YMCA Initiatives

• Mission: To involve and empower teens and young adults to make effective educational, career and life choices, and to have a positive impact in their communities.
• YMCA Civic Engagement is an ongoing effort to promote the development of civic engagement attitudes, skills, and behaviors, especially in young people.  It's designed to reach young people directly and connect them with specific opportunities to act while simultaneously motivating and improving the abilities of YMCAs and the "civic engagement community" (political parties, nonprofit organizations, the media, schools, colleges, and universities) to engage young people in civic life.

YMCA Partnerships

• Chiodo Art Development: Remember Them: Champions for Humanity is an awe-inspiring public sculpture that will be built in Oakland.  The YMCA is sponsoring 40-60 student apprentices throughout December 2007 to get hands-on art studio experience and learn about some of our most inspiring leaders of the past century.
• Museum of the African Diaspora: Youth volunteers will intern at the museum and help promote, explore, and appreciate the contributions people of African descent have made all over the globe.
• Oakland Museum of California: Aftershock! This summer over 65 day-campers from 7 different YMCA locations all came together to spend a night at the Oakland Museum. The night simulated life after the earthquake and fire of 1906. 
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  Democracy Matters is partnering with our YMCA Youth and Government program to provide a bridge from high school to college civic activism.  We will share experiences from real and mock legislative experience and celebrate joint efforts in the political realm. 

YMCA Programs

• YMCA LEAD: YMCA LEAD (Leadership Education and Apprentice Development) is a year round multi-level program that provides young adults with opportunities to gain knowledge, skill, experience and responsibility while having fun and excitement.
• California YMCA Youth and Government: Y&G is a statewide youth educational program involving more than 2,000 high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in a nine month "hands on" experience.The program builds, encourages, and strengthens those life assets and character traits that will help high school youth become involved, decent, and respected citizens.  We have delegations based in Oakland, Piedmont, Alameda, Fremont/Newark, Union City and the cities of West Contra Costa County.
• Dare to Dream: Apprenticeship Program that fosters community development through youth employment.  Offers Culinary Arts & Catering, Studio Recording/ Artist Development, Video Production/ Photography, Cosmotology/ Fashion Design, Sports/ Recreation Training Camp, and Counselor in Leadership Training Program. 
• YMCA in New York
• Junior Lifeguards: A lifeguard training program for teens.  Available at our Downtown Oakland and Camp Loma Mar locations.
• Campers in Leadership Training

Other Resources

• How you can empower youth, YMCA of the USA
• YMCA Programs for Teens
• Oakland Unified School District Students’ Page
• Resume-Writing: UC Berkeley’s Career Center, resources for students writing resumes and cover letters, applying for jobs or for college.