Far Horizons Teens

Far Horizons Teens is an after-school research program at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago for high school students who want to take part in real science. Teens join the Adler's Far Horizons research team to study how much light pollution there is in and around Chicago and what effects it has. The group's current work is Project LEAF it in the Dark, a long-term ecological study of how artificial light at night affects the seasonal changes of trees. Participants build skills as investigators and problem-solvers while collecting and analyzing data. Near the end of the program, teens turn their findings into a scientific poster and a presentation shared with Chicago's ecological research community. The Adler Planetarium is located at 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. Students interested in a future session can contact the Adler's youth programs team by email.

To be eligible for the fall 2026 session, students had to be enrolled in high school and at least 16 years old by October 24, 2026. Students apply through the online application during the posted window.