BOSTON — As any YMCA member can tell you, September is traditionally a return to ‘quiet’ time at America’s oldest organization of gyms. Summer camps conclude, schools reopen. The kids move on to soccer, football and other autumn sports.
But with Boston Public Schools opening Monday, that was not the scene at the Roxbury YMCA.
“Today is our first full day of programming for virtual learning,” said Executive Director Kathryn Saunders. “We have 69 kids. We have them from 8 AM to 5 PM. We’re able to support the parents who thankfully are able to get back out to work.”
The Roxbury Y is one of many across the country that’s adopted to community needs during the time of COVID-19, by providing a safe and supervised place for young, remote learners - so their parents can get back to their roles as bread-winners.
Demand is huge. Saunders says more than 20 families are on a waitlist to place their children in the center.
“I think knowing they could come to the Y, a place they know and already have a relationship with, I think helps,” said Saunders. “I think it helps settle some of those nerves and gives them the opportunity to feel like they’re bringing their kids to a safe, comfortable, known place.”
For Boston parent Marcia Pires, it was a given she would enroll her two children in the Y program since she also works there.
“A lot of parents are struggling right now with care for their children and having to work full time,” Pires said. “I’m just grateful on my end that I’m able to have the help for my children right now.”
If she didn’t have the help, Pires said it’s likely her 7 and 9-year-olds would be attending class at home, supervised by her 16-year-old daughter, a high school junior trying to complete her own schoolwork.
Saunders said the Virtual Learning Center’s first day went well.
“It’s the first day, so you know when I walked through it was really quiet everybody is really learning,” said Saunders. “I think for a first day it was as smooth as I thought it could be.”
The only issues seemed to be that some children got class schedules very late. And there was an issue with too little bandwidth, which Saunders said the Y is addressing. With nearly 70 kids trying to connect to Zoom meetings - an understandable problem.
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