7 Gateway Region YMCA programs designed to help St. Louis teens learn, grow and thrive
On any day nationwide, millions of youth leave school without a supervising adult. That leads to, among other issues, boredom. A 2003 survey of teens and parents found that bored teens reported making poorer choices. Teens who are engaged increase their academic skills, engage other teens and contribute positively to the community. That is why it is incumbent upon our community to engage teens in positive activities and provide constructive opportunities that foster positive growth toward adulthood.
The Y is committed to ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to become a healthy, contributing member of society. The Y has always focused on meeting the social, emotional and academic needs of our youth and teens so they can grow into the changemakers of tomorrow. The need is particularly great within communities where safe after-school activities can be unavailable to families.
The Gateway Region Y serves more than 20,000 youth and teens each year through sports, child care, camp and safe activities for teens. Over the next three years, our goal is to engage with over 5,500 teens through workforce development, academic assistance, civic engagement, violence prevention and mental health and well-being programs. Some of the ways we are doing that include:
1. Teen Nights Out
Teen Nights are designed for teens to kick back, hang out and have fun with friends at a Y location. Teens enjoy food, games, movies, open gym, the pool and more. Local Ys host special theme nights so there is always something new.
expand
2. Youth and Government
Believe it or not, only 1 out of every 3 high school seniors are proficient in civic knowledge.* That is one reason the Y runs the Youth and Government (YAG) programs, which provide students the opportunity to experience the democratic process and develop the leadership skills needed to become citizens of a participatory society. Missouri YAG is for grades 8-12; Illinois YAG is for grades 9-12, with 358 teens participating in this program last year.
3. Junior Leadership
The Junior Leadership Program at the Gateway Region YMCA is an experiential leadership development program for high school juniors in the St. Louis Metro area meant to expose them to what it means to be an informed, civically engaged leader within the nonprofit and public sectors. This is a nine-month program consisting of 10 meeting sessions — a parent orientation, a retreat, a graduation and seven full-day learning sessions. Participants are introduced to various social service organizations, develop 21st-century leadership skills and apply their learning through a service project. Included in their participation is a college scholarship from University of Missouri-St. Louis upon completion of the program.
4. The Mobile Y
The Gateway Region YMCA and the City of St. Louis have launched The Mobile Y, which includes three mobile DJ units, video games, the School of Beats curriculum for training, STEAM programming, recreational games such as kickball, soccer, card games and cornhole, and free resources including housing assistance, utility assistance, mental health care and food access. Funded through the Office of Violence Prevention using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the Mobile Y brings these free resources to teens and youth 18 and younger in the City of St. Louis and their communities, especially those most impacted by gun violence. It provides a unique opportunity for youth and communities who can't easily access physical Y locations to still engage with all the Y has to offer.
5. BYMOC Achievers Boys and Young Men of Color (BYMOC)
BYMOC is a college readiness, career exploration and life preparation program which provides students of color with the essential tools to pursue higher education, define life goals and identify different career opportunities.
6. CIT Program Counselors in Training (CITs)
CITs are provided firsthand experience working with campers and the opportunity to cultivate skills and knowledge in the day camp setting. The camp environment provides a unique opportunity for teens to build leadership skills.
7. Leaders Club
Leaders Club is a program for teens that provides opportunities for personal and professional development. They plan service projects, prepare for upcoming events and vote on which types of development opportunities they would like to attend.
Studies show that being involved in community-based activities improves a teen's mental health and facilitates a sense of personal achievement, fulfillment and connection to others. Please consider joining with the Y to find out how you can make our community stronger by helping create opportunities for teens to reach their full potential in spirit, mind and body.
Learn more at gwrymca.org or by calling 314-436-1177.
The Gateway Region YMCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Serving more than 260,000 members and program participants, the Y offers 24 health and wellness branches, operates in close to 100 community sites and includes YMCA Camp Lakewood and Trout Lodge in Potosi, Missouri, and the Campus Y student leadership facility at Washington University. The Gateway Region YMCA provides $2.4 million in financial assistance annually to those who otherwise could not afford its services. The organization also employs more than 4,000 full-time and part-time individuals and engages more than 1,100 volunteers annually. The Y is a proud member of the United Way of Greater St. Louis.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
12 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Major incident declared in Irish village as 17 patients receive urgent care
A major incident was declared at a village industrial site overnight, leaving 17 people in need of urgent medical care. Emergency services rushed to the scene in Magheralin, Co Down in the early hours of Saturday morning following reports of a suspected chemical spill at the facility. Multiple fire and rescue trucks responded, alongside the PSNI, emergency ambulances, a Hazardous Area Response team and a doctor. Due to the scale of the situation, a major incident was declared. Of the 17 people assessed at the scene, five were taken to hospital. Their conditions are not believed to be life-threatening. The remaining 12 patients were monitored and later discharged on-site. A spokesperson for the NI Ambulance Service said: "NIAS received reports of a potential chemical incident at an industrial site near Magheralin and dispatched a number of emergency ambulances, ambulance officers, a Hazardous Area Reaponse Team and a doctor to the scene with a major incident being declared as a result of the number of reported casualties. "17 potential patients were assessed and five transferred to hospital (Craigavon Area Hospital, RVH and Daisy Hill) though none are thought to be in a life-threatening condition. "A further 12 patients were monitored and then discharged from the scene. NIAS worked alongside colleagues from NIFRS and PSNI to manage the incident. It is not believed that there is any wider risk to local residents as a result of the incident." Authorities said that it is not believed there is a wider risk to locals and the situation is now under control. For the latest news and breaking news visit Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. Follow us on Twitter @IrishMirror - the official Irish Mirror Twitter account - real news in real time. We're also on Facebook/irishmirror - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Irish Daily Mirror, Irish Sunday Mirror and
RTÉ News
13 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Second tunnel as part of €114m Athlone drainage project completed
A second underwater tunnel beneath the River Shannon in Athlone, linking the town's sewer system from east to west, has been completed. The €114 million main drainage project, which is designed to future-proof Athlone's wastewater infrastructure, has been under way since 2023 and is scheduled to be completed later this year. In recent weeks, a tunnel boring machine was lowered into an eight-metre-deep launch shaft on the river's east bank at the Strand Car Park. It carved its way beneath the riverbed and re-emerged 22 days later at the receiving shaft outside Sean's Bar on the west side. "The successful completion of the second, and final, River Shannon crossing is a critical milestone in the delivery of this ambitious project that will shape the future of Athlone," said Eunan Canavan, Portfolio Manager at Uisce Éireann. "The finish line is now clearly in sight with works over 80% complete," he added. The Athlone water drainage project is the largest water infratructure project in the country at the moment and will bring great benefits to the town and community. "Essentially, the new system will improve the water quality in the River Shannon and eliminating out of sewer flooding," said Mr Canavan. "At the moment, the existing network just doesn't have the capacity to deal with flows that are there so this new network, when it's completed, will have the capacity to deal with that, he added. Uisce Éireann said the project will also provide more capacity to allow for further growth and development in Athlone. "Linking Athlone's sewer system under the Shannon is a huge step forward for the town," said Councillor Liam McDaniel, Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council. "It's not something people see every day, but it's a major engineering feat that will really benefit the community - helping protect the environment and making sure our infrastructure is ready for future growth." The project has seen over 3km of sewer pipes going down across the town. "It's a really big civil engineering project and from the outset, we designed the scheme to minimise the impact on the town," said Eunan Canavan, Portfolio Manager at Uisce Éireann. "When you're coming into a town like Athlone, it's an old medieval town, old buildings, narrow streets, it's very busy and we wanted to try and minimise the impact," he said. "So we designed the scheme as a tunnel scheme where we constructed local shafts, dotted arund the town and we tunnelled underneath the ground between those shafts so there's no impact in the areas between those shafts. "We've had great engagement with the local representatives and with the business, communities and the residents in Athlone, and we're looking forward to seeing the project come into a completion at the end of the year." Shaft construction is fully complete, and the final phase of tunnelling from the Strand Carpark is well under way. Cross connection works, to facilitate the connection of the existing and new sewer networks, will continue at various locations around the town in the coming months. Testing and commissioning of the Coosan West Pump Station is also ongoing, and commissioning of the new terminal pumping station in Golden Island will be carried out in the Summer. The €114m Athlone Main Drainage Scheme is one of the most significant projects that Uisce Éireann has carried out to date.
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Young and Barnes: A new city bylaw would help prevent heat-related deaths
In the context of rapidly worsening climate change, cities such as Ottawa are on the front lines of the race to protect residents from the threat of summer heatwaves. According to the City of Ottawa's draft Climate Resiliency Strategy, more than one in three residents lack the means to stay cool as temperatures climb during the summer months. They face increased health-related risks. Just as landlords are required by law to ensure indoor temperatures stay above a minimum in the winter, Ottawa — and other Ontario cities — need to urgently pass bylaws setting a maximum indoor temperature. Statistics Canada estimates that around 36 per cent — nearly 150,000 — of Ottawa households are renters. Many have no power to control the temperature in their units. While Ottawa-specific data is scarce, a national survey from ACORN Canada found that 44 per cent of respondents had no access to air conditioning. When other factors are considered, such as old and inefficient building stock, poverty and the rising cost of living, it is no surprise that cooling is out of reach for too many. Let's be clear: When it comes to extreme heat, the risks are here and worsening. The federal government states that 'extreme heat is the leading cause of illness and death from weather-related hazards in Canada.' A recent federal study shows higher-than-average risk of death during stretches of extreme heat in Canada's largest cities over the past 20 years. Risks were particularly high for people aged 65 or older. Extreme heat doesn't just kill; it worsens heart conditions, triggers mental-health crises and heightens the risk of accidents. This reduces quality of life, diminishes economic productivity and adds to the burden on overstretched health systems. We would never accept an apartment without heat in winter. So why do we tolerate deadly indoor heat in the summer? While the reasons behind the detrimental effects of extreme heat are layered and complex, there is a simple logic at its foundation: As a society, we continue to treat cooling as a luxury, rather than the necessity it has become in the face of rapidly accelerating climate change. Effective solutions are within reach. Ontario cities such as Toronto, Mississauga and Kingston are at the forefront of debates around the adoption of maximum indoor temperature bylaws. These enforce a legal upper bound to indoor temperatures, usually around 26 degrees Celsius. While the bylaw debate proceeds, some cities are rolling out stopgap measures, where air conditioning is provided in specific cases. Ottawa needs to join the movement in favour of strong maximum temperature bylaws. In the meantime, more needs to be done to get the word out on existing programs to access cooling devices through the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW) and Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD), which are available from June 1 to Sept. 15. In short, Ontario physicians or nurse practitioners can write a prescription for a cooling device, allowing eligible tenants to access funds for air-conditioning units. Heat waves have become an inescapable fact of life in a rapidly warming world, but smart policy choices can make a difference now. Every summer we delay costs lives. It's time for Ottawa to treat cooling like the right it has become, and enact measures to close the gap for so many in our city. Now is the time to take the peril out of summer, for everyday residents and for those most vulnerable, living on the front lines of climate change. Dr. Lorin Young (MD, MSc, FRCPC) is a general psychiatrist. Robb Barnes is climate program director for Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). Our bodies may not be as resilient to heat as we thought, uOttawa study shows Why Ottawa's heat and humidity is more dangerous than it seems
