| Winter Session Registration Coming Soon!
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YMCA members - Nov. 14th Non-Members - Nov. 17th Registration opens at 8:30am
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Best Buddies Friendship Walk
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Saturday, November 18th
Cunningham School, Milton Raising awareness and funds to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For more information, click here or download the flyer.
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| We are looking for feedback about the impact of our programs.
How has inclusion impacted you or a family member? Click here to share your story!
Statements will be used to help spread the word about the benefit and impact that our inclusion initiative is having on our Y community.
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SSYMCA taking steps to become a Diversity, Inclusion, & Global (DIG) Leader
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Lisa Drennan with Kevin Washington, President and CEO of YMCA of the USA |
| What is a DIG Y, you might ask? It is a YMCA association that has made a commitment toward advancing social equity, fair treatment, access and opportunity for advancement of all. The South Shore YMCA has become the 75th Y in the country out of 900+ associations to become DIG certified. Members of the SSYMCA recently formed the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and have been meeting since early 2017 to start the work of creating a road map of the steps necessary toward this initiative. The first success of this group was to draft our Diversity and Inclusion Statement (PDF). To further advance this cause, Lisa Drennan, Association Director of Inclusion, represented the SSYMCA in attendance at the DIG Innovation Network Annual Conference in Columbus Ohio, from October 24th – 27th.
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Inclusion Department News
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Departures The close of the camp season marked the end of a remarkable era as we said goodbye to Emilson Inclusion Coordinator Emmy Casagrande. After three years in the role, she has returned to her original career path of teaching. Emmy will be sorely missed by our community and the families that she served. She was instrumental in the creation of our first ever inclusion camp at Camp Gordon Clark as well as our Building Bridges Social Skills Groups. Her caring and patient demeanor and passion for inclusion were the signature traits everyone came to know and love. New Arrivals We are proud to welcome Kate Trowbridge and Lexi Anderson to the inclusion team. Learn a little more about Kate and Lexi:
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Kate Trowbridge, Emilson Branch Inclusion Coordinator
B.A. Special Education & Masters in Special Education, Curry College Kate has been in the Special Education Field for 11 years, working closely with elementary through high school aged children. She has experience teaching social skills to students at a variety of different levels and also has extensive experience working with the Autistic population. Kate lives in Kingston with her husband and two children. She is very excited to join the YMCA!
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Lexi Anderson, Quincy Branch Inclusion Specialist
B.A. English/B.S. Elementary Education, Bridgewater State University Lexi has worked for the Y since 2009. She spent her summers at Camp Gordon Clark, most recently as the Lower Camp Coordinator, and now is the year-round Inclusion Specialist for the Quincy YMCA. Through the years, she has worked as a lead instructor for our Building Bridges classes, as well as an assistant for other inclusion offerings. Lexi is also an ABA therapist serving the South Shore community doing in-home therapies. She is excited to continue working with the South Shore YMCA and Inclusion.
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Strypers Competitive Swim Team Off to a Swimming Start!
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The South Shore YMCA’s Strypers competitive swim team is off to a great start! Since early September, you can find team members and their coaches at the Emilson pool deck each Monday and Thursday. Bernie Dickman, Director of Competitive Swimming, has brought on Lead Coach Kevin Keefe, a member of New England Swimming Diversity and Inclusion Committee. “This is a competitive swim team for swimmers with diverse abilities who will have opportunities to take part in competitions.” says Dickman. Set up in a progressive model, the ultimate goal is for members to enhance their basic knowledge and execution of all four swim strokes. While practices have already begun, there are still spots available on the team! Swimmer Rahlo Reay reports “I see all my friends! I just really like being in the water.” Prospective members should reach out to Bernie Dickman at bdickman@ssymca.org. For more information on practice schedule and other details, click here (PDF).
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Lobstars Tennis Team Excited About New Courts
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Our Lobstars Team has returned for their fall season and they have something to be excited about! We have a brand new Tennis dome and courts at the Emilson branch, which will allow us to offer more tennis programs. Lobstars is the adaptive tennis program ideal for teens and adults with developmental disabilities. Check out our winter program guide to learn more about the upcoming session. Contact Lucy Dickman at ldickman@ssymca.org with inquiries about our team or how to join.
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Adaptive Sports Programs Showcased at Paralympic Sports Day
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The South Shore Y was proud to be a co-host in last weekend’s Paralympic Sports Day. The event was full with demonstration stations, discussions, and information from a variety of organizations across New England who offer sports opportunities for youth and adults who have visual or mobility impairments. South Shore YMCA Inclusion Specialist Lexi Anderson shared the variety of wheelchair and adaptive sports offered this coming winter at the Y, including Basketball, Golf, Tennis and a Runner-In-Training program--all in partnership with Spaulding Adaptive Sports. "Attending Para Olympic Sport Community Day was an amazing experience,” says Lexi Anderson, Inclusion Specialist. “I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to meet members of the community, and introduce them to all the adaptive sports programs the YMCA currently has to offer!” Check out our flyer (PDF) for more information about the adaptive sport offerings at the South Shore YMCA.
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Health Education Highlights Health Education and Lifestyle Programs Forming this Winter
The South Shore YMCA believes in strengthening the whole person, body, mind and soul. We run numerous Health Education and Lifestyle programs throughout the year that address this mission: LIVESTRONG at the Y, for cancer survivors; YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program; Chronic Disease Self-Management; A Matter of Balance; and many more. New classes will begin in January, but waitlists are forming now. For more information about the programs, the South Shore YMCA’s financial assistance program and how to sign up, please contact Katelyn Szafir, Medical Wellness Director, at 617-479-8500 ext. 8228 or kszafir@ssymca.org.
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