Young Women's Christian Association
 http://www.ywca.org



Contact Information :

1015 18th Street NW
Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-467-0801
Fax: 202-467-0802
E-mail: info@ywca.org



CENTER DESCRIPTION

The mission of the Young Women's Christian Association of the U.S.A. (YWCA of the U.S.A) is to empower young women and girls and eliminate racism. The YWCA administers community service programs organized around the issues of child care, physical fitness, health awareness, and social justice programs. Through these services, the YWCA supports the healthy development and lives of young women and girls.

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE


RECENT PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

  • Child Care
       Girls and Adolescents
      • Child Care and Youth Development. The YWCA provides child care and school-age programs for 750,000 children and youth. The organization is committed to meeting the development needs of young girls and women by providing school-age and youth programs that support leadership, education, and empowerment of girls and women.
  • Economic Literacy
      • Economic Empowerment. The YWCA offers programs aimed at enhancing the capacity of women and girls to achieve economic empowerment. Its services work to safeguard adequate standards of living and economic justice for all women. These include basic life skills training, ESL courses, GED classes, adult education, welfare to work programs, career counseling, and many more.
  • Economic and Social Status of Women
       Education
       Global Issues
      • Global Awareness. The YWCA supports sustainable development initiatives that address the links between sexism, racism, and increasing poverty among women worldwide. Specifically, the YWCA focuses on the status of women, their role in building sustainable communities, and women's education and advocacy. The Office of World Relations, a component of the YWCA's global awareness campaign, seeks to contribute to global efforts to increase the status of women by collaborating with other national and international human rights organizations that serve women.

  • Health and Health Care
       Sports and Fitness
    •
      Health and Fitness. The YWCA administers health promotion services to improve the bodies and minds of young women and girls. Included programs are aquatic and fitness activities; healthy lifestyle education programs; human sexuality/pregnancy prevention programs; first aid; and other physical/mental health services. Encore Plus promotes health education about breast and cervical cancer through classes, clinical service, discussions about the availability and utilization of health services, and advocacy.

      Sports. In addition to providing a venue for young women and girls to participate in sports, the YWCA - along with Girls Inc., the Girl Scouts, the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports, and the Women's Sports Foundation - has initiated a YWCA National Women and Girls in Sports Day. The event honors women and girls in sports and the contributions they have made in this field.

  • Human Rights
       Cultural, Racial and Ethnic Diversity
      • Racial Justice and Human Rights. Part of the YWCA's mission is to eliminate racism. Toward this end, it is active in a number of racial awareness and justice campaigns. It has spearheaded the YWCA National Day of Commitment to Eliminate Racism, a day of confirmation of the YWCA commitment to racial justice. Additionally, the YWCA has partnered with the White House and the National Governors Association to implement the Dialogue on Race Reconciliation initiative. Another activity is the YWCA Race Against Racism, a 5K Run/Walk in Washington, designed to raise awareness about issues of racism.
  • Leadership and Leadership Development
      • Leadership Development. The YWCA administers several leadership and professional development programs to give young women and girls the skills to become leaders and advocates in their communities. The Institute for Public Leadership offers workshop training to strengthen women's position in active lobbying, grassroots lobbying, and in other organized activities that have potential to impact public opinion and legislative and executive policy. The institute works to empower women through the use of political expertise; the "I Vote" initiative addresses voter education; "I Speak Out" deals with advocacy; and "I Lead" focuses on the skills that women need to become effective leaders.

      In addition, the YWCA requires that new presidents and executive directors go through training at the YWCA Leadership Development Institute, which offers a curriculum that emphasizes the YWCA mission and leadership strategies. Similarly, the YWCA Professional Development Program is designed to improve the strategic capabilities of YWCA executive directors to handle organizational challenges.
  • Science and Technology
      • Technology Education. TechGRYLS is a YWCA of the USA program that aims to raise competency and interest among young women and girls, while simultaneously enhancing critical thinking and problem solving skills. TechGYRLS includes after-school activities and clubs.
  • Violence Against Women
      • Violence Prevention. The YWCA provides several services for victims of violence and sponsors the Week Without Violence campaign, which involves communities in the United States and abroad. The week stresses the need to emphasize and publicize alternatives to family violence, gun violence, violence related to racism and bigotry, and violence in the media.


    PUBLICATIONS
      Annual Report.

      Interchange.

      YW Magazine.

       YWCA Program Brochure.



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    Last updated 07/25/01
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