Young Mens Christian Association Of Metropolitan Milwaukee

Programs: Youth development - the y 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. We help cultivate values, skills, and relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health and education achievements. Programs we supported in 2014 such as sponsor-a-scholar, black achievers, early childhood education and day/resident camp offer a range of experiences that enrich cognitive, social, physical, and emotional growth. We served 34,960 children, infants through teens in 2014. We believe the values and skills learned early are vital building blocks for life. Because of the y, more young people in neighborhoods across the milwaukee area are taking a greater interest in learning and making smarter life choices. At the y, children and teens learn values and positive behaviors and can explore their unique talents and interests, helping them to realize their potential. That makes for confident kids today and contributing, engaged adults tomorrow. More than 644 students, primarily from milwaukee public schools, were supported through sponsor-a-scholar (sas) and black achievers programs in 2014. Made possible by the support of dedicated community volunteers and mentors, the sas program's high school graduation rate is 100 percent and the post-secondary education enrollment rate for sas participants is 98 percent. Additionally, more than 51 percent of sas students complete post-secondary education. That rate outperforms the national average by 40 percent among first generation college students in the same socio-economic demographic. One hundred percent of ymca black achievers participants graduated from high school in 2014 and one hundred percent went on to a two or four year college or to enlist in the armed services. Overnight camps, camp matawa and camp minikani, as well as the y day camps served approximately 5,472 kids in 2014, providing a safe environment to learn and play during the summer months. Our overnight and day camping programs offer adventure and learning activities that provide challenging learning environments and promote spiritual awareness, mental development, physical well-being, social growth, and self-respect. Our camps provide a reverence for nature and respect for the inter-relatedness of all living things on earth. In addition, our camps provide education programs to school groups, students and the community which help participants to learn about our environment and the connection to out ecosystem. The environmental education classes teach people to actively use our natural spaces and how to adopt sustainable practices. Our camps are open to all, regardless of income and adaptable to certain special needs, to help children appreciate diversity, become community leaders and develop lifelong values. We provide more than $428k in scholarships and subsidies for children and teens who attended y day and overnight camps in 2014. Camp fly (fun learning for youth) helps address summer learning loss for children in the central city. Camp fly served campers from low-income families at the northside and jcy centers. Campers were tested in reading and math at the beginning and end of the program. Of those tested, 70% of campers were able to sustain or improve their math skills and 73% were able to sustain or improve their reading skills. Our early learning centers offer a variety of state licenses full-time and part-time programs, which provide a safe and nurturing environment where youth can develop self-esteem and learn the four core values of the y. Our early childhood education and after-school programs are staffed with people who understand the cognitive, physical, and social development of kids, the need children have to feel connected and supported in trying new things, and the reinforcement parents and families need to help each other. Our centers enable parents and family members to go to work knowing their children are in safe, stimulating environments. Financial assistance is available for those who cannot afford to pay through the wisconsin shares childcare subsidy program funding and private donations. In 2014, we served 2,212 participants in our early learning centers and school age programs and provided financial assistance in the amount of $632k. The y is the starting point for youths to learn about becoming and staying active and developing healthy habits they'll carry with them throughout their lives. The benefits are far greater than just physical health. Whether it's gaining the confidence that comes from learning to swim or building the positive relationships that lead to good sportsmanship and teamwork, participating in sports at the y is about building the whole child, from the inside out. Through our partnership with the miracle league of milwaukee, physically and cognitively disabled kids were able to take advantage of the unforgettable opportunity to swing a bat, field a ball, and be part of a team. During its third year, more than 454 participants, including players and their volunteer helpers known as "buddies", came out to play ball on a custom-designed, universally accessible baseball diamond, located on milwaukee's north side.

healthy living - at the y, we know that healthy lifestyles are achieved through nurturing mind, body and spirit. Well-being and fitness at the y is so much more than just working out. Beyond fitness facilities, we provide educational programs to promote healthier decisions, and offer a variety of programs that support physical, intellectual and spiritual strength. Serving families has always been at the heart of the y. We are a place where families can find respite from social, economic, and educational challenges, and learn how to overcome them. We have a fundamental desire to provide opportunities for every family to build stronger bonds, achieve greater work/life balances, and become more engaged with their communities. Through programs and activities like parent-child swim and preschool classes, healthy kids day and family fun nights, families grow close and more connected in a safe, nurturing environment. Our healthy lifestyles programming includes programs beyond simply exercise, including livestrong at the y, an exercise experience for cancer survivors. Our mission is to support individuals on their paths to building healthy spirits, minds, and bodies. In 2014, we delivered classes (multi-session programs) to help members and community participants learn strategies for successful and sustained behavior changes. To provide the highest level of quality, most of our healthy lifestyles programs have been developed in collaboration with a variety of local and national healthcare, academic, and community partners. A partnership of ymca of the usa, cdc, and unitedhealth group, the ymca's diabetes prevention program is a 12-month lifestyle behavior intervention with 16 core sessions followed by monthly maintenance sessions designed especially for people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This effective program will help many individuals avoid or delay the consequences of this devastating disease, dhs estimates that in milwaukee county, roughly one in three adults (approximately 241,000) have prediabetes, meaning they are at grave risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Studies find that nearly 90 percent of those with prediabetes are not aware of it and as a result are neither prepared nor equipped to undertake steps to prevent the onset of an irreversible chronic illness. Fitness center activities, group exercise, healthy lifestyle programming, and personal training are collaborating and cross-promoting in new ways to help members meet their goals and deepen their connection to the y. The y personal trainers guide and support people on their journey to a healthier lifestyle. The y, wheaton franciscan healthcare and the walter schroeder aquatic center opened the first ever ymca healthy lifestyle village in the milwaukee area on the site of the rite-hite family ymca in brown deer in 2009. The ymca healthy lifestyle village continues to serve as a 'destination campus', where people can learn, plan, and take action to improve their health and quality of life. Since opening, the joint campus has been providing a comprehensive set of services for health and fitness, wellness education, family programming, and screenings to y members, wheaton franciscan healthcare patients, and the community at large.

social responsibility - more than $1. 3 million in membership and program scholarships provided thousands of milwaukee area children and adults with a safe, positive environment to have fun, spend quality time with each other, and live healthier. The y partnered in 2014 with area schools to offer its splash and y swim school programs to teach more than 238 children how to swim each year. Y swim school and splash are a direct response to the staggering statistic that drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death for children between the ages of 1-14. Teachers report that students show improved school attendance on swim days, better behavior in class and an increase in self-confidence thanks to y swim school. Students progressed in their swimming skills and gained a greater comfort in the water. The y provides opportunities for neighbors to understand and help each other toward a better future in small ways and in large ways through programs like the community development center (cdc). The goal of the cdc is to transform milwaukee neighborhoods by helping residents build a sense of community. Families that reside in riverwest, as well as in neighborhoods surrounding the northside, parklawn, and jcy ymca centers have the opportunity to participate in programs staffed by community outreach specialists. Typical activities involve direct resident contact, managing block clubs, neighborhood clean ups, and hosting meetings and events. The cdc staff provide advocacy around public policy as well. Each site hosted both voter registration and served as a polling site providing the opportunity for the community to participate in the election process. The ymca of metropolitan milwaukee reaches across four counties (milwaukee, ozaukee, waukesha, and washington) and serves as a community resource for more than 96,624 children, families, adults, and seniors. The generosity of others is at the core of the y's existence as a nonprofit. It is only through the support of our thousands of volunteers and public and private donors that we are able to support and give back to the communities we engage. In 2014, the y was supported by more than 3,300 program and policy volunteers who enabled the y to deliver on its mission and cause to reach even further into surrounding communities. Volunteers serve on our boards, provide support to our staff, and provide direct leadership and guidance to the hundreds of youth in our programs, such as sponsor-a-scholarship and black achievers. Through affordable pricing and membership scholarships, we ensure that all people have access to the y. In addition, community service projects, special events like healthy kids' day, neighborhood outreach initiatives, and corporate wellness programs allowed us to broaden the scope of our mission.