Young Mens Christian Association Upper Bucks

Programs: Childcare fy 2016-2017make sure that all members of the community, regardless of income, have access to quality childcare for their children, the y participates in the apple childcare ccis subsidy program which allows parents to pay significantly reduced childcare fees and assists them in maintaining their family life and other responsibilities. The y also offers financial assistance to families in need who are not on apple childcare ccis subsidy, or on their wait list. The y's financial assistance program is based on a sliding scale, taking into consideration the family's total household income and the number of people in the household. The y awards between 10% and 90% off the childcare weekly fee. Keeping true to the organization's mission, the y awarded more than $66,000 in direct financial assistance to families in fy 2016-2017 for childcare. During the fy 2016-2017, the y's childcare program continued to be a member of keystone stars at a 2 star level and dept. Of human services. This ensures quality, safe, nurturing environment for children to learn and develop social skills so that when they aren't in the care of their parents, they're still with superior teachers who develop wide-ranging lesson plans in order to promote the child's development and social well-being. The childcare program encourages family and parental involvement through volunteer opportunities, open houses, and special events such as classroom parties, parades and luncheons as well as bi-annual parent teacher conferences. Our program is comprised of a combined pre-k, am and pm kindergarten, and a school age class. The pre-k class helps children prepare academically and work on important life skills needed for kindergarten in a high quality setting. They also learn important social emotional skills needed for their first year in elementary school. Our kindergarteners spend the other half of their day with us, building upon skills learned in their elementary school classrooms. Bussing is provided to ensure families of kindergarteners that they can work without worrying about midday transportation. Swim lessons and gym classes are also included in these programs to ensure their safety and to improve the children's skills, all the while building their confidence and self-esteem. The school age program helps families keep their children, first through fifth grade, safe in a program that encourages self-help skills, imagination, cooperation, sportsmanship and academic success. The y opens at 6:15 am, closes at 6:00 pm, and provides transportation to and from schools in the quakertown school district allowing parents to work. The program also provides additional support including homework help, art projects, journal writing, gross motor play, daily snacks, structured gym, and swimming. With the y's financial aid support and aid in the form of apple childcare ccis our y provides affordable childcare, giving children a safe and enriching start to learning while their family is at work.

aquatics fy 2016 - 2017the aquatics department provides a year-round aquatic environment with positive, fun activities for all individuals, regardless of income, that build physical and social skills. Encouraging a lifetime appreciation for active living, the facility has a 172,000 gallon multi-use pool that offers six 25-yard lanes and a family recreation area complete with water features and a water slide. Programs, including water fitness, swim lessons and a competitive team, ensure that children and adults are always vigilant and safe around water. In fact, the organization awarded over $5,600 during fy2016-2017 in direct financial assistance to aquatic participants, allowing children, families, and seniors to get healthy at little cost. Impacting more than 4,100 children and adults in organized programs, we offer preschool swimming lessons, elementary level swimming lessons, group adult swimming lessons, and youth and adult private swimming lessons. Water safety is emphasized in all lessons with the goal of preventing accidental drowning in back yard pools - the second leading cause of childhood deaths in america. We recognize the hectic schedules of area families and provide programming throughout the day, evening, and weekend. Further, vital to improving senior adult health, the y's water fitness programs emphasize toning and aerobic exercise with little to no impact on the joints which is particularly popular among the senior population in the region. Responding to the community's need for lifesaving certifications, the department offers cpr, first aid, aed, lifeguarding, and babysitter training courses throughout the year. The department also provides a year round competitive environment. Our focus is on sportsmanship, personal responsibility, collective success, and physical fitness while using progressive skill development to encourage young athletes of all levels to achieve their highest potential. The mini barracudas offer an introductory swim team experience for youth ages 5-9, while spring and fall clinics look to further this development. The competitive winter swim season runs from october through march. There are approximately 100 youth between ages 5 and 19 that swim on the team annually.

wellness fy 2016-2017as our nation struggles with obesity, families battle to find balance of work/life, the bombardment of technology at our fingertips, and individuals searching for personal fulfillment, we at the upper bucks y understanding that wellness means more than working out. The wellness department works with its members to strengthen their emotional, spiritual and physical health. We have a staffed wellness center to provide assistance to members by giving them free orientations of the equipment, keeping the facility maintained, clean and sanitized. A continued presence of wellness employees also provides the emotional support to members who are striving to accomplish their wellness goals. In fy 2016-2017 we provided more fitness classes than ever free to our full privilege members, assisting them in their quest for healthier lifestyle. Keeping with current trends, the upper bucks y added lebarre, kettlebell ampd and pop pilates to the schedule. We also offer insanity live, piyo, yoga, bodypump, zumba, zumba gold, and pilates, in addition to the core classes of butt and gut, bootcamp and group cycling. Our silversneakers classes have continued to grow and we provide silversneakers classic, sliversneakers splash, and silversneakers circuit, servicing over 1250 active seniors, more than doubling last year's numbers. We have a class called step above for those active seniors wanting more challenging workouts that are safe and effective. This group also meets weekly for walks to strengthen their social connections and their physical well-being. The most popular classes the wellness department has, are the les mills programs; bodypump, bodycombat and bodyflow. Bodypump is based on the rep effect, a proven formula that exhausts muscles using light weights, while performing high repetitions - this is the secret to developing lean, athletic muscle. Bodycombat is a high-energy martial arts inspired workout that is totally non-contact. Punch and kick your way to fitness. Bring your best fighter attitude and leave inhibitions at the door! Bodyflow is a yoga, pilates, tai chi workout that builds flexibility, strength and leaves you feeling centered and calm. Controlled breathing, concentration and poses set to music brings the body into a state of harmony and balance. Through these programs members have been able to reach their fitness goals like never before. The workouts keep them motivated, push them to work as hard as they can, and the group setting provides consistency, friendship, and fun. Men have found the value of group exercise, couples can work out together, which strengthen families, and women have found power in strength training. The wellness department believes in making and working toward personal goals, building confidence and self-esteem, as well as building connections and friendships that go beyond the walls of the y. Our goal is to reach more people in upper bucks county to help them in their pursuit of adapting a healthy lifestyle. The upper bucks y prides itself on bringing families closer and fostering connections through fitness. We continue to see growing numbers at our special events which include a 5k race and a kids triathlon. The wellness department employs over two dozen fitness instructors and wellness center staff. Personal training is also available as members continue to overcome obesity, lower blood pressure, reduce stress, prevent diabetes, search for the most effective workout for their goals, and improve self-esteem.