhood and made it better. A female leader in a Fortune 500 company. A scientist. A singer. One of the student ambassadors who helped plan the CIW YOU(th) program. A teen from one of our partner organizations. And more.

“My goal is that the kids that come to Chicago Ideas Week are inspired and empowered to make meaningful changes in themselves, their communities and their schools,” said Rachel Graham, CIW YOU(th) outreach director.

Check back soon for more 2013 program details!

The CIW YOU(th) program empowers young Chicagoans by exposing them to powerful ideas from around the world and connecting them with adult role models. In 2013, it will engage about 450 high school students from the following nine partner organizations: Embarc, Horizons for Youth, Urban Alliance, Youth Guidance, Chicago Scholars, New Futuro, Future Founders Foundation, UCAN and Big Shoulders Fund.

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Written by: Jia You
Photography by: Jia You