When I first joined the Homewood-Brushton YMCA, the students in Lighthouse Project told me this is their chosen family. They taught me what that meant for them throughout the years and I see that developing in Y Creator Space as well. 

I am so incredibly lucky to work at Y Creator Space with the 9-14 year olds in our community, and proud of them as I see them grow into the caring and curious humans they will fully become. They are crafty and experimental. They are observers and testers. They are inquisitive and naturally resilient. 

My work here is to support the whole child, this means I co-create programs and activities that activate their minds, bodies, and creative spirits and hearts. This also means I develop close relationships with their caregivers at home. I've been there  for my students when family members were in the hospital; when they just walked passed a crime scene to get to after school; when they sell their first painting; when they are performing on stage - we hold all the joys and sorrows together. Our teams at Lighthouse Project and Y Creator Space offer space for our youth to decompress their experiences and provide skilled creative outlets through digital and physical technologies to communicate and find their artistic voice. 

Our Y Creator Space supports STEAM enrichment in summer camp, Learn & Earn, and offers free summer and after school clubs.

Our garden club is a youth favorite where students learn about the basics of gardening, sustainable harvesting, herbalism, garden ecosystems, and  begin developing relationships with the plants in a deep heart supporting way.