Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$2,069,266

Total expenses

$1,894,323

Contributions and grants received

$1,981,805

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$87,419

Investment income

$42

Other revenue

$0

Total assets, end of year

$523,374

Total liabilities, end of year

$175,833

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$347,541

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$1,410,130

Management and general expenses

$298,801

Fundraising expenses

$185,392

Program service expenses (Part III)

$1,410,130

Program services were 74.4% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• YOUTH-SCIENCE PATHWAY PROGRAMS (DIRECT SERVICE) PROJECT EXPLORATION'S YOUTH-SCIENCE PATHWAY (YSP) PROGRAMS PROVIDE DIRECT STEM LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO UNDERREPRESENTED YOUTH IN GRADES K-12. THROUGH MULTI-PHASE ENGAGEMENT-LAUNCH, DISCOVER, EXPLORE, AND PURSUE-STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN HANDS-ON SCIENCE ACTIVITIES, WORK WITH STEM MENTORS, AND EXPLORE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH CAREERS. PROGRAMS INCLUDE AFTER-SCHOOL AND SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES THAT BUILD CONFIDENCE, SKILLS, AND LONG-TERM INTEREST IN STEM.

  Expenses $1,057,598

• STEM ECOSYSTEM - CHICAGO STEM PATHWAYS COOPERATIVE PROJECT EXPLORATION SERVES AS THE BACKBONE ORGANIZATION OF THE CHICAGO STEM PATHWAYS COOPERATIVE. THIS CITYWIDE INITIATIVE CONVENES YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS, EDUCATORS, FUNDERS, AND POLICYMAKERS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY STEM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. THE COOPERATIVE FOSTERS CROSS- SECTOR COLLABORATION, SUPPORTS SHARED DATA PRACTICES, AND INFORMS CITYWIDE PLANNING TO ENSURE COMMUNITY STEM EQUITY. IT ADVANCES A VISION OF A MORE INCLUSIVE STEM ECOSYSTEM THROUGH CONVENINGS, RESEARCH, AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES.

  Expenses $211,519

• COMMUNITY ECOSYSTEM - THE AUSTIN EXPERIENCE / MY CHI. MY FUTURE. PROJECT EXPLORATION LEADS PLACE-BASED STEM ECOSYSTEM WORK IN CHICAGO'S AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH INITIATIVES LIKE THE AUSTIN EXPERIENCE AND MY CHI. MY FUTURE. THESE EFFORTS FOSTER SAFE, CONNECTED COMMUNITIES WHERE YOUTH AND FAMILIES ACCESS OUT-OF-SCHOOL-TIME STEM OPPORTUNITIES. BY PARTNERING WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND YOUTH LEADERS, THE PROGRAM BUILDS COMMUNITY TRUST, SUPPORTS YOUTH VOICE, AND ALIGNS RESOURCES TO PROMOTE WELLNESS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND LONG-TERM ENGAGEMENT IN STEM.

  Expenses $141,013

• SPRING BREAK SCIENCE CAMP THIS WEEKLONG PROGRAM IMMERSES PE STUDENTS IN THE EXPERTISE AND CULTURE OF A STEM-BASED COMPANY OR INSTITUTION. PAST PARTNERS HAVE INCLUDED: TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES, WHICH LED ACTIVITIES IN CODING AND ROBOTICS; AND MOTOROLA MOBILITY, WHICH PAIRED GIRLS FROM S4S WITH A DIVERSE GROUP OF PROFESSIONAL WOMEN. ENVIRONMENTAL ADVENTURERS (EA) EA IS AIMED AT ENGAGING DIVERSE, URBAN YOUTH IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, BIOLOGY, ANATOMY, AND ZOOLOGY SUBJECTS TO DEVELOP SKILLS IN RESEARCH IN A MEANINGFUL AND HANDS-ON WAY. THE PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM WILL DO REAL SCIENTIFIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL WORK WITH OTHER PARTICIPANTS WHILE LEARNING HOW TO DEVELOP A RESEARCH QUESTION TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT. SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS - SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE STEM PROGRAMMING FOR STUDENTS AT THEIR HOME SCHOOL. PROJECT EXPLORATION HAS IDENTIFIED COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE WEST AND NEAR WEST SIDE, FAR SOUTH, SOUTH, AND SOUTHWEST SIDE OF CHICAGO AS PROGRAM SERVICE AREAS. THESE COMMUNITIES REFLECT AREAS THAT HAVE LIMITED TO NO ROBUST STEM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. PE PARTNERS WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS OR WORKS DIRECTLY WITH CPS TO DETERMINE WHICH SCHOOLS TO SERVE. PE COLLABORATES WITH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS TO DETERMINE WHICH PROGRAMS TO OFFER. PLACE-BASED PROGRAMS - PLACE-BASED PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE STEM PROGRAMMING WITHIN A GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND SERVE AS A COMMUNITY STEM HUB. PROJECT EXPLORATION HAS TWO PLACE-BASED LOCATIONS. THE WEST SIDE STEM LEARNING CENTERS AT THE GEORGE LELAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAMPUS WAS LAUNCHED IN 2017. IN 2021, PE LAUNCHED A SECOND PARTNERSHIP WITH BETHEL NEW LIFE TO CREATE ANOTHER PLACE-BASED STEM LEARNING CENTER. EACH AIMS TO AMPLIFY THE VALUE OF STEM LEARNING IN THE COMMUNITY, STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY COHESION THROUGH FAMILY PROGRAMMING, AND BRING CITYWIDE STEM RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

26 June 2025

IRS schema version

2023v6.0

Source object

202531969349302803

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