The YMCA is a global movement that builds lasting relationships, creates a sense of belonging, and helps all to reach their full potential. We are proud of the work that we do each and every day to provide experiences that enhance healthy spirit, mind, and body, while building strong kids, strong families, and strong communities.
Whether this is your first time checking us out, or you are a lifelong believer, you are part of the Y family. Thank you for joining our celebration and learning more about what our programs mean in our Utah communities.
Will you join us in supporting our YMCA programs and building a stronger tomorrow? Give today.
As part of this year's Annual Campaign even our youngest YMCA participants got involved!
We hosted a penny drive event in our Early Childhood Education and Afterschool classrooms. Over 70% of our participants attend our programs through some kind of financial assistance. While we hope to raise money to help support our programs and open doors for more kids and families to participate in our programs, we also hope to build a culture of giving.
In this campaign by kids, for kids, we saw a lot of learning and excitement! One of our program participants, Maggie, opened her own piggy bank to donate money to her classroom while her classmate, Zack, hunted for loose change around his community!
Twin sisters, Meredith and Cristina, worked hard at home to do some age-appropriate chores to earn money to donate to this cause. And during programming, our students got to help count the change that was donated to their classroom.
Together with the other classrooms, we raised over $800! When the mission of the YMCA runs through every part of our organization, we get to see amazing things happen!
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Meet Heidi, one of our YMCA Character Award Nominees:
"Heidi shows true Y character and is only 4 years old! Heidi is always so helpful to her teachers and a friend to everyone in class. She is always willing to help other class mates when they need a friend or when they need help with something like zipping up their jackets. During circle time she sets the example for the other students by following all the Rug Rules and she will help the teachers by telling the children around her to follow the rules as well. She also makes sure to take care of the toys and puts them away properly when she is finished playing. Heidi is always willing to help a friend clean up when they have gotten too many toys out and the task is overwhelming. Heidi is a star in our preschool and she is a joy to have in class.
The Y is now, as it has always been, a place of compassion and support for ALL. When COVID-19 forced us to close our doors to the public, our staff sprang into action to ensure that our students still had the resources to learn at home. We reached out to create connections in a moment where we all felt isolated, and opened our doors to first responders and essential workers so that they could keep us safe.
We provided over 3,000 minutes of virtual programming in all area, including songs, math and literacy lessons, civic engagement, healthy recipes, and so much more. Watch this video to learn more!
Meet Liz, one of our YMCA Spirit Award Nominees:
"Liz is always our representative when it comes to getting the word out about the YMCA. She is the first to get on school news to spread the information on our program. When we hold events in the cafeteria to recruit students she is always willing to join us during lunch time and talking to other students about what we do at the YMCA and asking students to join."
You may not be able to see this team's smiles but they are glad to give our families and youth the best experience. The best part of their job is making our programs affordable and accessible for ALL. They are our behind-the-scenes ninjas doing the paperwork to support those who make our programs so exhilarating! They are absolute super heroes!
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Ariana AmbrizFront Desk Representative |
Aliya TurrubiartezFront Desk Representative |
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Raabia FaraniFront Desk Representative |
Chelsea KauffmanAdministrative Director |
Meet Victor, one of our YMCA Spirit Award Nominees:
"Victor loves the YMCA. You will always catch him writing how much he loves the YMCA. We find notes on the white boards and hanging on the wall all the time. He is often one of the last kids to get picked up and he never minds. One day he was researching the YMCA and he came up to me and said "do you know, there are other YMCA's across the world? I just learned that and that is so cool. I want to visit them!". He is always the first to lead fun songs and get kids up off their feet. He says he cannot wait until he is old enough to be a YMCA teacher. He is truly a Y kid through and through."
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| Justice was selected for the Living Our Cause Award! She has worked for the YMCA for three and a half years, previously as a Program Leader, and now serving as a Site Coordinator in Weber. "Justice is super passionate about what she does and I can tell she loves her students and really wants them to succeed. I think she is a model site coordinator and we should strive to be like her. She's nice to everyone and seems to always know what to do. She's my biggest inspiration and I would love to run my program even half as good as she does." |
Lili was also selected for the Living the Our Cause Award! Lili is a Program Leader in Salt Lake. She has been with our YMCA for a little over 4 years, but her Y journey started as a participant long before she was ever staff! Lili makes a big difference in the lives of others. "Lili has been on both sides of programs as a student and as a staff. Her students are the center of her life and she treats them with the utmost respect and love. She is always trying to give her kids authentic choices and provides support. All the kids adore her and she has a magnetic personality." |
Meet Aubriella, one of our YMCA Spirit Award Nominees:
Aubriella loves the YMCA and she shares that with all who attend. During the pandemic Aubriella would ask her parents everyday "When do I get to go back to the Y?". When we did virtual programming, Aubriella was so excited to see her teachers and would always ask about coming back to school. Once Aubriella was able to return to in person class, she was very excited and talked about how much she missed everyone. When we started talking about Summer Day Camp registration, Aubriella's dad told me that she would come home everyday and say "You need to register me for summer because I love the Y and I want to go to Summer Camp." Because of Aubriella's love for the Y, and always talking about it at home she now has cousins that attend our programs too!"
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Wyatt was selected for our very first Rising Star Award! He is a Site Coordinator in Weber County and he has been with Y for just over 2 years. "Wyatt has gone above and beyond the call of duty. He has a knack for compiling videos and sharing them with our Y. He has had many videos published to YouTube that have demonstrated his work ethic and understanding his tech-savviness. Wyatt incorporates many of his talents into his program structure and offers a wide variety of activities that keep the kiddos coming back. Wyatt continues to excel in his site coordinator position and enriches the students in his program to become well-rounded individuals."
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Meet Jayden, one of our YMCA Character Award Nominees:
"Jayden has been such an example of what it is to be a leader. He embodies all four of our character values. The day he was accepted into our leadership-in-training program, he immediately took on the responsibility. He is always helping out the teachers and does things without being asked. It is almost like he can read your mind on what you need help with. He is super respectful to every single kid in program, never has one mean thing to say. He is a kid you can count on to tell you the truth in any situation. He truly cares about the other kids and the staff. He is such a joy to have in our program."
The National AfterSchool Association highlighted emerging leaders who are making contributions that influence programs and organizations in their Next Generation of Afterschool Leaders 2021. These two are recognized as having the potential for long-term and broad impact in the afterschool field, are active in the broader afterschool community, and have made clear their passion and efforts to support others. We are proud of the work our YMCA family is doing in Utah. They truly are building strong kids, strong families, and strong communities.
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Frederick serves the YMCA as one of our Assistant Directors of Youth Development in Weber. "My immediate impact is servicing our communities to build strong families and strong individuals to help them be successful in our society. I am proud of my continued support to my afterschool communities." |
Deborah Peel is a Center Coordinator at Promise South Salt Lake, a summer Camp Roger staff member, and avid volunteer at the YMCA. "I can make our programs a safe space physically and emotionally for everyone that comes in. Putting a focus on mental health has helped everyone feel more supported and increased job satisfaction among our staff." |
Meet Kyson, one of our YMCA Character Award Nominees:
"We have watched Kyson go from a casual participant at the Y to being very involved. In the beginning of year it was hard to get him to focus on what we were doing in program and he didn't seem to care to much. Recently he has taken the initiative when it comes to planning community service projects. He recommends ideas and makes sure to include every student opinions and ideas in the discussion. When we had to move to virtual YMCA he kept track of time and updated us everyday on how long it's been until we returned in person. He couldn't wait for that moment and when we finally were able to meet in person again, he was so excited."
Join us for the LAST DAY of our silent auction, which closes at 8pm tonight!
You can click here to check out all that we are auctioning off. You have to create a profile to bid, but don't worry, it is super easy! We are really excited to auctioning off family friendly baskets, brunch essentials, Patagonia outerwear, summer camp weeks, and so, so much more. There is a little something for everyone!
We are nearly at our goal and would love for you to help push us over the edge!
We know that we can't do this alone so even if you don't see something that you like and still want to donate, click here!
Meet Connor, one of our YMCA Character Award Nominees:
"Connor shows the four core values relentlessly. Every opportunity there is to join YMCA activities, he is always there. He has the best attendance of all the students. He is calm under challenging situations and is constantly takes initiative. When we held in person program on Fridays (when school was not in session), he would walk one hour to program and one hour back home just to join."
"Gio is a 6th grader and a long time student our our program. We have watched him grow into a very responsible and respectful young man. He loves to include the younger kids in playing soccer with him and if they fall down or get hurt he is the first to make sure they are ok. We have had out Leader-in-training program for going on three years now, and this is the first year that he decided he wanted to apply and give it a try. In his interview, he told his teacher "It's okay if I didn't get accepted, you can let me know". When the teacher told him he was accepted, he let out a cry of excitement "YAY". Since then, he has stepped out of his comfort zone and up as a leader in afterschool and helps his teachers and students with anything they need."
Our programs play a vital role in in shaping the young minds of the future.
Will you help us support these amazing programs?
Together, we can build a stronger tomorrow. Join us in giving.
At the YMCA of Northern Utah, we believe that strong, bright futures start with a solid foundation. In our Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs we encourage achievement through play, story-time, teaching tables, music, arts & crafts, and so much more!
We strive to provide a structured environment for children ages 3-5 to develop their language skills, math comprehension, social skills, and build healthy lifestyles. Our goal is to make learning fun so that our children become lifelong learners.
Utah is one of just 6 states in the whole country that offer no funding for preschool programs. Significant research shows that high-quality early childhood education produces long-term academic and social benefits for children. The YMCA is one of the only providers of early childhood education programs in our communities.
5YMCA sites servingSalt Lake, Weber,and Davis counties |
12,831Meals and Snacksserved last year jfkda;jdfjijeijf |
$200,854Awarded in financial assistance to ECE familiesjdfjijeijf |
190Children who wouldn'totherwise have accessto ECE programs |
Rhonda Clark
"Since the onset of COVID-19 we have learned how to connect with our families in new ways since parents are not able to have the access to the classrooms in the same way as before. We spend more time identifying and addressing the needs of our families and our community. We learned the value of connection and that we can still offer support."
Heather Shaffer
"Because of our Early Childhood Education programs we are seeing more children going in to Kindergarten prepared, and we are able to reach more families in need than ever before. Offering scholarships to many who wouldn't otherwise be able to have these opportunities is one way we help support and uplift our communities."
From our good friend, Kid President, here is a uplifting message and reminder of what the world needs a little more of.
This simple video is a good representation of the attitude, spirit, and message that we instill in our program participants each and every day. Our character values at the YMCA are Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility and we practice these in a number of ways.
We teach Caring when we greet our student's by name, hold open doors, and say 'please' and 'thank you'. We demonstrate Honesty when we apologize and ask for help, and Respect when we share and genuinely listen to someone else. We implement Responsibility when we pick up our things and when we do what we say we are going to do.
And if that's not enough, let's dance!
44%of mothers surveyedwould utilize childcareif available |
91%of 3 year olds in Utahare not enrolled in anECE program |
10%of Utah's population is childrenage 5 and under ffdfefefefefefefefefjkjiji |
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Angelena SalasAssistant Teacher |
Carmen CaudelLead Teacher Salt Lake |
Marin ClarkLead Teacher |
Nia WestmorelandAssistant Teacher |
We’re teaming up with Café Zupas for a Fundraiser Night, TONIGHT, April 27th, from 4pm-9pm.
We hope that you will join us for a delicious meal (that you didn't have to make) and rest assured, this isn't just about dinner. Part of your purchase will go back to our YMCA to help make our programs more accessible and sustainable for ALL. The more meals purchased, means the more money we will have coming back to us, so invite your friends, load up, and enjoy! You can join us at either of these two locations:
Murray Location: Ogden Location
5157 S State Street 1293 Wall Avenue
Murray, UT 84107 Ogden, UT 84404
Here's what you need to know:
Tonight from 4pm-9pm, grab dinner at Zupas at one of the two locations above. Be sure to mention that you are eating out because of the YMCA!
Ordering Online?
Don't have time to wait in line or wanting to grab-and-go? Order pickup through cafezupas.com and enter code FUNDRAISER25 at checkout to make your order count.
There are an estimated 152,479 children in Utah under the age of 6. Of these, there are only 41,144 slots in formal childhood education programs. In fact, 9 of 29 Utah counties have no, or very limited, licensed early childhood education programs.
A child’s experiences in the first five years of their life are recognized as a cornerstone for lifelong learning, laying a foundation of academic and life success.
"Early experiences determine whether a child's developing brain architecture provides a strong or weak foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health." - Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Gaps in student achievement are first identified in early education environments. These gaps can be addressed through high-quality learning opportunities, improved cognitive and social development, and intellectual gains ensuring children are prepared for their formal academic years and beyond.
Early Childhood Education is considered one of the most critical stages of human development. Our ECE programs build enriching connections, foster curiosity and learning, and lay the foundation for lifelong achievement and growth.
The need in our communities is great. It is estimated that publicly funded early education programs are only meeting a small portion of the need in Utah, only 17%. Supporting the YMCA today helps us grow our programs, open doors for more families to participate, and builds a stronger tomorrow for our children and our families.
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Alison HuntInstructional Coach |
Carolina WheelerLead Teacher |
Izzy HoglundAssistant Teacher |
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Laura VasquezAssistant Teacher |
Lidian DeOlivieriaLead Teacher |
Megan Winder (left)Assistant Teacher |
Shaylee CornejoLead Teacher |
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Michele HedinAssistant Teacher |
Susana RuizAssistant Teacher |
Yazmin SanchezLead Teacher |
7YMCA classrooms to help build strong foundations jjijijij |
74Videos created as at-home learning resourcesduring COVID-19 |
331minutes of instruction that included songs, math and letter lessons, and stories |
100%of our families who would recommend our programs jijiji |
Can you help us meet our goal to serve more families, provide more opportunities, and continue the great work that we do each and every day?
Together, we can create a stronger tomorrow. Join us in giving.
What happens when you ask 100 kids what they want to be when they grow up?? Well, there will be too many answers to count!
At the YMCA of Northern Utah, we believe that each and every child deserves the opportunity to realize their potential and chase their dreams. And we hope to instill in them the values and life skills to succeed at everything they set their minds to.
Join us in learning more about our afterschool programs, and also in hearing about the need for more enrichment opportunities after school.
Together, we can build strong kids, strong families, and strong communities.
Join us in building a stronger tomorrow. Give today.
Afterschool programs go beyond school. Children need more than a strong curriculum, good teachers, and time in the classroom to succeed. Afterschool programs have long known that embracing the hours between the time school closes and parents return from work provides children with exciting and engaging experiences. These opportunities will help students learn academic, social, and life skills.
“Both my wife and I work full-time jobs and greatly appreciate the afterschool program our two children attend. We feel more at ease in our work and able to focus on creating positive opportunities for our family by growing in our careers. We know that our kids are safe, learning, engaged, and cared for afterschool. The fact that our kids finish their homework afterschool every day allows us all to enjoy more family time together in the evenings.” -parent of an afterschool program participant
School-age children spend 80% of their waking hours outside of school. Participating in afterschool programs leads to increased adult supervision and not only promotes positive youth development but also decreases risky behaviors such as smoking or drug abuse.
71% of Utah parents say that afterschool programs reduce the likelihood that youth will engage in risky behaviors.
Parents and guardians who do not have access to childcare miss an average of eight days of work per year, and this decreased worker productivity costs businesses up to $300 billion annually.
According to the Afterschool Alliance, availability and funding are barriers to program participation. 99,000 of Utah's youth are left unsupervised after school and 257,000 youth would participate in a program if one were available in their community.
Additionally, state funding is limited for afterschool programs in Utah. In 2018, 45 programs submitted proposals for the Afterschool Program Quality Improvement grant, and only 14 received funding. Of those requested funds from 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC), only $1,559,812 was available of the $3,016,712 requested.
We are more than just your average afterschool program! The YMCA is dedicated to providing high-quality and age-appropriate enrichment for our participants so families can rest assured that even when they aren't there with their kids, we are there for them!
The Y has 17 program sites serving Salt Lake, Weber, and Davis counties. We are currently serving over 1000 youth!
During COVID-19, we were able to provide 2,190 minutes of 'virtual programming' in areas like science, art, math, literacy, college/career readiness, civic engagement, homework help, health, and more!
We are proud of the work we every day to support kids reaching their highest potential, learning growing, and thriving at the YMCA of Northern Utah.
69%of students improvedtheir mathematic gradesfddf |
67%of students improved their English language arts grades fddf |
69%of students better understood the importanceof healthy eating |
66%of parents reported their child got along betterwith family members |
Joanna Libby
"We work really hard as an organization to set our kids up for success.
We seek partnerships and are in constant communication with local
colleges, tutors, our schools, and our families to set and achieve goals so that
all of our students can reach their full potential."
8For every child in Afterschool, 8 are waitingfor an available program |
99,000Utah youth areleft unsupervisedafter school |
67%of parents say after school programs keep kids safeand out of trouble |
80%School-age childrenspend 80% of their waking hours outside of school |
Check out this short video about how one adult can make all the difference.
At the YMCA, each and every one our staff is a mentor who embodies our character values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility. These are the values that we nurture in ourselves, seek out in others, and model every day to our youth.
You never know when you will make a difference in the life of a child.
70%Drop in juvenile crime, corresponding with the rise of afterschool opportunities |
8Average days missed peryear for families who do nothave access to childcare |
79%of parents sayafterschool exciteskids about learning |
82%of parents sayafterschool givesthem peace of mind |
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Aaron lead the creation of monthly virtual meetings and pen pal program for teens to connect with other youth from around the world, gain perspective, and build enriching connection. Currently there are seven YMCA represented including ours in Utah: Massachusetts, Ohio, New Zealand, Columbia, Washington, and Japan. |
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Aaron EnzSite Coordinator |
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Amele is so patient when working with our students. She takes time to have conversations with the students to get to know them, check in on how they are doing, and to help them improve their social emotional skills. She never misses a teachable moment or opportunity to grow. |
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Amele ZappitelloProgram Assistant |
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Natasha has grown so much as a leader. She is constantly striving to learn more techniques and strategies to better work with our youth. She has such a great connection with the youth in her program as well as with their parents. Her connections within in her communities help enhance her programs as well! |
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Natasha RobinsonSite Coordinator |
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Jay always has a positive attitude and keeps her energy high. Even when she is tired, her kids would never know. When she arrives at work, she puts a big smile on her face and puts her full effort into each and every task! Her enthusiasm is contagious and the kids really enjoy her activities. |
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Jay HollinsProgram Substitute |
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Mason is a compassionate leader who cares a lot about the growth of his students and staff. He has been instrumental in making sure the staff team stay on track with our assessments. He sets up reporting periods, provides reports on cumulative growth, and tracks all of our social emotional interventions.
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Mason PappasSite Coordinator |
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Melido always has a fun activity planned for our students and shares his ideas and resources with other staff members. He has so much passion when working with children and it shows everyday. |
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Melido MirProgram Assistant |
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Lili is taking the lead in our Cultural Family Night. We first held this event last March and Lili was impressed with its success and wants to keep it going as a traditional ASP event to encourage inclusion. She will also take the lead on our first ever LIT program during summer camp for Junior High Students and has created an amazing foundation program for future summers. |
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Liliana RivasProgram Lead |
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Montana has taken lead on creating a YMCA family culture in our afterschool programs. She goes above and beyond in all things YMCA and has created such a respectful, warm, and welcoming classroom. Montana is taking the lead on curriculum this summer and has really taken ownership to make sure our programs are as high quality as they can be! |
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Montana NugentProgram Lead |
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Nancy’s always seems to know how to connect with her students and works to know each and every detail. She loves watching her kids try new things and is excited to provide her staff members with the same experience. She goes out of her way for her students and makes sure there are no barriers to their participation. |
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Nancy MartinezSite Coordinator |
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Tagen is a rising leader in the YMCA. He is always willing to try new things and learn. In our programs you have to be flexible, adjust to group dynamics and have a positive attitude and Tagen does all of those things. The kids love his energy, as do our staff team! |
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Tagen GardProgram Assistant |
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Cobi started as a volunteer back in 2018. We were so impressed with him and wanted to keep him around longer! He has recently been more involved with lesson planning and has been instrumental in teaching our kids how to code. He takes time to create amazing coding challenges for them! |
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Cobi ToeunProgram Assistant |
One of our staff members had this to say about our Jr. High program. "The YMCA is all about creating a second family that our teens can rely on. Every day, our students can expect to find a warm space for them to safely explore who they are, what truly matters to them, and how to begin navigating the world on their own. With caring staff, unique field trips, and plenty of opportunities to step up into leadership roles, our youth have everything they need to grow into the people they aim to be."
Check out this short video that the students made themselves!
Afterschool plays a vital role in turning the hours between school ending, and families getting off of work, into a time of opportunity for our young people.
Will you help us support these amazing programs?
Together, we can build a stronger tomorrow. Join us in giving.
