Virtual YMCA - Sites

Kitchener - St. John's Catholic School
cambridge - St. Peter's Catholic School
waterloo - site selection in progress

The Virtual YMCA addresses barriers to children achieving success including poverty, language and nutrition and the inability to access the arts, recreation and community resources.  By placing the Virtual YMCA in the school, the issue of convenient access to physical activity programs is addressed by reducing barriers for families who do not have the resources and transportation needed to participate.

The Virtual YMCA's in Waterloo Region are located in a neighbourhoods and communities which have been identified as underserviced, low-income neighbourhoods with a higher immigrant population.  These neighbourhoods scored in the bottom 1/3 of all Waterloo Region neighbourhoods on all but one of the Early Development Instrument indicators. This means that many children in this neighbourhood are more vulnerable because they are less healthy and less emotionally and socially ready to attend school (Community Fit for Children, 2007).