Registration for the Family Y’s Summer Session of classes and programs is now under way. Summer classes and programs at the Y’s downtown facility start the week of June 24, with most continuing through the week of August 19.
Enrollment for the Family Y’s array of summer camps and programs, including the Earthplace-Mahackeno partnership and Hafaday Summer Swim Program, are ongoing, with some weekly sessions nearing capacity in each.
The Y – a leading nonprofit committed to youth development, healthy living and social responsibility – exists to strengthen community. The Y offers a unique combination of programs that improve health, nurture youth, and connect members of all ages to their neighbors and community. It’s the place where can you get back into a sport you used to enjoy, take a class with your spouse or child, or enjoy regular time together as a family.
Adult Y members and their guests take part in pickup basketball games at lunchtime; moms and dads help their young children learn how to be safe in the water through parent-child aquatics classes or improve their motor skills at Toddler Adventure Gym; families work out together in our Fitness Center or stride side-by-side on the treadmills and elliptical machines in the Cardio Center.
A complete listing of activities offered at the Family Y may be found in our 28-page online brochure, along with online registration for all summer classes, camps and programs.
The Family Y also offers a number of activities that are open to everyone in the community.
On Saturday, May 18, the Y hosts its first-ever Holistic Health Day. “Holistic” health is an approach to life that focuses on complete body health and the relationship between your environment and your health. It emphasizes the connection of the spirit, mind and body.
Find out for yourself by joining in a variety of classes and special activities, from Tai Chi to Qigong to Acupuncture, taking place in our Bedford and Bresslin Rooms from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm.
Ping Pong is a popular activity at Youth Fun Night at the Y.
And later on Saturday, May 18, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm, the Family Y turns into a “clubhouse for tweens” for Youth Fun Night. On Youth Fun Nights, the Y is open just for 4th to 7th graders from the Westport and Weston school districts, no membership required. Kids can join friends, neighbors, and classmates for an evening of swimming, basketball, games and ice cream. The cost is $12 in advance; $15 at the door. For details or to register, visit http://www.westporty.org.
Y members and non-members alike also have a multitude of options for Y day camps and special programs taking place this summer. The Y’s downtown facility conducts weeklong specialty camps throughout the summer, for young gymnasts, dancers, basketball, lacrosse and more, as well as a variety of learn-to-swim programs.
The Y’s popular Hafaday Summer Swim Lesson Program is designed for children ages 4 to 8 and is held each weekday from 8:45 am to 12:30 pm. Hafaday is primarily a swim program, with both a lesson and a free swim period each day. Arts and crafts, music and gym time, including yoga, karate, and games round out each morning of fun. Parents are encouraged to sign up their children soon, as most sessions fill to capacity.
And according to Meg George, Camp and Youth Director, the Y’s special collaboration, Earthplace-Mahackeno Summer Camp 2013, is already close to capacity for some grades and weekly sessions. This one-year partnership, the result of Camp Mahackeno’s hiatus during construction of the new Y facility, will take place at Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center, a 62-acre nature sanctuary and educational center in the Old Hill section of Westport. Because of the combined operations this year, enrollment is limited.
How often do kids get a chance to say hello to a ferret? They will at Earthplace-Mahackeno Summer Camp this year!
Says Meg: “We’ve added a few spaces to our 3rd Grade group, but only by borrowing some spots from other grades. We currently have less than 10 spots left in all the sessions for Grades 5, 6 and 7. And many of our sessions for Grades 1, 2 and 3 are more than half full.”
“Interestingly, most of the campers currently signed up are new to either camp,” Meg notes.
“Unlike previous summers at Mahackeno, once sessions and grades are full this summer, we won’t be able to add any groups at the last minute,” she adds. “Please keep this in mind as you make your summer plans. We don’t want to see anyone miss out on a chance to be a part of Earthplace-Mahackeno Summer Camp 2013.”
Nationally, the Y engages 9 million youth and 12 million adults in 10,000 communities across the U.S. The Family Y serves 5,500 members who live and work in Westport, Weston and surrounding communities. Our current membership represents 15 percent of the towns we serve and 25 percent of all local youth. Nearly 40 percent of all local grade-school children are active in Family Y programs and special activities.
To learn more about the Westport Weston Family Y, including membership options and guest policies, contact Brian Marazzi, Membership & Marketing Director, at 203-226-8981, ext. 165 or visit www.westporty.org.
