YMCA’s After School Academies still raising grades as students are less engaged

By Nadir Benslimane
Nonprofit Sector News
August 3, 2026

Started in the 1980s, the national Young Men’s Christian Association’s (YMCA) After School Academies weren’t originally designed for social media, artificial intelligence, or quickly increasing numbers of students disengaged from learning.

But as academic performance and budgets decline and teacher shortages and chronic absenteeism persists, community organizations such as the YMCA’s Academies are playing, or can play, an increasingly important role. And, fortunately, the YMCA is a known quantity in the United States, having provided after-school programs, summer camps, and youth sports initiatives for 175 years.

Curtis Lemieux, YMCA’s Director of Strategy and Quality Practices, said these programs are more essential than ever. “Today’s young people are navigating a rapidly changing world that includes increased social isolation, mental health concerns, and constant access to technology,” he explained. “YMCA programs provide those safe, structured environments where youths can build real-world relationships, develop resilience, and strengthen the life skills needed to thrive.”

The After School Academies, through partnerships with nearby schools, specifically support students through homework assistance, STEM activities, arts and crafts, outdoors recreation, and guest speakers to help them flourish in their academics, physical well-being, and socio-emotional outcomes. According to Gallup News, Gen Z students feel disengaged with learning and schoolwork in part because some do not plan to become college-bound and think that course content does not connect to real world problems they are faced with.

The Academies have translated into measurable success at YMCA branches across the country. At the Kenosha, Wis., YMCA, teachers reported that students participating in the Achievers program improved from reading below grade level to reading at or above grade level while continuing to raise their mathematics scores. At the Kishwaukee Family YMCA, in Sycamore, Ill., one parent credited the after-school program with helping their son make the academic gains that earned him a school achievement award. While these stories represent individual communities, Lemieux said they reflect a pattern the YMCA sees nationwide when students have consistent access to academic support and caring adult mentors.

Research also suggests these efforts can have lasting benefits. One 2024 longitudinal study led by Dr. Deborah Vandell, “Organized Afterschool Activities as a Developmental Context for Children and Adolescents,” published in the Advances in Child Development and Behavior book series, found that children who regularly participated in afterschool programs improved significantly in key areas vital for cognitive development and emotional regulation. 

“Children who attend high-quality programs alone or in combination with extracurricular activities were reported by teachers to have higher academic performance, work habits, task persistence, and less aggression towards peers compared to children whose afterschool hours primarily included unsupervised time,” concluded Dr. Vandell in the study.

“Many young people are still recovering from disruptions to learning and social development, while families continue to balance work, childcare, and financial pressures,” explained the YMCA’s Lemieux. “We also see an increasing need for environments that help build youth confidence, connection, and a sense of belonging alongside academic skills.”

While academic enrichment remains at the center of the YMCA’s educational programming, Lemieux argues that improving test scores is only part of the equation. The organization increasingly measures success not just by participation or grades, but by whether young people develop meaningful relationships, confidence, academic skills, and a sense of belonging with both their peers and trusted adults in their lives. It is those qualities, critically that sense of belonging, that motivates young students to engage and excel academically and socially for the long term.

“I would invest in ensuring that every young person has access to a caring, trusted adult who knows them well and can support their growth over time,” Lemieux said. “Academic success is important, but we consistently find that strong relationships are often the foundation that helps young people stay engaged, overcome challenges, and reach their potential.”

Today, about 2,600 YMCA branches across the United States serve about 6.4 million children and teens each year, also through childcare, food programs, education enrichment, leadership development.