Leaders of the St. Louis Science Center broke their silence this week on why they paused a beloved STEM program that supported young people from underserved communities, a decision that left families, students and former staff searching for answers.
Science Center President and CEO Ray Vandiver addressed the pause in a lengthy statement sent to the St. Louis American. He said the Youth Exploring Science program — known as YES — was suspended in mid-December because leaders saw three problems they could not ignore: unstable long-term funding, limited systems for tracking student outcomes after participation and community feedback calling for stronger curriculum and sustained engagement.
The program had served about 90 students, most of whom received stipends many families said they depended on.
The pause also halted the program’s annual Community STEM Showcase traditionally held around Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
“The St. Louis Science Center’s mission to ignite and sustain lifelong science learning is unchanged,” Vandiver said, adding that leadership plans to redesign YES over the next eight to 12 months, with student recruitment expected to resume in early 2027.
YES cost roughly $1 million a year, according to a source close to the program — a relatively small amount compared to the rest of the Science Center budget. Vandiver argued the issue was sustainability — a funding structure that could carry the program into the future.
“The structure did not provide the stability required to plan confidently for the future or to grow the program in ways that matched its aspirations and impact,” he said.
He also said the Science Center lacked consistent data showing how well the program created long-term STEM pathways.
“We could not clearly demonstrate how effectively the program was creating pathways into the STEM ecosystem,” Vandiver said.
The statement was shared earlier this week, several weeks after the program was suspended and six full- and part-time employees were let go, a move that drew frustration from some community leaders and residents, including those who characterized the transition as abrupt.
St. Louis City NAACP President Adolphus Pruitt II said the pause would have lasting consequences.
“You cannot claim a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion while dismantling a STEM program that has lifted up Black students for decades — especially when those doors are held open by taxpayer money,” he said.
Rachel Grant, a St. Louis social worker, criticized how employees were treated.
“There is no excuse for not giving notice, offering no severance, and having them escorted out of the building like criminals,” she said. “They know that the people who take these jobs could make more money elsewhere but that they choose these jobs because they believe in their work.”
Vandiver said the dismissals followed Science Center human resources procedures and that former employees would be welcome to apply when the redesigned program launches.
He said the decision followed an 18-month review by an independent consultant and a diversity, equity, and inclusion advisory committee.
Mark Wrighton, chairman of the Science Center’s Board of Commissioners, said the governing body supports the leadership’s decision to pause and redesign the program.
“The Commission has the confidence that the right steps have been taken to make positive changes that will be rewarding,” Wrighton said.
Zoo Museum District executive director Matthew Pollock said the redesign offers a chance to strengthen the program while remaining responsive to community needs.