Not all young people engage science equally. Science centres engage well with children, but reaching teens more effectively is an ongoing project. This session discusses barriers to, and solutions for, engaging teens. We take a look at some examples of alternative, functional ways to capture teenagers’ attention, including engaging them as explainers in science workshops and exhibitions. We present a new approach to teaching mathematics that successfully creates young mathematics ambassadors in an open and free-standing concept introduced in 140 cities and 22 countries. You will be presented with the result of a longitudinal study, providing research evidence about what shapes young people’s science and career aspirations.