Youth Development

Fighting Food Insecurity: 2021 Bright Spots  

More than 30 children attended Camp Noah at the New River YMCA in Jacksonville for five days this past summer. It was just five days, but the Y staff believe that time was life-changing for the children in their care, and they know it was for themselves. 

Three YMCA associations in North Carolina participate in the first cohort of the national YMCA Boys and Young Men of Color (BYMOC) Initiative led by Michael DeVaul with YMCA of the USA. While this work began prior to COVID-19, it’s more critical than ever, DeVaul said.

Educators and youth leaders know from research that positive social emotional learning (SEL) youth development with a caring adult helps children and teens develop short-term outcomes and skills that lead to long-term success, such as improved academic outcomes, stronger well-being, reduced risky beh

As communities return to “normal,” this summer following the Coronavirus pandemic, water safety should be top of mind. NC YMCAs want to ensure that water safety doesn’t get lost in our state's eagerness to return to a “normal” summer. As temperatures rise, kids want to cool off, whether that is in home pools, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, or oceans.

The YMCA of Greater Charlotte received a surprise $18 million gift at the end of 2020 from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who donated billions last December to 384 organizations nationwide.

The YMCA of Western North Carolina has marked an impressive yet sobering milestone by serving more than 1 million healthy, nutritious meals to kids in need since 2013.

While schools in Davidson County remain closed for in-person instruction, the E-Learning Academy at the J. Smith Young YMCA in Lexington is living its mission in an important way for seven homeless students from three families.