THE TIMES - SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE OFFICE OF YMCA RELATIONS NEWS PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP THROUGH EDUCATION


Students in the YMCA Management course have to present an activity to the class which they could use in a YMCA setting such as childcare, or camp or staff development. Tis trust/communication exercise involves classmates verbally navigating a blindfolded person around the orange cones.


Elliot Irizarry and Chris Floyd during their summer camp internship at New York YMCA Camps in Huguenot, N.Y.


Te purpose of the YMCA professional studies program is to educate the next generation of YMCA leadership. Te YMCA professional studies program utilizes an integrated approach to education, placing significant value on the learning that happens in the classroom and beyond. Te program is a mix of formal education, extensive travel opportunities around the United States and England, attendance at YMCA conferences, internships in YMCAs, and co-cur- ricular service/volunteer experiences through the student YMCA Club. Students complement their selected major with a minor in YMCA professional studies. Te interdisciplinary minor in YMCA professional studies covers YMCA history and trends, management, leadership, program design, and evaluation. Te minor also requires a formal YMCA internship experience, which can occur at any YMCA location, domestically or abroad.


YMCA INTERN HOST SITES


Dana Prazynski, Kim Rioux, Joe Murphy, Chris Maddy, and Kate LaBelle at the National YMCA Camping Conference at YMCA of the Rockies.


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A significant aspect of the YMCA professional studies program is to provide working experience in a Y, either during the school year or summer. Students are required to choose a Y that is new to them to ensure a unique experience that will be challenging, educational, and meaningful. Tey split their time among several jobs, so that in addition to working in a program role, they rotate through the various administrative


departments to ensure that they are aware of the support services required to run an effective Y beyond the obvious program and membership services. Tis year, Melissa Lambert interned at the Wilson-Gray Branch of the Greater Hartford association; Joe Murphy was with the Boothbay Harbor YMCA; Dana Prazynski was at YMCA of the Adirondacks in Silver Bay, N.Y.; Bryan Bierman interned at the YMCA of the USA and Hockomack Area YMCA; Vanessa Rosario was at the YMCA of Greater Springfield (Mass.); and Elliot Irizarry, Chris Floyd, and Sonel Normil were hosted by the New York YMCA Camp in Huguenot, N.Y. Tose interested in hosting a Springfield College intern in the future should contact the office of YMCA relations.


PROGRAM SHOWS STEADY GROWTH


Te YMCA professional studies program is growing, with the class of 2014 including eight new YMCA students. Tese first-year students are pursuing degrees in youth development, early childhood education, sport management, and business administration, while maintaining an academic minor in YMCA professional studies. Te YMCA professional studies program also attracts current Springfield College students who discover their interest in a YMCA career later in their collegiate career. Tus, the program also welcomed six students this fall, from the classes of 2012 and 2013.


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