The Christian Street YMCA Branch is offering seventh graders a special deal: a free membership…yes – Free!
By offering a free membership to this age group, the YMCA hopes to promote a healthy lifestyle for seventh graders before they enter their teenage years, said Andrew Marson, membership director at this YMCA branch located at 1724 Christian St..
“According to research seventh grade seems to be a very formative year for maturity level, bodily development and nutrition habits. We want to try and capture that demographic to get them into healthier eating and exercise habits,” Marson said.
The mission of this branch, like Y’s citywide, is to serve the community and contribute to youth development and healthy living. This branch holds year round programs as well as camp during the summer months to help cultivate a healthy lifestyle for children and teens in the community. Starting on June 20, Summer Day Camp runs Monday through Friday for children age 4 to 13 years. Camps consist of field trips, swim lessons, sports, and other activities, according to the Philadelphia YMCA website.
In addition to the summer camp, the Christian Street YMCA holds ongoing initiatives all year, including an after school program on site, with teen open basketball and sports and swim instruction in the evening. During summer, the after school program ends and summer camp picks up, but preschool and sports instruction continue year round, Marson said.
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