YMCA offers after-school programs

Providing youth with opportunities to continue to learn and engage in meaningful activities at the end of the school day can boost their academic success.
To help motivate and inspire kids to learn, the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA branches are offering after-school programs to school-aged children throughout the area.
The Y’s after-school program combines academics with play and offers a caring and safe environment for youth who would otherwise be left unsupervised.

During the school year, 15.1 million U.S. children are left unsupervised after 3 p.m., according to the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit public awareness advocacy organization.
With the start of the new school year, the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA encourages parents to make sure children are involved in safe, educational experiences after school.

“At the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, we believe all kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve,” said Terry McCarthy, Executive Director of the New Haven YMCA Youth Center, a branch of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA.
“In the Y’s after-school programs, youth are cultivating values, skills and relationships and have an extra support system that encourages them to achieve success.”
Studies show participation in after-school programs helps boost school attendance and academic performance and reduces gaps in academic achievement among children from disadvantaged households.
YMCA after-school programs promote a love for learning, social and emotional development, and character and creativity.

In the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA’s after-school programs youth receive help with homework, a healthy snack, play time and additional activities that may explore arts and crafts, music, swimming, science, nature, and community service.
Financial assistance is available to those in need, to ensure every child and teen has the opportunity to learn and grow at the Y.
For information about the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA’s after-school programs, visit www.cccymca.org or call 203-777-9622.

The above is taken from a release from Central Connecticut Coast YMCA.