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New York YMCA program and event records

 Collection
Identifier: Y.GNY.80

SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION

The New York City YMCA Program and Event Records contain reports, funding proposals, statistics, correspondence and operational documents related to the PACE, GAIN, TRY and CHOICE programs, primarily from the 1970s and 1980s. The collection also includes materials about YWCA-YMCA daycare and the program Y-PEP, which allowed the Y to train staff as child care workers, among other training possibilities. It also includes materials on ELESAIR, a program for immigrants, as well as records related to other youth training programs.

Pre-WWI materials in the collection focus on boys work, international work and student work. There is significant information about the Vocational Service Center and its successor, the Counseling and Testing Service, which provided oversight and operational support for the publicly-funded job training and counseling programs such as CHOICE and TRY. The collection also includes materials related to the frequent banquets and award ceremonies held by the New York City YMCA.

Dates

  • 1881-2003

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Open for use in the Elmer L. Andersen Library reading room.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.

HISTORY OF NEW YORK YMCA PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

The YMCA in New York began to provide scheduled and organized programing shortly after it was founded in 1852. In the early 20th century, lecture series, prayer meetings, book talks and afternoon teas gave way to educational programs that taught English, citizenship, auto repair, foreign languages and a host of other topics. As athletics became an increasingly important aspect of the YMCA in New York City, programs developed that taught and strengthened specific athletic skills in individual and team sports. Camping, daycare and career assistance became staples of YMCA programing efforts. Over the years, the Y in New York City has provided programming in almost every area and subject imaginable.

The Y targeted many of its programs toward certain populations. Y programs were directed toward immigrants, railroad workers, soldiers and veterans, working boys, sailors, college students and different population groups, especially Spanish speakers, Koreans, African Americans and Chinese people.

In the 1960s and 1970s, YMCA leadership decided to take action against what it saw as the decline of New York City reflected in the riots, drug abuse and crime that seemed to characterize those decades. The YMCA became a provider of publicly-funded programming directed at disaffected youth and marginalized communities. Job training, life skills, GED classes and other programs were targeted toward disadvantaged young people, recently released prisononers, high school dropouts and adults without marketable skills. The Vocational Service Center and later the Counseling and Testing Service were central to these efforts.

Almost from its beginnings, the Y celebrated milestones and anniversaries with award banquets and other events, honoring staff and volumteers as well as building community. This tradition continues, as does the association's effort to provide a wide range of programing for the residents of New York City.

Extent

67.8 Cubic Feet (122 boxes )

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The collection includes extensive files on education, job and other training programs operated by the YMCA of Greater New York in the 1960s through 1980s in conjunction with public and private agencies. It also includes materials on athletics, events, international programs, boys and youth work and other aspects of programing at the YMCA of Greater New York from the 1880s into the 21st century.

Processing Information

Catalog Record ID number: 9974795797101701

Partly unprocessed

Title
YMCA OF GREATER NEW YORK PROGRAM AND EVENT RECORDS
Subtitle
An Inventory
Author
Louise Merriam
Date
November 2016
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Collecting Area Details

Contact The Kautz Family YMCA Archives Collecting Area

Contact:

612-625-3445