Youth Development

Looking for fun and rewarding summer camp options for your children? The YMCA of the Suncoast offers safe and caring summer camp programs that give kids a chance to get outdoors, learn new skills and make friends. Camps are available in convenient locations in Pinellas, Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties.

Join 1 million Americans and 7,500+ communities nationwide in celebrating the afterschool programs that keep our kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families.

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and the YMCA is reminding parents about the importance of incorporating regular physical activity and healthier eating habits into their children’s lives.

When the bell rings at the end of the school day, children and teens need a safe and nurturing place to go when their parents are still at work or away from home. According to the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit public awareness advocacy organization, 15.1 million children nationwide are left unsupervised after 3 p.m., responsible for taking care of themselves. As a leading nonprofit committed to youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y offers quality afterschool programs that not only help youth learn, grow and thrive, but keep them safe and surrounded by caring adults.

With schools facing cuts in education and resources – coupled with the fact that one in four students in the U.S. is unsupervised between 3pm and 6pm – there’s never been a more important time to advance the after-school agenda and help narrow the education gap.

What’s better than sitting down with a tall, cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day and reflecting back on your summers as a child?  What memories come to mind for you?  There is bound to be at least one experience that has helped you to become the person you are today.

Camping at the Y is a fun and unique experience that gives children and teens the opportunity to discover their full potential, meet new friends, play and create memories that last a lifetime. With so many distractions, youth aren’t spending enough time outdoors. Through camping children and teens explore nature, become a community, and develop confidence, independence, leadership and social skills.

Summer Camp registration is underway! We've planned a summer full of adventure to give your child plenty of opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. At the Y, we make the health and safety of our campers our first priority. Mature, well-trained staff constantly supervise children in safe environments – area school grounds, Y facilities and well-managed community program sites.

When you give to the Y, you help to strengthen our community and move us all forward. As one of the nation’s leading nonprofits for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y uses your gift to make a meaningful, enduring impact right in your own neighborhood.