FREE YMCA MEMBERSHIP FOR ALL KEENE 6th GRADERS
The Keene Family YMCA is proud to offer the “6th Grade Initiative,” a program
that offers a free YMCA membership to students in the 6th grade. The goal of the 6th Grade Initiative is to inspire youth to discover their passions, develop a healthy lifestyle, and gain the assets needed to avoid risky behaviors and succeed in school and life. The 6th Grade Initiative is available to all sixth grade students in the Keene Area school district.
WHY 6TH GRADERS?
Research shows that 6th grade is a critical time in a young person’s life when exposures to risk factors greatly increase. One of the greatest transitions in kids’ lives is the one they make from elementary to middle school. It’s a high-anxiety time. They’re falling into different school groups and attempting to find their way on unfamiliar ground. Being a member of the Y during this critical year can ease the stress of that transition and improve the chances of making healthy, wise decisions.
HOW DO STUDENTS JOIN?
This years program will begin in January 2012. We will begin activating memberships during the December school holiday. To activate the free membership, students entering the 6th grade in the 2011-12 school year should bring their school id, roster or last report card, a copy of the parent agreement and a parent or guardian with them to the Y. Parents need to complete the required membership paperwork and then the youth can begin using the membership right away. The membership includes supervised activities with Y staff, free access to a variety of Y programming and a reduced rate on all programs offered within the Y. The free membership expires at the end of your child’s sixth grade school year.
The Keene Family YMCA has a 125 year history of building strong kids through programs that engage, educate and foster positive self-esteem and critical core values that kids need to become healthy, productive adults. Through this positive, proactive and strength based approach, the Y aims to buffer young people from the effects of risk exposure by providing them with opportunities to be involved in, and contribute to, their community, their school, and their peer group in meaningful ways.
