Each semester, the YMCA After-School Arts Program serves approximately 120 students at Elmwood Elementary School, located in the economically disadvantaged south side of Syracuse. Community Foundation funding allowed the program to expand the number of days and students it can serve. Students in the program now stay after school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons for a total of 20 weeks during the year. After a snack and an hour of tutoring, children are given the opportunity to participate in various activities such as dance, choir, visual arts, creative writing and more.
At the end of each semester, the students perform for their peers, their families and the public. Upon completion of the program, 95% of participants succeed in meeting the New York State Learning Standards for the Arts.
The Arts Branch of the YMCA, a division of the
YMCA of Greater Syracuse, was founded to enrich lives through education in visual, literary and performing arts. In its eight years in operation, the Arts Branch has grown to become a leading YMCA-based arts program, serving approximately 4,000 Central New Yorkers each year through a variety of programs, including the YMCA After School Arts Program.