National Council of YMCAs of the USA

Youth Development: at the Y, we believe America's young people are changemakers with the skills, commitment and resources necessary to create the communities that we all want to live in. We also believe success depends on our collective ability to reach and inspire this next generation to be globally minded, civically-engaged problem solvers. The Y's youth and government program continued to provide thousands of teens nationwide with the opportunity to immerse themselves in experiential civic engagement and practice democracy in their communities. The Y provided this support to millions of children through its many youth offerings, including afterschool programs, child care, head start programs, sports, swim lessons and more. These activities provided a healthy outlet for children to gain new skills, develop relationships, exercise social-emotional learning and connect with positive role models.