Greater Philadelphia Young Mens 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.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: The Greater Philadelphia YMCA is committed to strengthening individuals and communities by expanding access to opportunities and support.. We strive to remove barriers that limit the ability of all people to reach their full potential. The YMCA supports this mission through member engagement, employee resource networks and community partnerships. We integrate this commitment into the strategic direction and growth of our YMCA. We offer programs that foster social-emotional learning, character development, and personal growth - particularly for underserved youth. These include college readiness, career readiness, gun violence prevention, and civic engagement initiatives such as Youth Civic Engagement, Out of School Time, Workforce Development and Y-Achievers. The latter are academic and career development programs designed to help youth set and pursue educational and professional goals. Our goal is to provide meaningful opportunities that close gaps in access to technology and education, and to help prepare a skilled, adaptable and tech-savvy workforce.