Rapid City YMCA

Programs: Youth development the ymca of rapid city is committed to nurturing the potential of every child and teen. We believe that all kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve. That's why we help young people cultivate the values, skills and relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health and educational achievement. Our programs, such as afterschool, day camp, childcare, youth sports and swimming, offer a range of experiences that enrich cognitive, social, physical and emotional growth. Expenses include subsidies and direct financial assistance that make participation possible for over half of the young people we engage. For additional details regarding these critical programs and their impact, please see schedule o. When left unsupervised during out-of-school time hours, youth and teens are at the highest risk of unhealthy choices, such as experimenting with drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sexuality and crime. Ymca programs during these critical times not only provides a positive alternative, but these also give kids good role models to help them develop strong values, respect for others, good citizenship, responsible behavior and honesty. Last year, 10,100 youth and teens participated in these highly subsidized programs. These programs include afterschool, day camp, childcare and youth sports. There was an average of over 600 kids participating each day in ymca afterschool programs in 2014. Afterschool programs took place at the ymca building and at 14 different elementary schools every day after school until 6pm. Activities in each of these programs included physical fitness, creative arts, science activities, tutoring, academic enrichment and just plain fun. Close relationships between school staff, parents, children and ymca staff are fostered to better meet the needs of the participants. Ymca day camp took place at y giraffic park, which is property that was acquired through a donation and is used for outdoor education. About 250 kids per day were bussed to day camp and participated in such activities as adventure games, archaeological digs, outdoor crafts, archery, chapel, hiking and more. The day camp experience was made complete through positive interaction with high quality adult role models. South dakota is well above the national average with 78% of all available parents in the workforce with children under the age of 6. This presents both an economic strain and the need for quality early childhood development to ensure that young children are healthy and well-cared for. The ymca childcare program in rapid city is among the largest of childcare programs in south dakota with over 200 preschool age children participating daily. Plus, there are 45 children in the custer ymca childcare center, which is conducted in partnership with the custer school district. This acclaimed early childhood development program gives young children a solid foundation upon which to build their social, academic, physical and emotional growth. Plus, this program allows parents to remain gainfully employed. Like other youth development efforts, this program requires subsidy. One reason is that this is simply an expensive program to operate. The other reason is that no child is turned away due to inability to pay. Currently, 15 percent of the participants are on ymca financial assistance. Ymca financial assistance policy's help ensures that the ymca is a place where children of all economic levels, from the affluent to the disadvantaged, receive the same quality care in the same setting. Ymca youth sports programs have the philosophy of kids first and winning second. To achieve this aim all volunteer coaches in ymca sports are given an orientation training that stresses the ymca way of coaching, which includes placing a priority on developing physical skills, social skills, self-esteem, and just plain having fun. Sports are a proven tool in preventing risk-taking behaviors such as substance abuse, sexual activity, violent behavior and problems in school. In 2014 there were over 1,000 youngsters participating in youth sports, which included basketball leagues, volleyball leagues, flag football leagues, baseball and softball leagues, soccer leagues and golf instruction. Golf instruction took place at ymca lacroix links golf course, which is a partnership with the city of rapid city and a chapter of the first tee. With the focus on skill development and character-building, the ymca provided swim lessons for over 2,200 kids in 2014. An additional 60 special needs children also participated in fun and instructional water programs along with 45 kids and adults training for special olympics. These lessons took place at the ymca of rapid city aquatic center, custer outdoor pool and edgemont outdoor pool. The latter two pools were operated by the ymca in partnership with the respective city governments. There were also multiple other youth programs that focused on special skill sets, but were used primarily to build character and social skills. These programs included visual arts, science, unicycle and teen leadership.

healthy living the y is a leading voice on health and well-being in our community. We bring families closer together, encourage good health and foster connections through fitness, sports, fun and shared interests. As a result, nearly 22,900 different people in the rapid city, custer and edgemont communities are receiving the support, guidance and resources they need to achieve greater health in spirit, mind and body. This is particularly important as each community struggles with the obesity crisis, families struggle with work/life balance and individuals search for personal fulfillment. Our programs are accessible, affordable and open to all faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. In 2014 we provided $768,935 in financial assistance to people who otherwise would have faced economic barriers to participation. For additional details regarding these critical programs and their impact, please see schedule o. With over half of rapid city area adults getting less than recommended levels of physical activity, health and well-being are crucial community needs. Once again, the ymca emerges as a leader in combating this growing concern, as the promotion of healthy living has been a part of the work of the ymca of rapid city since its inception in 1948. The ymca is especially equipped to promote healthy living because of three primary reasons: first, the ymca mission has always focused on a holistic approach of building up spirit, mind and body. Second, the ymca provides healthy living programs and activities to those that would otherwise not be able to afford such services by providing financial assistance to economically disadvantaged individuals. Nearly one-third of ymca members in 2014 participated through financial assistance. Third, the ymca mission includes bringing all kinds of people together in a sense of community. Where else can a corporate ceo and an unemployed blue collar worker workout side by side on equal terms in true fellowship? Y programs that promoted healthy living included the randy travis wellness center, helen davis wellness center in custer, group exercise, sports, aquatics and special events. Last year over 12,800 people of all ages, races, faiths, abilities and economic backgrounds joined together in the randy travis wellness center in rapid city and the helen davis wellness center in custer for cardiovascular and strength training activities. Purposefully targeting individuals that desire to develop a healthy lifestyle, y staff actively listen and then help participants remove roadblocks and set reasonable goals toward good health. This is all done in a friendly environment that is truly welcoming to all kinds of people. Plus, more than 1,000 elementary and middle school aged kids participated in the y youth wellness activities through afterschool and day camp programs. Group exercise helps people to join a small community and thus provide positive reinforcement toward getting and staying healthy. Ensuring that the instruction and environment was conducive to people from all backgrounds, last year there were over 4,800 people each month engaged in group exercise. With an emphasis on fun, building community and promoting sportsmanship, there were 600 adults who played in ymca sports in 2014. Ymca sports included basketball, volleyball, racquetball, softball, and golf. Softball took place in fields operated by the ymca in partnership with the city of custer and golf took place in a golf course operated by the ymca in partnership with the city of rapid city. Ymca adult sports effectively bring people from across the spectrum of the community together for positive and healthy activities. Ymca aquatics programs promote good health through regular exercise. The ymca pool also featured opportunities for hundreds of families to enjoy splashing around together. Lap swimming and water exercise rounded out the aquatics experience that helped over 1,000 adults make gains in building a healthy lifestyle. In response to growing concerns over chronic disease management, the ymca provides evidence-based programs, such as ymca diabetes prevention program, parkinson's wellness and joint efforts arthritis program. These programs reached over 300 adults this last year. A number of special events also served to bring people together in a sense of community while promoting a healthy lifestyle. Over 2,000 adults participated in these events, which included such things as the lazyman triathlon and christmas cross-training.

social responsibility the ymca of rapid city believes in giving back and supporting our neighbors. We have been listening and responding to our community's most crucial social needs for more than 60 years. Y programs, such as our outreach centers, jump start for teen moms, youth institute, sponsorship campaign, live well black hills, summer food program, togetherhood and world service are examples of how we deliver training, resources and support that empower our neighbors to effect change, bridge gaps and overcome obstacles. In 2014 we engaged nearly 4,000 ymca members, participants and volunteers in activities that strengthen our community and pave the way for future generations to thrive. For additional details regarding these critical programs and their impact, please see schedule o. Ymca outreach programs give kids good role models to help them develop strong values, respect for others, good citizenship, responsible behavior and honesty. Y outreach centers were operated at the jerry smith outreach center, north teen center, downtown teen center, south park school, canyon lake school and robbinsdale school. The centerpiece of each of these programs is top-notch staff that actively build relationships and provide direction, support and encouragement. The jerry smith youth outreach center is the cornerstone for outreach programs that take place at the ymca building. Reaching nearly 100 kids each day, these youth participate in academic enrichment activities, crafts, table games, physical fitness, science projects and more. These same activities take place at the north teen center and downtown teen center. The north teen center operates in partnership with bethel assembly of god church and had about 150 teens each day participating. The downtown teen center operates in what is called the y house and had about 25 teens participating each day. The remaining outreach centers are at south park, canyon lake and robbinsdale elementary schools. These programs also incorporate the 21st century community learning center concept that brings a community together with a focus on academic enrichment. Each of these sites serves up to 60 kids each day. Jump start takes place at the newly remodeled rapid city high school and is done in partnership with rapid city area schools. Childcare was provided for 18 teen moms to help each of these young women stay in school and finish their high school education. Plus, mentoring was provided to help these moms, almost none of whom has family support, to learn basic life skills and how to properly care for their babies. A ymca education coordinator helped plan their schedule, provide direction and encouragement and even set their sights on higher education. The result has been an 88% graduation rate for teen moms. The youth institute uses media technology as a tool for building confidence, marketable skills and social skills in teens that are largely disconnected from family and school. At the end of a summer-long program, these 28 teens published a magazine and produced 6 short films. The annual sponsorship campaign brings 150 volunteers out to the community to help raise funds to support the effort to provide the financial assistance needed to get children from low income families into the ymca. This group of volunteers raised over $247,000 in 2014. Live well black hills is a group of 45 community leaders convened by the ymca for the purpose of helping to improve the health of the community. This is accomplished through promotion of existing community-wide programs, developing new community-wide programs and advocating for a built environment conducive to healthy living. The current focus is on developing and promoting a healthy workplace toolkit in area businesses, conducting a city-wide campaign to promote increased physical activity and advocating the city's master walk and bike plan. With support from the usda and a grant from the walmart foundation, over 29,000 free meals were given to kids who otherwise may not have had access to good nutrition during the summer months. Togetherhood enlists the volunteer support of ymca members to carry out community-service activities, such as food drives and clean-up efforts. World service is the ymca effort to build global relationships through cultural exchanges and facilitating communication between local and international youth groups. An international partnership has been established with the porta alegre, brazil ymca and has involved 30 children from each ymca communicating with one another.