Youth Programs
YWCA Greenwich youth programs are respected throughout the community, and they range from the educational offerings of our preschool and afterschool programs, to athletic programs including gymnastics and baseball to aquatics including Learn To Swim classes and our Dolphins Swim Team. In fiscal year 2021, YWCA Greenwich 953 children were registered for YWCA Greenwich Youth Programs.
Connie Anne and Jeremiah Harris Playground
YWCA Greenwich Board Member Connie Anne Harris has a soft spot for our community’s children. When it was clear that the YWCA Greenwich Playground, used mostly by the children at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Preschool, was beyond its useful life, Connie Anne donated the funds to completely renovate this beloved activity area. The Connie Anne and Jeremiah Harris Playground construction began in the Spring. The children watched in excitement as the project unfolded and are looking forward to their new playground.
Preschool
The Steven and Alexandra Cohen Preschool at YWCA Greenwich
The Steven and Alexandra Cohen Preschool at YWCA Greenwich continues to provide loving childcare and a curriculum that ensures every child graduates from the program ready for kindergarten. In fiscal 2021, our staff, led by Director Geri Smiles, completed the rigorous process of applying for NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) and expect the final determination soon. Throughout the pandemic, staff, parents and children followed strict protocols as mandated by the CT Office of Early Childhood to ensure health and safety for everyone. We are pleased to report that the children quickly adapted to the new normal of temperature taking and mask wearing and continue to be eager to see their teachers each day.
Although some preschool activities were curtailed due to the pandemic, YWCA Greenwich continued offer gymnastics, Spanish and STEM lab. In order to communicate more effectively with parents, the teachers began using an online app called Remini which allows parents quick and easy access to information about their children and daily activities.
Afterschool
Kaleidoscope and YW Hub
Mr. Arthur, now in his 15th year, leads both the Kaleidoscope and YW Hub after school programs at YWCA Greenwich. Elementary aged children in the Kaleidoscope program enjoy engaging activities that include cooking, arts & crafts, games and homework help. Teens in the YW Hub work on community service projects and mentoring the younger children. In fiscal 2021, for the second consecutive year, YWCA Greenwich has partnered with Google and YWCA USA to provide STEM programming and computer coding classes for children in both after school programs.To keep participants safe and healthy, the after school programs were grouped in cohorts by school, temperatures were checked daily and all staff and children wore masks. Activities were adjusted to accommodate for social distancing and activity areas were thoroughly disinfected between groups. Below please view activities from Kaleidoscope staff and a WGCH Radio interview with Director of Youth Programs Arthur Smith.
Aquatics
Swim Programs
From babies to adults, YWCA Greenwich provides Learn to Swim lessons for every age and every level. Children from all over the community have learned to swim in the Nick Cavataro Swimming Pool. With the help of the ZAC Foundation and American Red Cross, a cohort of adult women is learning this important skill with bilingual staff. Not only is swimming a fun life-long sport, but also a necessity in our coastal community. Once basic skills are mastered, YWCA Greenwich encourages swimmers to compete on our Dolphins Swim Team (see below) or learn lifeguarding and instruction skills, taught by our certified staff and led by Aquatics Director, Shanna Sudderth. New in fiscal year 2021 is our Mermaid Academy. Children transform into mermaids with a special tail and learn how to glide through the water like Ariel. This popular class takes place during vacation weeks and participants get to keep their tails!
The Dolphins Swim Team
Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the YWCA Greenwich Dolphins Swim team’s 200+ members had a successful season with over 40 competitive meets at state, regional, and nationals. For the third quadrennial in a row, the Dolphins had a participant swimming in the Olympic Trials Selection Meet. Meghan Lynch competed in the 200 Individual Medley at that event and placed 18th. Other swimmers competing at the national level in fiscal year 2021 included Alexander Hazlett, Payton Foster, Aidan Bucaria and Ryan Jee.
The Dolphins team, led by Head Coach Nick Cavataro and Associate Head Coach David Fine, was recognized by USA Swimming as a Silver Medal team, making it a top 100 team in the nation. This is the twelfth consecutive year that the Dolphins have been recognized by USA Swimming.
For more than 50 years, YWCA Greenwich Dolphins has been the best swim team in the area with swimmers continuing their sport at universities including Stanford, Harvard, and Yale.
Camp TAYITO
Camp TAYITO at YWCA Greenwich equals summer fun, new friends and memories that last a lifetime. Although the camp season looked much different in 2020, YWCA staff provided safe activities that included socially distant sports, arts and crafts and summer learning programs.
Although the 2020 camp season had a late start due to COVID-19 restrictions, the season extended longer into August to accommodate parents and allow for more in-person activities. After a year of school that was largely remote, campers were excited to be together. Sessions were divided into eight two-week sessions and one one-week session to allow parents flexibility in scheduling. Groups were divided into cohorts and moved together through activity areas with thorough cleaning protocols implemented between groups.
YWCA Greenwich is happy to report that no cases of COVID-19 were reported in camp participants.
Youth Athletic Programs
YWCA Greenwich offers specialized athletic programs to learn and develop skills and team building. Our popular gymnastics program, taught by Sue Knight, Greenwich High School Gymnastics Coach, begins with basic tumbling for the youngest and continues with learning complex routines using all apparatus.
Our baseball program, YWCA Greenwich Babe Ruth, fields several teams that play throughout Fairfield County. For the true baseball fan, YWCA Greenwich offers Fall Ball, Spring and Summer seasons and winter indoor clinics. Coaches Kyle Wirtz and Garratt Withiam, along with Mike Parisi work closely with players on their individual skills readying them for competitive high school teams.
Our golf program, led by Tom Blumenthal, introduces youth to the sport with instruction on the basics. Children learn how to use clubs, the rules of the game and techniques. What a great start to a life-long passion!