Greater Philadelphia Young Men's Christian Association

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT: The Greater Philadelphia YMCA is committed to nurturing the potential of every child and teen. The YMCA helps young people cultivate the values, skills and relationships that lead to positive behavior, better health, and educational achievement. YMCA programs such as summer camp, overnight camp, before/after school enrichment, 7th grade membership initiative and youth sports offer a range of experiences that enrich cognitive, social, physical and emotional growth. As the largest provider of childcare services in southeastern Pennsylvania, the YMCA cares for approximately 1,000 0-5 year-old and 3,000 school aged children each day. The YMCA offers state-certified and Keystone star-ranked childcare programs at over 90 locations. Summer camp programs serve more than 5,000 children, many of them receiving financial assistance to attend. For children with special medical needs, there is Dragonfly Forest, a summer camp program for children with autism, 22q and asthma taking place each summer at the YMCA owned Camp Speers. The 7th grade membership initiative guarantees every 7th grade student a free one-year membership at any greater Philadelphia YMCA branch. This program allows the YMCA the opportunity to engage, cultivate and connect with youth from low-income families living in underserved areas at a time that is most crucial to their development. Over 5,000 free memberships to 7th graders are awarded each year. Most recently, YMCA created a teen technology center at its Columbia North branch.