Back to School - YMCA gives children a place to go

The YMCA of Saratoga offers many before and after-school activities for children that give them a place to go after school and give working parents piece of mind.

For school-aged children, the YMCA offers programs that are more than just babysitting. The enrichment programs give children a chance to have fun with their peers and have a safe place to be until their parents get out of work. The before and after school enrichment program was started in 1985 in order to support working families and was designed to stimulate and facilitate development in school-aged children.

“Our goal is to keep the kids engaged in the activities while having fun at the same time. It’s always good to slip a little bit of learning in there as well,” Paige Minear, school age coordinator at the YMCA of Saratoga, said. “We understand, though, that kids are in school all day, so we want the program to be relaxed.”

The program follows the 10-month school year and is also open during school vacations and holidays for parents who are unable to take time off from work at the same time. The programs run from 7-9:15 a.m., and 3-6 p.m. The program is available at the YMCA of Saratoga on West Avenue, Greenfield Elementary School, Dorothy Nolan Elementary School and Lave Avenue Elementary School.

“We are here to make sure kids are safe. We are available on snow days, half days and vacations. It’s important for kids to have a fun, engaging and safe place to go when school is not in session,” Minear said.

The program offers diverse activities that appeal to just about everyone, said director Patti Laudicina. The activities are selected to enrich children through art, math, science, dramatic play, music, physical play and homework help. Each child is also guaranteed to have at least 30 minutes or more of physical activity during the program.

“We do a little of everything here. There’s something for everyone,” she added.

There is another program called Cyber Kidz and is offered to children from five to seven years old. Cyber Kidz is similar to the before and after school program, but it also helps younger children develop computer skills and teaches them responsibility by signing themselves into the program and holding the children accountable for their whereabouts throughout the program.

There are also a number of programs for older children at the YMCA of Saratoga. All programs begin on September 8, including Leader’s Club, Youth and Government, Empowering Adolescent Girls and Teen Nights.

Leader’s Club is open to children aged 12 to 17 years old and gets them involved in community service and teaches them team building and leadership skills.

“Some of the students don’t realize that there are soup kitchens in this area and not everyone is as fortunate as they are. This club gives them a lot of experience outside of school and is a great way to develop skills they will need in the future,” said program coordinator Mary Haley.

Empowering Adolescent Girls is a new group that is offered to girls between the ages of 10 to 14. The group will meet Monday nights and help girls work on self-esteem, having a positive body image and independent thinking.

“Today, bullying is out of control, especially with young girls. We want to work with girls to have self confidence to stand up for themselves and counter bullying,” Haley said.

“We want them to feel comfortable here and not be scared away by exercise. We just want to introduce them to basic concepts for a healthy lifestyle in a time when childhood obesity is growing at a ridiculous rate,” she added.

As a way to get children familiar with government on all levels, Youth and Government will be offered this fall. The group will meet twice a month to discuss governments from the local level to the national level.

“I thought it was important to bring back Youth and Government to give kids an edge on what is going on in our nation, especially in an election year,” Haley said.

For at least an hour each evening from 6-7 p.m., Haley said she hopes to offer a free athletic event such as volleyball or open gym for students in order to get them moving and help to introduce exercise into their daily routine.

All of the adolescent activities are open to the public; however, there are fees if the children are not members of the YMCA. For more information, contact the YMCA of Saratoga at the West Avenue branch at (518) 583-9622.