CUMBERLAND CAPE ATLANTIC YMCA IN THE VINELAND SCHOOL DISTRICT

SEPTEMBER The YMCA staff were invited and attended Open House and Back to School Nights at all 11 schools. This gave the parents an opportunity to talk to the staff and obtain information about the program. We are grateful for the collaboration and working relationship that we have with all the Vineland Schools.

OCTOBER At Petway and Winslow schools, we began offering the Y-USA Achievement Gap Program. This Afterschool Signature Program runs 2.5 hours per day, five days per week, during the academic school year. The balanced program is designed to support academic and physical development, and also build social emotional competencies for children living in low-income communities. The afterschool program is delivered in partnership with the schools and is intended to support school day learning. The program includes elements such as tutoring, homework help, math and literacy enrichment, physical activity and youth development enrichments designed to help youth develop social and emotional skills; this is accomplished under the direction of a School Liaison. The School Liaison is a teacher at the school and is employed by the YMCA to work in cooperation with the Site Coordinator to identify the children’s needs and provide additional assistance. To date, we have 12 students enrolled in the Achievement Gap Program at each school. In October, all the sites participated in the Lights On Afterschool celebration and the Healthy U kick off on October 26. Lights On Afterschool is an annual nationwide event organized by the Afterschool Alliance. With 8,000 rallies nationwide it’s aim is to make afterschool programs available to all. Parents were invited to “Stay and Play” in the morning when they dropped off their children. They participated in CATCH activities. In the afternoon, the parents/caregivers were invited to participate in a “Make and Take” activity with their child(ren).

DECEMBER

Healthy U received the 2017 State CATCH Award for Excellence in State Health, which is a new national distinction that will be given annually in recognition of exemplary efforts to promote and support health and wellness locally through the CATCH Program. The Healthy U initiative is funded by the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey with technical assistance and direction provided by the New Jersey State Alliance. The CATCH Award winners have distinguished themselves among the more than 10,000 CATCH sites across the United States through:  Positive, demonstrable health impacts among those they serve;  Exceptionally high standards for fidelity of program implementation; and,  Continued dedication to sustain programmatic efforts across multiple years.

The statewide effort is from a partnership between the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance and its 37 Member Associations. Our YMCA is honored to be one of these associations.

CATCH users since 2008, Healthy U efforts have included nutrition education and increased physical activity in schools and YMCA childcare settings, advocating for policies that support healthy environments, and convening partners across the state to create a positive collective health impact. Because of the many initiatives made possible by Healthy U, New Jersey kids and families report that they are eating more fruits and vegetables, and consuming fewer processed and sugary foods. They are spending more time being physically active, and less time in front of screens. And as a testament to the impact of Healthy U on overall culture and norms, New Jerseyans are showing improved family attitudes around health and wellness.