The EVOLUTIONS After School Program
at the Yale Peabody Museum

For Students

What Is EVOLUTIONS?

• It’s a “club” for students interested in science, serious about school and headed to college. Watch the EVO movie! CLICK HERE
  
• It’s a place where you’ll learn how to make yourself competitive for college, explore what you want to do with your life and make a bunch of great friends from other schools — students as serious as you are. 
  

Worried that it might not be fun?  Check it out: 

We mix it up with projects, games and field trips.  In fact, in 2005 and 2006 we visited the Boston Museum of Science, Ground Zero in New York City and 5 universities (overnighter!), including New York University, the University of Rhode Island, Brown, Harvard and MIT.

Still skeptical?  Listen to what students from last year had to say:

“When you first think of EVO you think boring smart nerd stuff but to tell the truth it's more than that.  You make new friends, learn new things and plan for the future.” 
—Imala, New Haven Academy

“We go on great college trips and have a great time.”
—Zakiyyah, New Haven Academy

“All of my top freshmen experiences have come from working in EVOLUTIONS. I wouldn't trade a second of my time in EVO for anything in the world.” 
—Danielle, Coop High School

Who Is EVOLUTIONS?

The EVOLUTIONS After School Program is for 8th to 12th grade students in the New Haven Public School System* and it’s totally 100% guaranteed FREE! 

Slackers Need Not Apply!  You don’t need to have good grades to be in EVOLUTIONS but you do need to be mature and responsible enough to make a commitment to the program and the other members of your team. 

In 2005–2006, students were recruited from the following schools:

• Hill Regional Career High School
  
• Celentano School
  
• Clemente Leadership Academy
  
• Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School
  
• East Rock Magnet School
  
• Edgewood Magnet School
  
• Hill Central Music Academy
  
• John S. Martinez School
  
• New Haven Academy
  
• Sound School
  
• Troup Magnet Academy of Science
  
• Wilbur Cross High School
  

*For logistical reasons, we only recruit from schools that release students by 3:00 p.m.


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How Does It Work?

EVOLUTIONS members meet at the Yale Peabody Museum from after school to 5:30 p.m., 1 to 2 times every week during the school year.  Worried about how you’re going to get here?  Gotcha covered (mostly)!  Members typically get to the Museum in 4 ways:

• Walk, if your school is close enough.
  
• Take a school bus from your school, which we will help to arrange.
  
• Catch the Yale shuttle bus, if your school is on the shuttle route (FREE).
  
• Ride a New Haven city bus, we will give you passes (FREE).
  

Though some students use public transportation to get home, most are picked up by their parents at 5:30 p.m. 

Why Should I Join?

Lots of reasons!  First, and most of all, this program exists to help you get where you want to go — period, end of story. Need more?

All members who successfully complete the EVOLUTIONS After School Program receive some form of academic credit at their schools (at least everyone has so far). High school students have received independent study credit, community service credit and/or supervised occupational credit (SOE credit; Sound School only).  Middle school students have all received high school independent study credit — that’s right, high school credit! 

Still need more?!  On top of all that, at the end of the program you’ll receive a letter of recommendation on Yale letterhead that you can use in job and college applications.


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The Specs

Meeting Location and Days

All meetings will be held at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. The day you meet at the Peabody will depend on what grade you are in:

• 8th graders meet on Thursdays
  
• High schoolers meet on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday
  (there are limited spots in Friday’s class)

On Mondays, all students in all classes are invited to the Museum to participate in one or more of the EVO committees:

• Newsletter committee
  
• Fundraising committee
  
• Community service committee
  

OR you can get help with homework from one of our Yale students

OR you can just hang out!

Hours

We meet from right after school until 5:30 pm.

Staff

King and Court Jester: Jamie Alonzo
(aka Dr. EVO; program director and
head of student fundraising committee)

Royal Advisor: Tom Hegna (Yale graduate student)

Evil Henchmen / Henchwomen
(Yale undergraduates):

• Brad Milam (Tuesday mentor)
  
• Jen Hernandez (Wednesday mentor and
  head of student community service committee)
  
• Alex Weinstein (Thursday mentor and
  head of student newsletter committee)
  
• Emily Finn (Friday mentor and program assistant)
  
• Leah Jones (Monday tutor)
  
• Jeff Brown (Monday tutor)
  

The EVOLUTIONS Podcast
The EVOLUTIONS Newsletter
Photo Galleries: 2004–2005 | 2005–2006

Download the Application Packet for 2007–2008 [417KB PDF]


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