Virtual YMCA - Benefits

Benefit to Children

SPIRIT: Success in school depends on a child's interpersonal skills. At the Virtual YMCA, children feel valued, safe and free to express their thoughts and feelings. Without basic social skills, children may be unable to respond to social situations resulting in feelings of isolation, aggression, or disruptive behaviour. Virtual YMCA participants are developing positive relationships with adults and peers.

MIND: Literacy is integrated into all program elements. A 1:5 staff to participant ratio ensures children receive individual attention and academic support. The Virtual YMCA assists children with homework, fostering responsibility for their school work and helping them acquire the skills and abilities needed to complete school assignments in a thorough and accurate manner.

BODY: Physical activity increases appreciation of team work, good sportsmanship, problem solving, and cooperation while improving overall health and developing a positive attitude and self esteem. The CATCH program provides the physical activity component of the program. This program involves 30-40 minutes of continuous physical activity with at least 50% at a moderate to high physical level with the goal of reducing childhood obesity.

Benefit to Families

Parents are an essential resource when considering academic and social needs of their children. At pick up time, parents receive a daily feedback on their child's day. Parents also receive a weekly "Parent Feedback Form" explaining their child's participation in the program. This form also includes a comment and feedback section for parents to complete and return, ensuring parents feel valued, included, and become partners in the Virtual YMCA.

Families are supported with information about available community supports and resources helping provide choices and enabling informed decision making. In specific, a family with autistic children attending the program report their children are becoming more social with their peers, learning to solve problems and feel good that their children are in a safe place. The Virtual Y meets their needs, helps with homework completion and allows their children to have social interaction with peers and positive adult role models. This same family has reported feeling less stress as a family because their children attend the Virtual Y program. New Canadian families with ESL children attending the Virtual Y also report feeling less stressed knowing their children are receiving homework assistance they would be unable to provide at home because of language barriers.

Benefit to School Community and Neighbourhood

By design, the Virtual YMCA supports the broader school community providing linkages, supports and activities as illustrated below:

The Virtual YMCA addresses barriers to children achieving success including poverty, language and nutrition and the inability to access the arts, recreation and community resources.  By placing the Virtual YMCA in the school, the issue of convenient access to physical activity programs is addressed by reducing barriers for families who do not have the resources and transportation needed to participate. Serving underserved neighbourhoods who face more barriers impacts their health and the future health of our community.