ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Ann Arbor YMCA has announced two programs intended to serve the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti community.
The first program is a free four-workshop series promoting swimming among girls age 11 to 18. The second is a collaborative effort to create a child development certificate program that aims to help Washtenaw Community College students gain experience in the field of child development.
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Here are the details:
Young Women Making Waves
From Aug. 17-26, the free Young Women Making Waves program will provide mentorship, swim instruction and competitive swimming opportunities.
Program participants will receive foundational swim lessons and train on dry land as well as have intentional discussions on body image, identity and healthy relationships.
YWMW is open to girls and non-binary teens from ages 11 to 18. Those interested will also be invited to local swim meets and to participate in the Y’s Lifeguard Academy.
Workshops locations include Community Center Park, Rutherford Pool and Ford Lake Park in Ypsilanti.
Registration is required for the four two-hour-long workshops. Register at www.annarboymca.org.
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Child Development Certificate Pipeline Program
The Y also announced that the Collaborative: Ypsilanti YMCA Child Development Center is partnering with Engage@EMU and the Washtenaw Community College Early Childhood Program to offer a child development certificate.
The CDC Pipeline Program will give WCC students an opportunity to have an in-person practicum at the Collaborative: YMCA Child Development Center after four semesters of online study. It also addresses the need for child development professionals in Washtenaw County.
Once students complete the program, they can work at a child development center or use program credits to pursue a baccalaureate degree in Early Childhood Education at Eastern Michigan University.
According to the YMCA, scholarship support is being offered by the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber, Washtenaw Office of Community and Economic Development, Michigan Works! Southeast, Lake Trust Credit Union and University of Michigan Credit Union.
The support is offered so that community members, including high school students from Ypsilanti Community Schools and residents served by the Family Empowerment Program residing in the Ypsilanti Housing Commission, can use the program as an entryway to an educational opportunity.