Greater Joliet Area YMCA

GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

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Greater Joliet Area YMCA Announces Spring College Tour

Each year, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA helps students broaden their understanding of possible options for their post-secondary education by organizing tours to colleges and universities throughout the Midwest. These events guide students as they set and achieve high educational, professional, and personal goals, serving as a stepping stone for them to discover their identities, embrace their passions, and become their best selves. 

And now, the Y is excited to announce the first tour of 2026!

Location: Western Illinois University
Date: Tuesday, March 31

Participants will depart from Joliet Junior College, located at 1215 Houbolt Road in Joliet, at 7 a.m. with scheduled return to the Y no later than 6 p.m. Finalized trip itineraries will be communicated the week prior to the tour.

Cost: $30 (includes lunch and transportation)

Registration is underway! College tours are open to the community and spots are limited, so don’t delay!

REGISTER TODAY

To learn more, please contact: 

Darrell Collins, Teen Achievers and Teen REACH Director
[email protected]
(815) 744-3939, ext. 361
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Greater Joliet Area YMCA Offering Workshop on Careers in Health Sciences on March 12

The Greater Joliet Area YMCA is excited to host a free workshop for area residents looking to learn more about pursuing careers in the healthcare industry!

Date:
Thursday, March 12

Time:
6-7:30 p.m.

Location:
Joliet Junior College, Room U-1024
1215 Houbolt Road
Joliet, IL 60431

In addition to listening to engaging guest speakers, participants will have the opportunity to meet with a variety of healthcare professionals and academic providers. Attendees will also learn more about scholarship opportunities, tuition reimbursement programs, and educational pathways for careers in the healthcare industry. Refreshments will be served.

Guest speakers will include representatives from Joliet Junior College and the Will County Workforce Development. 

Cost:
Free and open to the community

REGISTER TODAY

To learn more about this event, please contact: 

Darrell Collins
Teen REACH & Teen Achievers Director
[email protected]
(815) 782-0828

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Greater Joliet Area YMCA Offering ‘Jobs in the Trades’ Workshop on January 28

The Greater Joliet Area YMCA is excited to host a free workshop for area students and young adults on Wednesday, January 28.

Free and open to the community, the Y’s ‘Jobs in the Trades’ workshop will provide area participants with important resources to help them prepare for their futures while hearing directly from industry professionals who can guide them toward successful careers in the trades.

Time:
10 a.m.-Noon

Location:
Joliet Junior College, Room U-1024
1215 Houbolt Road
Joliet, IL 60431

Refreshments will also be served. Register early and enter to win a $50 gift card. Additional raffles will also be available the day of the event.

REGISTER TODAY

To learn more please contact: 

Darrell Collins
Teen REACH & Teen Achievers Director
[email protected]
(815) 782-0828

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Joilet Community YMCA Set to Offer College Planning Workshop This October

YMCA Teen Achievers workshops are free and open to the community, providing area students with important resources they can use to prepare for life after high school. Next month the workshop topic will be:

Finding Free Money for College
Date: Saturday, October 18
Time: 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Location:
Joliet Junior College Event Center
Room 2001
1215 Houbolt Road Joliet, IL 60431 

This workshop will include tips for starting your college search, identifying possible red flags in your school choice, finding scholarships, and completing scholarship applications. All attendees will have access to an array of scholarship options and find answers to other commonly asked questions. This event is primarily for high school juniors and seniors, but freshmen and sophomores are welcome to attend. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to attend as well. 

Facilitator: Kacey Helland, Teacher from the Plainfield South High School World Language Department

Kacey is a former YMCA Teen Achievers facilitator with more than a decade of teaching experience. She has earned degrees in Spanish, Secondary Education, and Educational Leadership, and is excited to help students on their educational journey. 

REGISTER TODAY

To learn more about this event, please contact:

Darrell Collins
Teen REACH & Teen Achievers Director
Phone: (815) 782-0828
Email: [email protected]

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Meet Joliet Community YMCA Teen REACH & Teen Achievers Director Darrell Collins

The Joliet Community YMCA (JCY) is an innovative initiative that brings vital YMCA youth development, sports, and family programming to neighborhood locations throughout the greater Joliet community.

With offices located on the main campus of Joliet Junior College (JJC), the Joliet Community YMCA partners with area churches, local school districts, and other likeminded community organizations to provide year-round programs for Joliet residents of all ages. This initiative reaffirms the YMCA’s ongoing commitment to equity, access, and innovation in serving the community.

This week, we are highlighting the amazing staff members who bring JCY programs to life. Today we shine the spotlight on Teen REACH & Teen Achievers Director Darrell Collins! Darrell has an extensive background working in youth development for the YMCA, and took over the reins of our Teen REACH and Teen Achievers programs this past winter. Learn more about him in the Q&A below. 

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from and what is your background/experience with the Y?

I was born and raised in Plainfield. I come from a big family and have four sisters and one brother. I love sports and grew up playing football, basketball, and baseball. After high school, I played baseball at JJC and then attended Western Illinois University. I started working for the C.W Avery Family YMCA in Plainfield in 2014 as a sports camp and Kid Zone counselor.

Q: Why do you have a passion for youth development?

My passion for working with youth grew from when I first started at the YMCA. Seeing how impactful I could be in helping students learn new things was what made me want to go into a profession of working with kids. Ever since then, I have enjoyed watching kids learn and grow into their own identity. Knowing I had a part in that makes me feel like I am making a positive impact in their lives.

Q: What stands out about the YMCA community? 

The thing that stands out to me about the YMCA, and I tell everyone this, is how family oriented it is. It feels like one big family and I love that aspect. I have met some wonderful people over the last 10 years thanks to being involved with the Y.

Q: What excites you about upcoming JCY programs?

What excites me about our JCY programs is that we are still growing and listening to what the community needs. We have a great team here who are doing everything to make sure that our programs are reaching the community. I’m in my first year in this position, so I look forward to continuing to get to know our students and meet new people, and I’m so excited for the first months of the school year.

Q: What activities do you enjoy outside of the Y?

I love hanging out with my friends and watching sporting events. I also love trying new restaurants, going to concerts, and going to games. My favorite hobby right now is definitely golf. I started playing with my buddies a few years ago and we have been obsessed ever since.

We are so proud to have Darrell leading our teen and young adult programs! To learn more about Teen REACH, here.

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YMCA Launches Innovative Programming Initiative in Joliet

New Joliet Community YMCA Will Bring Vital Programs to the Heart of the Community

The Greater Joliet Area YMCA is excited to announce the creation of the Joliet Community YMCA (JCY), an innovative initiative that will bring vital YMCA youth development, sports, and family programming to neighborhood locations throughout the greater Joliet community.

With offices located on the main campus of Joliet Junior College (JJC), the Joliet Community YMCA will partner with area churches, local school districts, and other likeminded community organizations to provide year-round programs for Joliet residents of all ages. This new initiative reaffirms the YMCA’s ongoing commitment to equity, access, and innovation in serving the community.

“As we prepare to celebrate the YMCA’s 100th anniversary in 2026, we have the opportunity to reimagine the ways we deliver programs to the community,” said Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair. “By offering programs in neighborhood locations, like schools and churches, we hope to make them more accessible for more people in our community.”

Operating as a mobile, community-based extension of the Y’s mission, the Joliet Community YMCA will offer a wide range of programs at locations throughout the greater Joliet community, including:

Before and After School Kid Zone Program: The Y’s Kid Zone program serves students from 12 Joliet District 86 elementary schools, 10 onsite, providing much-needed before and after school care for families. The JCY Kid Zone program also serves students in Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C, Rockdale School District 84, and Laraway Community Consolidated School District 70C.

Teen REACH: The Y’s Teen REACH program, which provides free after school care for students in grades 6-8, will be offered onsite at Joliet District 86’s four junior high schools. Teen REACH summer camp is currently offered at JJC and the Salvation Army Community Center.

Teen Achievers: The Y’s Teen Achievers program provides local high school students with access to career and empowerment workshops, college tours, and networking opportunities.

Youth Sports Programs: Through an innovative partnership, which was announced earlier this winter, the Y and JJC will work together to host year-round sports programming on the college’s main campus. These programs will include youth sports leagues, camps, clinics, and classes, offered as part of the YMCA Junior Wolves program, which provides kids with the opportunity to train with JJC athletes and coaches and YMCA staff.

Youth Enrichment Programs: Beginning this fall, the Joliet Community YMCA will offer a variety of youth enrichment programs, including dance, martial arts, cooking, and STEM classes at JJC, the Salvation Army Community Center, and Messiah Lutheran Church of Joliet.

Family Nights and Special Events: This fall, the Joliet Community YMCA will host free family nights and holiday events at locations throughout Joliet.

“We are very excited to write the next chapter of the Y’s storied history in the Joliet community. We want to meet families where they are. By working collaboratively with our community partners, we can create welcoming spaces where everyone belongs and everyone has the opportunity to grow and thrive at the YMCA,” added Leclair.

Registration for Joliet Community YMCA fall programming will begin on Saturday, July 26. Kid Zone and Teen REACH registration for the 2025-2026 school year is underway. Financial assistance through the Y’s scholarship program is available.

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