It’s that time of year again, when summer bends toward fall and back-to-school. Kids enter the classroom. Happy yellow busses make their way through neighborhoods. As we all engage in back-to-school rhythms in their many iterations—whether we’re students, caregivers, coaches, educators, or community supporters—the Y continues to steadfastly build a culture of lifelong learning.  

We know the habits of mind that come with lifelong learning. They include humble self-reflection and goal-oriented risk-taking. Stretching beyond our comfort zones. Developing an openness to new ideas. Having the courage to solicit opinions. Cultivating the time and care it takes to actively listen. But where does it all start? For the Y, it starts with care.  

Beginning at six weeks of age, the staff at the Y’s Child Enrichment Center starts to nurture our young. Then, in seamless integration, children ages 3 and 4 can attend the Y’s Montessori School. Housed in the same building, this continuity provides stability for our youth, and on-going support from trusted adult mentors—the integral influencers who help children increase self-esteem, motivation, and aspirations.  

What does this experience look like in practice? The Y’s Montessori setting is one where creativity, curiosity, and exploration flourish. Children are led by their inquisitiveness. They find comfort in skills related to practical life. They engage in sensorial investigations. All along, there is the acquisition of language, math, cultural studies, and encouragement. Under the keen guidance of Hannah Wayda, educators model grace and courtesy. They encourage the development of a strong sense of self and social responsibility within the community. Sound familiar? For many of us, these are the reason we attend the Y and support the Y. We’ve been raised in a culture of care, curiosity, and social responsibility…and we pay it forward.  

This year, the YMCA will expand its youth programming for middle schoolers to include extra days at ‘FARMS at the Y’ in the Yale teaching kitchen, as well as daily gaming sessions. The Y will also pilot an after-school vocational program that will match local businesses with a curious and talented young workforce. There will be off-peninsula field trips for middle school students and high school students to engage youth to build aspirations and help students engage in experiential learning. High school students from Boothbay Regional enjoy free membership thanks to generous philanthropy. Adults at the Y are challenged daily to learn, love, care and respect. At 87 years old, the celebrated Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet Michelangelo famously stated, “I’m still learning.” At the Y, we agree, and we’re proud to make space for learning at every age.