Strengthening the community by strengthening lives is the heart of what the YMCA is all about. It is the focus of our YMCA Black and Latino Achievers Program, one student and one volunteer at a time. Through the school year, career oriented adults help us engage teens in hands-on learning emphasizing college readiness, career exploration and leadership development. There are workshops, college tours, Toastmasters and more. Each year hundreds of area students are changing the direction of their life, growing spiritually and intellectually, because they are a YMCA Teen Achiever. Since our Program's beginning, it has awarded over $200,000 in scholarships, assisted youth with over $4 million dollars in awarded scholarships and engaged more than 4,500 adult volunteers through a network of corporate and community partners.

We know that lasting personal and social change comes about when we all work together. That’s why, at the Y, strengthening community is our cause.

The Y is committed to nurturing the potential in kids, promoting healthy living, and fostering a sense of social responsibility in all that we do. Through our “All Kids Deserve A’s” initiative, we strategically align our programs and collaborations so that we can address the needs of our communities in five specific areas: Asset-Rich Environments, Engaged Adults, Access to All, Partnerships with Parents, and Healthy Living.