YMCA Programs
Whether you're looking for Before- and After-School Care, a summer camp experience, or a family special event, the YMCA has it. Our programs build strong kids, strong families and strong communities by reinforcing the Y's core values: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.
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Conferences, Team Building & Retreats
Hold your next conference or retreat with us. YMCA facilities include meeting space with conference services, fantastic buffet meals and catering, plus a full range of recreational opportunities. Programs are designed just for your group.
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Child Care
Our licensed, full-time childcare offers low child-teacher ratios, healthy meals and snacks, gym activities and outdoor playtime, open swimming and an environment to enhance each child's physical, social, emotional and intellectual development. Learn more >
Preschool
Qualified pre-school teachers prepare 3-5 year-old children for their school years. Children learn to write, count, sit and listen, follow directions, interact with other children, recognize and express feelings, use words to solve conflict, make friends and have fun as they sing songs, participate in arts and crafts, nature studies and much more.
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School Age Care
Before- and After-Care and School Release Days with the Y are both recreational and educational, designed to meet the various needs of growing children. Kids are provided activity choices where they make friends, learn, play and thrive.
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Youth Sports
Kids learn the fundamentals of sports, improve motor skill development, and build confidence in a fun, safe environment. Sports classes and leagues are available around the Twin Cities Metro.
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Camps and Day Camps
YMCA
Camps and
Day Camps offer traditional and specialty camp activities. Overnight, single-gender, teen wilderness adventures, day camps and family camp are all part of the mix. Y Camps are tradition and fun, all wrapped into one.
Summer Programs
YMCA Summer Programs provide q
uality care for kids K-8 at over 60 Twin Cities and Western Wisconsin locations. Kids enjoy cool field trips, swimming,
arts and crafts, games and more. Older kids
gain leadership experience, challenge themselves and improve social skills by helping to plan programs and classes. Learn more > School Success
Y Beacon Centers
Y Beacon Centers transform public schools into active community centers during non-school hours, providing educational, recreational and cultural activities at no charge for children and families in low-income neighborhoods surrounding the Beacon schools. Beacon Centers are open after school, evenings, on weekends, during school holiday breaks and over the summer.
Beacon Centers use after-school fun to help low-income youth improve their academic, social and leadership skills. The Beacon Centers offer young people a place to grow through challenging activities, caring relationships, and leadership opportunities.
Y-Scholars/Youth University
Y- Scholars and Youth University offer middle school and high school students the opportunity to explore and prepare for higher education through workshops, college visits, and tutoring and mentoring provided by college students.
Y-Tutors
Y-Tutors is an after-school tutoring program for K-8th graders that focuses on building and strengthening literacy skills, while providing work-study employment and volunteer opportunities for college students.
Skill Development
Y’s Start
Y’s Start is a middle school program focusing on community service, academic support, recreation and employment readiness skills.
Y-Buddies
Y-Buddies is a one-on-one mentoring program that offers recreational, educational, community service activities and higher education exposure for youth grades 3rd – 8th to build social and life skills through matches with college students.
Youth Career Exploration Program (YCEP)
The Youth Career Exploration Program (YCEP) is a youth program which introduces students of color in Minneapolis high schools to career opportunities and jobs in the YMCA. YCEP helps students develop leadership skills, builds self-esteem, and cultivates their appreciation for the importance of academic excellence, both in high school and college.
Leadership
Minnesota YMCA Youth in Government programs build strong leaders and good citizens through participation in the Model State Government Assembly, Model United Nations, National Affairs Conference and various leadership retreats and training sessions. There are many and varied leadership development opportunities for students in grades 8 – 12.
Learn more about Youth in Government.
Multicultural Achievers
The YMCA Multicultural Achievers is a High School and Junior High School program that helps African American, Hispanic and Latino students set and obtain high educational and career goals. Students participate in teambuilding, leadership skill development, and increasing academic achievement. Youth focus on goal setting, preparing for High School, exploring post secondary options, college tours, and cultural enrichment to assist in preparation for after high school and success in their secondary program.
Collegiate Achievers
The YMCA Collegiate Achievers program promotes college access and achievement and provides support to low-income, first generation and students of color, as they transition into higher education. Students receive academic support, leadership development, community engagement and career exploration opportunities.
Leaders Club
YMCA Leaders Clubs is a program that provides opportunities for youth to develop leadership skills and abilities through service learning activities and projects. YMCA Central Leaders School YMCA Central Leaders School is a one week program for youth that promotes leadership growth through skill development, service learning and group work.
Metro Internships: A Community in Action
The Metro Internship program offers internship placement opportunities for college students in corporate and nonprofit organizations, focusing on ethics, leadership, organizational responsibility, globalization and professional development.
Learn more about the Metro Internship Program.
Family
Family Events
An opportunity for families to play and celebrate together: Holiday Parties, Talent Shows, Picnics, Swim Parties. The YMCA also participates in community family activities to support and connect families in our neighborhoods for safer communities.
Home Team Single Parent
This program works with single parents to improve communication between parents and their children through constructive, family-oriented activities, including Single Parent Family Camp. Furthermore, it brings single parents together for mutual support, understanding and growth.
Home Team East African Family Support
This program offers women’s circles, cooking classes, exercise opportunities that honor privacy needs and family activities.
Home Team Beacon Family
Expanding the Beacon initiative to support the entire family, these programs strive to increase marginalized parent voices within the school, provide personal education opportunities for parents, and increase parent to parent relationships of students who attend the school.
Home Team Adoptive Family
In collaboration with ECFE, this program supports parents and their adopted children. Each session, families play together through structured activities for one hour. Parents then separate for a parent education and discussion time, while their children are supported through educational play.
YMCA Parent/Child Voyagers
Voyagers is one-on-one activity based parent/child program dedicated to helping build stronger, closer relationships between parent and child.
Intervention Services
YMCA “24/Seven” Program
The YMCA 24/Seven program works with referred youth (ages 16 and older) who are exiting their placement from Hennepin County programs and who need independent housing. The YMCA helps youth learn how to find housing, develop independent living skills, review education requirements, and connect with local resources.
YMCA Juvenile Probation Program
The YMCA Juvenile Probation Program works with youth ages 12 to 21 years who have become involved in the Juvenile Justice system and who are currently on probation. The YMCA develops relationships with young people and their families and assists youth in continuing their education, securing employment, finding resources/programs in their community, and paying restitution for their behaviors.
YMCA Hennepin County Home School Program
The Hennepin County Home School is a lock-down facility for young people ages 12-21 who are involved in the Juvenile Justice system. The YMCA goal is to help youth make positive transitions to school and/or employment after their release,
and to reduce the recidivism rate.
South Minneapolis and Northwest Hennepin Truancy Intervention Program
The YMCA Truancy programs are designed to reach out to truant students and help them “re-connect” with school, positive activities, adult role models, and their communities in general.
YMCA POINT Northwest
The POINT Northwest is a 24-hour crisis intervention and mediation program for young people, ages 10-21 (and their families), in Northwest Hennepin County, who are on the run, thinking of running away, homeless, precariously housed, or transitioning out of foster care, group home, and correctional placements. POINT Northwest provides both urban and suburban outreach services. The YMCA works with individuals as assets, not clients, as contributors, not problems.
Y's Men International Service Club
Y’s Men International Service Club is a service club for men and women interested in helping others. They raise money for the YMCA through their annual sale of Christmas trees and other events.
Y’s Men Christmas Tree Lot
Since 1938, Y’s Men’s Clubs throughout our country have sold Christmas trees to send kids to camp. Sales begin the day after Thanksgiving. Support the Y’s Men’s efforts in helping kids in our community by purchasing a tree or volunteering. Contact the Member Services at
your YMCA for more information.
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