YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo

Programs YMCA Early Education Safe, high quality and affordable programs provide parents with services that allow them to attend school or work to support their families. Fully licensed preschool and school age programs offer values-based and educational opportunities. Day camp and other summer enrichment programs offer adventure and learning to fill children's out-of-school months with nurturing and healthy activities. Curriculum goals prepare children for greater school success by improving their physical, emotional, social, mental and physical well-being. Family Programs Our YMCA believes for a family to succeed that families must learn to socialize and participate together. Programs are offered that help strengthen the family unit. Activities at the YMCA encourage families to interact, open lines of communication and most of all enjoy each other's company. Youth and Teen Programming These programs contribute to the accomplishment of our mission through a variety of efforts to build strong kids, strong families and strong communities. In these programs, the YMCA builds on people's strengths, rather than focusing on the detriments in their lives. Youth and teen programs create an effective foundation for life-long skills. Emphasis is placed on teaching values and developing health, wellness, leadership and social skills that will last a lifetime. Youth Outreach school-year: Lincoln Elementary After school programs focus on emotional learning as well as positive peer interaction. During our program, participants work on literacy and math innovations. Some participants have a mentor during this time, while others may have one-on-one tutoring. Community engagement activities also took place this past school year. Activities included: cleaning up local parks, assisting with back-pack drives, helping to clean bleachers after community basketball games, and partnering with the City of Kalamazoo to plant flowers in a local garden. Summer programs : Lincoln Elementary and Washington Elementary The summer program was held at Lincoln Elementary, and we picked up children in the Washington Elementary School neighborhood, bringing them to Lincoln Elementary. During the Summer Learning Loss Prevention Program, children worked on literacy using STAR assessment as well as Compass Odyssey. The FOUR BLOCK curriculum was used during the summer. Health and Fitness These activities contribute to the accomplishment of our purpose by helping people of all ages and abilities develop health in spirit, mind and body. YMCA health enhancement programs help individuals and families create realistic goals for self-improvement, leading a healthier, more balanced life. Our programs emphasize prevention through regular exercise, proper nutrition, stress management and health education.

All other programs

Membership Through membership, youth programs, and adult programs, the YMCA teaches our four core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility. It is these values that define the Y and will help us succeed in the future. Financial Assistance The YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo believes in providing membership and program services to all who desire to participate in the YMCA. The YMCA's financial assistance program, supported in part through contributions to the YMCA Annual Campaign, provides funds for those in need within our available resources. Every child deserves quality licensed childcare. Every budding gymnast deserves a chance to train in a champion-producing program. Every teen deserves a safe and fun place to hang out with friends on Saturday night. We proudly provided $645,250 in membership and program scholarships. In all, we awarded scholarships to 6,280 individuals.