YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF PRINCETON
59 Paul Robeson Place, Princeton, NJ 08540 princetonymca.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: The Y.M.C.A. of Princeton (Princeton Family YMCA) is a charitable, not-for-profit community organization dedicated to enriching the spirit, mind and body and improving the quality of life. We create and deliver values-based programs that draw their inspiration from our Judeo-Christian heritage. We welcome and serve people of all ages, races and creeds, with an emphasis on families and youth.

At the Y, strengthening community is our purpose. As a cause-driven charity, we connect all people to their potential, purpose and each other to deliver impact in youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

For Healthy Living We're passionate about improving our community's health and wellbeing. We also know that stopping disease from starting is far more powerful than fighting it once it arrives. The Y provides resources and space along with support and guidance to help maintain or improve physical fitness; address individual health issues such as obesity or diabetes management; and achieve true balance in spirit, mind and body. Since the beginning, the Y has offered programs that enable individuals to strengthen their spiritual, mental and physical well-being. Today, we are focused on supporting Americans of all ages in response to our nation's growing health challenges: reversing rates of obesity and fighting chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease and helping individuals reclaim their lives after battling illness such as cancer. Members participated in 500+ group exercise classes. Trained YMCA wellness staff and instructors provide support and encouragement to members of all ages and abilities, as well as specialized personal training and guidance for clients who range in age from their teen to their 90s. 500+ children participate in Youth Sports programs annually that teach leadership, teamwork and good sportsmanship to help children grow in self-confidence and understanding of others. Volunteer coaches serve as role models and support the program. More than 3,000 adults joined together in physical fitness activities such as morning basketball, yoga, martial arts, fencing, aquatics, fencing, use of the Wellness center equipment, personal training and other group exercise classes focused on building strength and stamina. Over 3,000 children and adults participated in our Aquatics programs to learn and build swimming skills that build confidence, ensure safety and encourage a lifelong love of swimming for exercise and fun. The Y provided 835 youth swim lessons to children and youth and 70+ youth participated in our competitive swim team program. Olivia's Wellness Connection provided opportunities for neighbors to participate in free workshops and share in the benefits of a healthy lifestyle with volunteer Gail Olivia Everett. Nationally, the Y and the LIVESTRONG foundation joined together to create LIVESTRONG at the YMCA, a physical activity and well-being program designed to help adult cancer survivors achieve their holistic health goals. We deliver this research-based program that offers people affected by cancer a safe, supportive environment to participate in physical and social activities focused on strengthening the whole person, free of charge. By focusing on the whole person and not the disease, LIVESTRONG at the YMCA helps people move beyond cancer in spirit, mind and body.

For Youth Development: We believe that all kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve. That's why, through the Y, millions of youth today are cultivating the values, skills and relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health and educational achievement. Among its many commitments, collectively the YMCA is dedicated to closing the achievement gap among low-income students and reducing summer learning loss. Below is an overview of the many youth outreach programs conducted by the Princeton Family YMCA in 2019: Equity Initiatives: Every day young people face challenges related to hunger, health, learning, water safety and safe spaces, which prevent them from reaching their potential. In response, Y staff and volunteers provide support and deliver programs that help youth overcome barriers - or gaps - to achieve more. The Princeton Family YMCA's Y Achievers umbrella of programs is dedicated to helping young people in our community "hop the gaps" to grow into healthy, secure and connected adults. Mini Achievers: For a fifth summer, the YMCA delivered an eight-week camp program designed to prepare rising kindergartners with limited to no preschool experience for the classroom. Partnering again with the Princeton Public Schools, the program served 23 children from low to moderate income households at the Community Park Elementary School. The camp is intended to give the rising kindergartners the foundation they need to get have a solid start and thrive. Princeton Young Achievers (PYA), an organization founded in 1993 to provide quality afterschool support to children in grades K through 5 who live in Princeton's subsidized housing communities, merged with the Princeton Family YMCA in 2011. Today, the program continues to serve an average of 80 - 90 students, with a goal of ensuring that each child is ready to learn and prepared for each school day. An experienced and caring teaching staff creates a warm and welcoming environment at each of the three learning centers located in Princeton: the Crimmins Learning Center, the Littlebrook Elementary School (serving Redding Circle residents) and the Pannell Learning Center. Monday through Thursday, students receive critical homework assistance and participate in a variety of enriching activities designed to stimulate a love of learning and reading. On Fridays, students benefit from a partnership with the Arts Council of Princeton that generously provides the in-kind Creative Fridays arts education program. Committed and Faithful Princetonians, a nonprofit organization founded by neighborhood leaders to support teenagers considered at risk, came under the YMCA umbrella in 2012. Meeting biweekly and with an average of 40+ teens in attendance, Committed and Faithful hosted speakers whose topics focused on character, values, achievement, goal setting and personal development. A delicious homemade dinner was provided at each meeting. The participants also organized fundraisers, and culminated the year with a dinner and trips to YMCA Frost Valley Camp in New York. Latinos en Progreso: Since September 2014, the Y and the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) have worked together to provide the Latinos en Progreso outreach program. Originally started by PPS to engage Latino families more deeply and meaningfully in school life, the Y added a youth development component conducted during the parent meetings. Since then, the groups have met on Monday evenings at the Henry Pannell Learning Center where they enjoy a dinner followed by a program. Topics have included parenting, healthy living, and life skills for the adults, and goal setting, creative writing, STEM, and college planning for the youth. All Kids Thrive Initiative - the A.C.E. program: ACE (Accept Compete Excel) is the Princeton Family YMCA's program to reduce chronic absenteeism in the Princeton Public Schools and build connections and supports for students in grades 8 to 12 who are most at risk of missing school and falling behind. Funded with a grant from the Princeton Area Community Foundation's All Kids Thrive initiative, the program is inspired by THREAD, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that "weaves" together youth, volunteer mentors, and other community assets to strengthen bonds, deepen a sense of belonging and improve the lives of the program's students. The ACE program utilizes the same concept with a focus on increasing our students' attendance, academic performance and social/emotional learning; as well as greater engagement in school and the larger community to assure a brighter future and positive trajectory in life. YMCA Day Camp For ten weeks, the Princeton Family YMCA provided enriching day camp experiences for 469 children, June - August 2019. Accredited by the American Camping Association (ACA), the Princeton Family YMCA's Day Camp is one of the most powerful ways for youngsters to learn lessons that will serve them throughout their lives. An average of 180 campers practice teamwork, hone social skills, and grow in confidence and character each week at YMCA summer day camp. Seventh Grade Initiative In 2019, 50+ 7th graders benefited from a free membership at the YMCA, part of a state-wide initiative to support youth as they grow and transition to more independence in a safe and welcoming environment.

Quality School age Childcare for Working Families For decades, the Princeton Family YMCA has served local families with quality afterschool childcare for working families. In 2019, families continued to entrust the care of their children in grades K to 5 in the Princeton and Montgomery Township school districts. 450 children and their families were served by the before and afterschool program. Our state-licensed program emphasizes the YMCA core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. The Y also offers the "Y Zone" program as an affordable option for quality care for children during out-of-school time and holidays. YUSA provides resources for Y school-age childcare programs in areas of best practices, accreditations and certifications, staff management and recruitment, and program quality. Nationally, the YMCA is the largest not-for-profit child care provider in the country. We know firsthand how difficult it can be to find balance in one's family life. That's why the Y is for working families every day, making sure that they and the larger community have the resources and support needed to learn, grow and thrive.

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