'25/'26 Y PALS REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR ALL!
The Y Pals program is for children grades K-5 attending school at one of the program sites. The program is implemented by trained and paid YMCA staff many of whom are majoring in Elementary education at Illinois State University or Illinois Wesleyan University.
Parents can expect a consistent structured environment that will include homework help, sports/games, snack, and arts and crafts. Moreover, the Y offers affordable, flexible payment terms, that allow you to pay for only the days you attend! Scholarships are made available to those who qualify through our Strong Kids Program.
Unit 5 Y Pals Enrichment program is structured around the Y Principles of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Students will participate in a variety of activities that keep them active, engaged, and growing.
Unit 5 Y Pals Enrichment is offered at the following schools: Cedar Ridge Elementary, Fox Creek Elementary, Northpoint Elementary, Carlock Elementary, and Towanda Elementary. Students will be divided into age groups with one Group Leader for every 10 students. Groups will remain the same for at least one month.
Students will participate in a variety of activities with their group.
Activities may include the following:
|
|
'25/'26 Program Pricing
Registration reserves your child's spot in YPALS for the entire school year. Once you have registered for the program, your child may attend at any point during the school year.
Registration Fee
Early Registration $25 (July 7 - 31, YMCA members only)
Registration fee changes to $50 and registration opens to all beginning August 1st
Rates (billed the Wednesday prior to the Y Pals week):
5 Days: $75/members | $125/nonmembers
4 Days: $60/members | $100/nonmembers
3 Days: $45/members | $75/nonmembers
2 Days: $30/members | $50/nonmembers
1 Day: $20/members | $30/nonmembers
'25/'26 Program Dates
YPals begins August 21st, 2025 through May 27th, 2026. After school programming begins at 2:30pm and ends at 5:30pm.
School Break Day Program is offered on most full days that schools are not in session. This program is held at the YMCA and must be registered for separately.
The YMCA now offers after school programming on early out days, but these must be registered for separately. These are NOT included in YPALS registration.
YPals does not provide after school programming on inclement weather days that after school activities are canceled before noon.
Olympia Y Pals Enrichment program is structured around the Y Principles of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Students will participate in a variety of activities that keep them active, engaged, and growing.
Olympia Y Pals Enrichment is offered at these Olympia Elementary locations: Olympia North Elementary and Olympia West Elementary. Students will be divided into age groups with one Group Leader for every 10 students. Groups will remain the same for at least one month.
Students will participate in a variety of activities with their group.
Activities may include the following:
|
|
'25/'26 Program Pricing
Registration reserves your child's spot in YPALS for the entire school year. Once you have registered for the program, your child may attend at any point during the school year.
Registration Fee
Early Registration $25 (July 7 - 31, YMCA Members only)
Registration fee changes to $50 and registration opens to all beginning August 1st
Rates (billed the Wednesday prior to the Y Pals week):
5 Days: $90/members | $130/nonmembers
4 Days: $72/members | $104/nonmembers
3 Days: $54/members | $75/nonmembers
2 Days: $36/members | $48/nonmembers
1 Day: $21/members | $31/nonmembers
'25/'26 Program Dates
YPals begins August 14th, 2025 through May 20th, 2026. After school programming begins at 2:30 p.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m.
School Break Day Program is offered on most full days that schools are not in session. This program is held at the YMCA and must be registered for separately.
The YMCA now offers after school programming on early out days, but these must be registered for separately. These are NOT included in YPALS registration.
YPALS does not provide after school programming on inclement weather days that after school activities are canceled before noon.
Our Y Pals After School Enrichment Program offers care on early dismissal days! Kiddos who are registered for Y Pals at Towanda, Fox Creek, Cedar Ridge, Northpoint or Olympia North can join us for the Y Pals experience on days when school lets out early!
Note: Early Outs with Y PALS requires separate registration. Registration opens July 8th!
Unit 5 District Cost: $30 Members | $45 Nonmembers
Olympia District Cost: $30 Members | $45 Nonmembers
All Early Outs run from 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. at the school site.
|
'25/26 Unit 5 Early Outs Dates
|
'25/26 Olympia Early Outs Dates
|
What is the Cancellation Policy for Early Outs?
A written request for cancellation must be sent to the Youth Development email (youthdevelopment@bnymca.org) at least 48 hours before the Early Out you've registered for. You can receive either a full refund in the form of a system credit, or a partial refund (10% of your payment will be retained for processing fees) back to your card. Cancellations made less than 48 hours before the Early Out begins will not be issued a refund.
What is the Policy Regarding Late/Returned Payments?
Late payments will have an added fee of $10 and must be paid prior to the start of the Early Out.
Returned payments will have an added fee of $25 and must be paid prior to the start of the Early Out.
When school is out, fun is in at the Y. School Break Days are held for school children grades K-5 on most days Unit 5 schools are not scheduled to be in session, except for inclement weather days. School Break Days are a fun, safe place for your child to spend their week or time out of school. Participants have a chance to play games, do arts & crafts, and stay active with a variety of activities.
Registration for School Break Days for the 2025/2026 school year is open!
|
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
|
SCHOOL BREAK DAY '25/'26 DATES
Aug. 18-20 Sept. 26, 29 Oct. 10, 13, 31 Nov. 7 Dec. 22-23, 29-30 Jan. 2, 5, 19 Feb. 13, 16-17 Mar. 23-27 Apr. 3, 17, 20, 27
All School Break Day hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Note: Our School Break Day dates cover different days off for various local school districts. Please check your child's School District Calendar to see what days work best for you! |
Participants who receive Financial Support are also required to register and pay online, as program discounts will be applied online. Participants who receive state funding through CCRRN need to contact Paige at least 48 hours in advance to be placed on our roster. We do not guarantee available spots for CCRRN/Financial Support on School Break Days. If you are interested in the School Break Day program, please register as soon as you are able.
$35 per School Break Day for YMCA Members
$50 per School Break Day for Non-Members
Fees are due on registration for each School Break Day.
What does my child need to bring to a School Break Day?
Children should bring gym shoes, a packed lunch, a swimsuit, and a towel.
What is the cancellation policy for School Break Days?
A written request for cancellation must be sent to the Youth Development email (youthdevelopment@bnymca.org) at least 48 hours before the School Break Day you've registered for. You can receive either a full refund in the form of a system credit, or a partial refund (10% of your payment will be retained for processing fees) back to your card. Cancellations made less than 48 hours before the School Break Day begins will not be issued a refund.
What is the policy regarding late/returned payments?
Late payments will have an added fee of $10 and must be paid prior to the start of the School Break Day.
Returned payments will have an added fee of $25 and must be paid prior to the start of the School Break Day.
How will my student know how to get to Y Pals after school?
A teacher will escort them after dismissal.
What will my student do at Y Pals?
They will develop character traits including respect, honesty, responsibility, and caring. They will make lasting friendships and improve on their social, emotional, and cognitive abilities. They will be provided a snack, play games, do crafts, work on homework, and other fun S.T.E.M. activities.
How do I register?
All registrations can be completed online, in-person, or over the phone.
How many days per week of Y Pals should I register for?
The Youth Development team encourages those registering to pick the plan that will work best for you the majority of the time. If something changes and you need to change the amount of days in your plan, please email the Youth Development team at youthdevelopment@bnymca.org.
Are there any discounts available for this program?
Yes. The YMCA provides an opportunity for all eligible people to participate in our programming through our financial support program or CCRRN.
Apply for Support through YMCA
Will I be charged the full amount for my plan when my child is out of school?
The schedules provided by both Unit 5 and Olympia School District have been integrated into the Y Pals program, so families will not be charged for scheduled closures. For example, if you register for a 5-day plan and there's a teacher's institute during a particular week, you will only be charged for the 4 days your child attends. This does NOT apply to unscheduled or otherwise unforeseen closures, such as snow days or other closures for inclement weather.
If you would like to receive child care during early dismissals or during scheduled closures, please see our Early Outs with Y Pals and our School Break Day programs respectively for more information.
What is the cancellation policy for Y Pals?
If a family needs to change from 5 days to a different rate plan or vice versa, or needs to cancel a week of Y Pals altogether, then a written request must be submitted to youthdevelopment@bnymca.org by the Monday prior to the Y Pals week to avoid any charges. If a cancellation request is received after Monday but before the start of the Y Pals week, a system credit will be issued for a future week. If a cancellation request is received after the start of the Y Pals week, no refund will be given.
What is the policy regarding late/returned payments?
Late payments will have an added fee of $10 and must be paid prior to the start of the Y PALS week.
Returned payments will have an added fee of $25 and must be paid prior to the start of the Y PALS week.
