Young Skeptics was first created as an alternative to the Good News Club, a Christian evangelical group who enters public schools to proselytize to children and, according to their own materials, declares them all sinners in need of salvation. After observing Good News Club meetings first-hand, the founders of Young Skeptics felt the approach of the Good News Club is a form of psychological abuse, akin to telling small children they're flawed or evil, and must subscribe to a dogma in order to avoid eternal punishment. It's a fear tactic that accompanies extremism and is a dangerous, albeit effective, technique when performed on children who trust adults and believe what they're told.

Young Skeptics was created to give children (and parents) a positive, dogma-free alternative to the Good News Club.

Young Skeptics operates in stark opposition to the Good News Club's philosophy, understanding it's more important to teach children how to make belief decisions for themselves, rather than accept claims presented to them without thinking critically about those claims. In Young Skeptics sessions, children are encouraged to ask questions, make discoveries, and challenge the ideas presented to them.

Our curriculum is based on science, critical thinking, evaluating evidence, and navigating through the misinformation that kids are surrounded with today -- and has nothing to do with religion or irreligion. Religious beliefs are not discussed in Young Skeptics sessions, nor is atheism or any other belief system. We believe such discussions belong in homes and churches, and not in public schools.