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'24/'25 Y PALS REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR ALL

EXCEL AFTER THE BELL

The Y-Pals program is for children grades K-5 attending school at one of the program sites. The program is implemented by trained and paid YMCA staff many of whom are majoring in Elementary education at Illinois State University or Illinois Wesleyan University.

Parents can expect a consistent structured environment that will include homework help, sports/games, snack, and arts and crafts. Moreover, the Y offers affordable, flexible payment terms, that allow you to pay for only the days you attend! Scholarships are made available to those who qualify through our Strong Kids Program.

 

Kids Outside Stem

YPals at Unit 5 Schools

YPals After School Enrichment is offered at Cedar Ridge Elementary School, Northpoint Elementary School, Carlock Elementary School and Towanda Elementary School. Programming is offered at each site after school and on early dismissal days.

 

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outside youth

YPals at Olympia Elementary Schools

YPals After School Enrichment is offered at Olympia North & West Elementary Schools after school. Programming is offered at each site after school.

 

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Two kids drawing together.

Early Outs with Y Pals

Don't stress about after school care on days when the kiddos get out early; register for Early Outs with Y Pals! Y Pals participants at Towanda, Fox Creek, Cedar Ridge, Northpoint, and Olympia North are welcome to join us on days with early dismissal to enjoy the Y Pals experience! 

Note: you must be a Y PALS participant at one of these locations to register for this program. Separate registration required.

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How will my student know how to get to Y Pals after school?

A teacher will escort them after dismissal.

 

What will my student do at Y Pals?

They will develop character traits including respect, honesty, responsibility, and caring. They will make lasting friendships and improve on their social, emotional, and cognitive abilities. They will be provided a snack, play games, do crafts, work on homework, and other fun S.T.E.M. activities. 

How do I register?

All registrations can be completed online, in-person, or over the phone.

How many days per week of Y Pals should I register for?

The Youth Development team encourages those registering to pick the plan that will work best for you the majority of the time. If something changes and you need to change the amount of days in your plan, please email the Youth Development team at youthdevelopment@bnymca.org.

Are there any discounts available for this program?

Yes. The YMCA provides an opportunity for all eligible people to participate in our programming through our financial support program or CCRRN.

Apply for YMCA Financial Support

Apply for Support through CCRRN

Will I be charged the full amount for my plan when my child is out of school?

The schedules provided by both Unit 5 and Olympia School District have been integrated into the Y Pals program, so families will not be charged for scheduled closures. For example, if you register for a 5-day plan and there's a teacher's institute during a particular week, you will only be charged for the 4 days your child attends. This does NOT apply to unscheduled or otherwise unforeseen closures, such as snow days or other closures for inclement weather.

If you would like to receive child care during early dismissals or during scheduled closures, please see our Early Outs with Y Pals and our School Break Day programs respectively for more information.

What is the cancellation policy for YPALS?

If a family needs to change from 5 days to a different rate plan or vice versa, or needs to cancel a week of Y Pals altogether, then a written request must be submitted to youthdevelopment@bnymca.org by the Monday prior to the Y Pals week to avoid any charges. If a cancellation request is received after Monday but before the start of the Y Pals week, a system credit will be issued for a future week. If a cancellation request is received after the start of the Y Pals week, no refund will be given.

What is the policy regarding late/returned payments?

Late payments will have an added fee of $10 and must be paid prior to the start of the Y PALS week.

Returned payments will have an added fee of $25 and must be paid prior to the start of the Y PALS week.