News

This summer marked the third year of NJYSA’s partnership with the regional McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program. Together, we connected youth experiencing homelessness and their families to local YMCAs for summer programming, to nurture health, belonging, and community beyond the school year. In 2025, 48 youth across 8 YMCA branches participated in day camp and overnight camp at no cost. Participating youth hailed from Sussex, Bergen, Passaic, Somerset, Mercer, and Monmouth counties.

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The New Jersey YMCA State Alliance coordinated a CATCH PE Journeys training session in September at the Hamilton Area YMCA Sawmill Branch, specifically for staff involved in Out of School Time (OST) programs. The training equipped participants with innovative strategies and practical techniques to engage children in enjoyable, developmentally appropriate activities that promote moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

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New Jersey Ys continue to demonstrate remarkable commitment to outreach and mission-driven work by supporting individuals and families affected by Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. As life expectancy increases, more members of our communities are in need of specialized programming and Ys across the state are stepping up to meet that need with compassion and expertise.

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On September 11, about 200 leaders from across New Jersey gathered in Princeton for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) statewide grantee convening. This one-day meeting was designed to strengthen the network of people and organizations working to advance health and racial equity across our state. Together, participants engaged in co-learning, coordinated strategies to build and sustain community power, and took time to recharge in the face of ongoing challenges.

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Julia Wieczorek and Heather Doerr, along with YMCA staff members from Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, Summit Area YMCA, The Gateway Family YMCA, Greater Somerset County YMCA, Raritan Bay Area YMCA, and Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA, attended the August YMCA Principles & Practices (P&P) leadership experience in West Chester, PA, hosted by the Oscar Lasko YMCA and Child Care Center.

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With twelve years of experience working at the Y and as a former Youth Program Director of Camp STAR, Laura Rodriguez is thrilled to join the NJ YMCA State Alliance team to support Ys across the state. For the past five years, Laura worked in Massachusetts both as an SEL coach for Arlington Public Schools and as a Camp Staff Director for Belmont Day School. As the Youth Engagement Director, Laura will be responsible for working closely with Ys, volunteers, and advisors across the state to facilitate and enhance the Youth and Government (YAG) Program and conference.

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You can read the full feature story here.

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A toolkit is useless without knowing how to use the tools.

Many teenagers don’t realize the value of the opportunities that surround them, and in a world full of twists and turns, and political upheaval, utilizing all possible tools to stay on track is more important than ever before. Now, the expectation that someone will be able to do something without any instructions on how to do it is completely absurd, but these assumptions plague our political system.

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