For 142 years, the Greater Burlington YMCA has evolved to serve the needs of Vermonters across the northwest region of our state.  In addition to our well-known downtown Burlington fitness, childcare, and aquatics facility, we operate 24 other sites in five counties.  We are the largest provider of child care services in Vermont with 1,300 children enrolled in our infant/toddler, preschool, kindergarten, and school age programs.  All of our programs are open to people of all ages and incomes through our scholarship and Membership for All financial assistance programs.  Currently, one in four members receives financial support for their memberships and program participation and 15% of child care families receive scholarships toward tuition.  We invest approximately $500,000 per year in our communities through direct financial scholarship support, free programs, and our tuition rates to ensure everyone has an opportunity to build a strong spirit, mind, and body.

For the latest edition of our Annual Report please click here.

Mission of the Greater Burlington YMCA:

To build a strong community by involving youth, adults, and families in programs and activities that develop spirit, mind, and body.

Overview of Our Programs: Please visit program pages for more details

Health & Fitness:  Our home base in downtown Burlington and new site in the O’Brien Community Center, Winooski are the center of our health and fitness activities.  Our gymnasium, pools, and conditioning centers serve not only our adult members, they are the hub for: pre-school fitness activities, after school programs, Kids Night Out, and a wide variety of family programs for the whole community.  Our special programs for seniors and youth keep our neighbors moving at every age. Overall, 25% of YMCA members receive financial assistance to lead healthy lives. 

The Greater Burlington YMCA is part of the YMCA of the USA’s Activate America.  This initiative provides resources to help us build programs to support people with chronic diseases (including obesity) and health seekers who wish to lead healthy lives but struggle to do so.  This initiative will touch every YMCA program to lead our community to stronger, healthier lives.  Learn more on our Activate America page.

Early Childhood Education:  YMCA early childhood education programs provide infant and toddler care, pre-school, and kindergarten curriculum to 410 children from ages eight weeks to five years.  All of our nine centers meet the rigorous accreditation standards set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). 

Camping: The YMCA has been a national leader in camping for over a century. Our co-ed day camp and boys’ residence camp provide opportunities for children to make constructive use of their summers at nationally accredited or state licensed camps that incorporate educational and recreational activities. Visit our program pages for more details and our Camp Abnaki website.

Youth Services: YMCA School Age programs are the most well-known of our programs across our region.  During the school year, we care for 800 children each afternoon at 21 area schools and our downtown YMCA.  In the summer, we offer day-long programs for approximately 300 children at nine sites.  All programs are licensed by the State of Vermont.  We build curriculums to engage children on many levels with a variety structured activities and self-designed time all of which reinforce the Y’s character development principles of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.

Our Commitment

Everyone is welcome at the YMCA!  We are steadfast in our commitment to offer financial assistance for every program.  In 2007, this equaled $218,000 in direct scholarship support for camping, child care, membership, and programs.  We offer free programs to the entire community to learn how to lead healthy lives through physical activity and good nutrition.  Our child care programs are enriched with character development and physical activity to prepare children for school and help them succeed in life.  Parents also benefit from easily accessible programs sites that allow them to work or continue their education knowing that their children are safe in a positive learning environment.

For an application to our Membership for All program for fee assistance, please click here.

Learn how you can support our commitment to building strong communities with a gift to the YMCA on our giving page.