SHIFTING TO SUPPORT ONLINE SCHOOL
Traditionally, fall marks the start of the YMCA’s extensive afterschool enrichment in 23 elementary schools across 3 districts. As Lane County’s largest afterschool child care provider, your Y served 886 STUDENTS last school year alone.
The start of this school year is distinctly different. Most striking is that programs run for the entire day. In afterschool care, staff usually provide a snack, homework help, a STEM activity and physical movement for students from about 3 p.m. until parent pick-up at about 6 p.m.
Youth Development leaders and STAFF NOW PLAN FOR 10 HOURS OF ENRICHMENT each day. The new full-day youth programs support school. districts’ Comprehensive Distance Learning— both synchronous and asynchronous. YMCA staff spend countless hours working to ensure they can meet the SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, EDUCATIONAL AND NUTRITIONAL NEEDS of every student while also closely following strict COVID-19 rules.
Special attention to working families with incoming kindergartners produced a brand-new YMCA Pre-K Plus program. Not knowing if we could serve other school-age youth in local schools, your Y secured spaces in area churches.
“Even with the near-constant adjustments we’ve been making to respond safely and responsibly to a global pandemic, some things will never change: OUR COMMITMENT TO FAMILIES and to the social-emotional growth and physical activity needs of each child in our programs,” says Holly Kriz-Anderson, YMCA Youth Development Director. “Our Y kids always come first."
