It can be hard to figure out your place in the world. As a young person with your whole life ahead of you, having the right guidance and support can make a real difference in figuring out who you are and what you can achieve. Whether kids come to the Y looking to explore their interests, or for support in navigating challenges, the Y is committed to nurturing children and teens and roots for their success.
Leaders Club
Youth make a difference in their community, while developing mind, body, spirit and self-esteem. Mentors have a strong focus on community service, social and leadership development, service projects, special events and fundraising.
Minority Achievers
The teens involved in the Minority Achievers are students from 8th to 12th grades, who possess a variety of scholastic abilities and represent a variety of socioeconomic levels. It would be simple to fill the program with high achieving students, but the Minority Achievers Program is designed to involve students at varying degrees of academic success. Ideally one-third of the youth will be high achievers. These youth will benefit from the guidance of their adult mentors. They will work with and inspire other teens, perfecting their own knowledge as they teach others. The second third of the participants will be average students. These students are often involved with sports and extra-curricular activities but have not achieved academically. The program will help these teens realize that succeeding scholastically shouldn’t distract from their other interests. The program will instill in them a strong work ethic and will help them recognize the benefits of being well-rounded individuals.
Youth and Government
The YMCA Youth & Government motto is Democracy must be learned by each generation. Every person can make a difference. Youth & Government helps participants acquire skills to take into the future:
- Public speaking/communications
- Greater understanding of democratic process
- Enhanced leadership skills
- Application of moral and ethical values to life decisions
As a YMCA program, Youth & Government focuses on: the core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility, civic engagement and fun.
