{"id":35443,"date":"2021-10-20T08:37:46","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T12:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=35443"},"modified":"2021-10-20T08:37:47","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T12:37:47","slug":"ymca-to-bring-back-teen-programs-this-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=35443","title":{"rendered":"YMCA to bring back teen programs this fall"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Area students in Harrisburg as part of the Youth and Government program.<\/p><\/div>\n

The YMCA of Greater Brandywine\u00a0(YGBW)\u00a0will bring back key programs focused on teens and preteens this fall, helping young people to connect, engage and get involved in their communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that our youth are struggling, even if they\u2019re unable to voice it. Adolescence is a challenging time in a\u00a0person’s\u00a0life,\u00a0and it is being compounded by the pandemic and subsequent increase in screen time\u00a0and\u00a0social\u00a0media use\u00a0and decrease in opportunities to engage with adults outside of the home or classroom,\u201d says\u00a0Erin\u00a0McDonnell,\u00a0board\u00a0certified\u00a0behavior\u00a0analyst.<\/p>\n

Youth development is a key part of the YMCA mission and\u00a0programs focus on developing underlying abilities such as resilience, self-awareness,\u00a0resourcefulness\u00a0and philanthropy\u00a0while\u00a0providing\u00a0opportunities for mentorship,\u00a0growth\u00a0and connections.<\/p>\n

Programs returning this fall\u00a0include Youth & Government, Earth Service Corp\u00a0and\u00a0the 7th\u00a0Grade Initiative,\u00a0as well as\u00a0numerous\u00a0career opportunities and programs such as Jr. Lifeguards.\u00a0While these programs vary in their topics, they share a consistent goal of empowering young people\u00a0to make a difference in their lives and in their communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow more than ever, we recognize the importance offering youth\u00a0in our community\u00a0a variety of opportunities to get involved, explore their interests and passions\u00a0and build meaningful connections\u00a0\u2013 all in a safe space,\u201d says Denise Day,\u00a0president\u00a0and\u00a0CEO.<\/p>\n

Programs\u00a0Enrolling Now<\/b><\/p>\n

Youth & Government\u00a0<\/b>is an\u00a0experiential\u00a0civic engagement\u00a0program\u00a0where\u00a0participants\u00a0debate, discuss and draft legislation.\u00a0The program culminates in a model\u00a0conference\u00a0where teens debate bills on the floor of the legislature.<\/p>\n

Earth Service Corps<\/b>\u00a0connects teens with the environment and\u00a0through\u00a0service projects,\u00a0field trips, and outdoor adventures, students become strong, confident, and\u00a0responsible\u00a0environmental leaders.\u00a0Studies show that spending time in nature, especially during the\u00a0pandemic, has a proven\u00a0positive\u00a0impact on mental health.<\/p>\n

Free YMCA members are available for 7th and 8th graders through the\u00a07th Grade\u00a0<\/b>Initiative.\u00a0<\/b>These teen members can enjoy our indoor gyms, wellness centers and more \u2013\u00a0providing a safe space to engage in activities and gather with friends.<\/p>\n

YGBW also\u00a0provides\u00a0teens\u00a0beginning at age 15\u00a0an opportunity to enter the workforce and start developing their professional skills through jobs\u00a0such a lifeguards or child watch coordinators and volunteer opportunities at events and programs.<\/p>\n

To learn more about the teen and preteen programs offered at the YMCA of Greater Brandywine visit\u00a0ymcagbw.org\/ymca-activity-finder<\/a>\u00a0or stop by one of our locations throughout Chester County.<\/p>\n

About the YMCA of Greater Brandywine<\/b><\/p>\n

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The YMCA of Greater Brandywine\u00a0(YGBW)\u00a0will bring back key programs focused on teens and preteens this fall, helping young people to connect, engage and get involved in their communities. \u201cWe know that our youth are struggling, even if they\u2019re unable to voice it. Adolescence is a challenging time in a\u00a0person’s\u00a0life,\u00a0and it is being compounded by the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35442,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[138,13503,2959],"class_list":["post-35443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-chester-county","tag-teen-programs","tag-ymca"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35443"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35444,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35443\/revisions\/35444"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}