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Gaston County Family YMCA To Expand Outdoor Youth Development Opportunities in Gaston County The Y receives grant to launch outdoor adventure and leadership program for diverse youth in grades 6-12 .
The Gaston County Family YMCA , in partnership with YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly , launched a new outdoor adventure program for youth in grades 6-12 designed to provide opportunities to build team leadership skills , self-confidence and self awareness through challenging outdoor activities .
The BOLD / GOLD ( Boys and Girls Outdoor Leadership Development ) program was offered for the first time this summer in the Gaston County area with a diverse group of seven teens . This group explored the North Carolina mountains through backpacking , camping , and rock climbing . They learned things like back country cooking , base camp set-up , water purification , and map and compass navigation . They also spent most of the trip refining leadership skills and interpersonal communication techniques .
The primary goal of BOLD / GOLD is to reduce and remove barriers for all youth and teens , regardless of experience , ethnicity or socio-ecomonic status , to enjoy access to the outdoors through wilderness adventure and to build leadership values and skills . The program evolved from a successful afterschool leadership club offered by the YMCA of Greater Seattle at local YMCA branches and middle schools . “ In 2006 , as part of the afterschool club , we offered a backpacking expedition to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and it proved so popular that demand and interest just kept growing ,” stated Andrew Jay , director of the program for the YMCA of Greater Seattle . “ By 2010 more than 30 backpacking , rock climbing and mountaineering expeditions involving more than 300 youth were scheduled .”
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The YMCA offers After Scho Cost :
• School-based sites *: $ 48 / week for members , $
• YMCA pick-up sites *: $ 58 / week for members , $
* Schools listed in BOLD indicate DSS
Year Round Registration You have the option to register fo and 2014 Summer Camp . The wee Please Note : registration for this
See the list below to determine gastonymca . org or 704-865-8
Matt Lewis , Association Teen Programs Director said the Gaston Family Y looks forward to building on Seattle ’ s success . “ Programs like BOLD / GOLD help the School-based sites : P
Y provide so many of the assets kids need to become successful adults , such as a sense of belonging , supportive relationships with adults , opportunities to Brookside
F enhance decision-making and leadership skills , and a sense of safety . We look forward to sharing and expanding the BOLD / GOLD program here Carr
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The Gaston County Family YMCA is planning to offer BOLD / GOLD again during the 2017 summer . Contact Matt Lewis , mlewis @ gastonymca . org , for more information on this and other Y teen programs .
* Schools listed in BOLD indicate DSS c
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School-based sites : Cherryville
School-based sites : New Hope Robinson
School-based sites : Belmont Central Lowell Page Primary Pinewood
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Parent Teacher News • September / October 2016 • 3