Greater Joliet Area YMCA

GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

C.W. Avery, Central City, Galowich, Morris

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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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Jackson Generation Donates $5,000 in Support of YMCA Teen REACH Program

At the Y, we believe the values and skills learned early on are vital building blocks for life. As a result of the YMCA’s Teen REACH Program, which offers after school care and summer day camp activities for middle school students in Joliet District 86, youth in our community take a greater interest in learning, develop an understanding of positive behaviors, explore their unique talents and interests, and make smarter life choices to help them realize their potential. That makes for confident kids today and contributing and engaged adults tomorrow.

But we can’t do it alone. As a non-profit, community-based organization, the YMCA relies on the generosity of its members and the support of charitable giving to provide services and financial assistance for children and families living in our community.

That is why the YMCA would like to thank Jackson Generation, which recently provided a $5,000 donation to support of Teen REACH.

“We are incredibly grateful for Jackson Generation’s gift and the role it will play in helping the Teen REACH program shine brightest,” Greater Joliet Area YMCA Chief Business Development Officer Missy Durkin said. “This donation represents a shared commitment to service, and we know it will have a positive impact on students.”

Pictured in top photo (second row, left to right): Greater Joliet Area YMCA Mission Advancement Director Donnie Chestnutt, Jackson Generation Operations Manager Austin Ouellette, Joliet Community YMCA Teen REACH & Teen Achievers Director Darrell Collins, Joliet Community YMCA Operations Director Brooke Hall, Jackson Generation Plant Manager Scott Freese, J-Power USA Assistant Director of Corporate Communications Joyce Bae, Greater Joliet Area YMCA Chief Business Development Officer Missy Durkin.

To show your support for the YMCA Mission Strong Fund by making a donation today, please click here. 

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Love Where You Work: Join the YMCA’s Before and After School Care Team

At the Y, we know that learning doesn’t end when the school bell rings. The way children spend time outside the classroom can make a big difference in their personal development and family-life balance. YMCA before and after school care programs provide a safe place for children to keep their mind and body active while learning social skills and positive values.

Our before and after school team is dedicated to the Y’s mission and works tirelessly to meet the needs of the communities we serve. This group of talented and energetic staff is second to none, and we are now currently looking to hire new part-time employees to expand our team!

Positions Available:
-Kid Zone Counselors (Sites in Plainfield, Joliet, Bolingbrook, and Romeoville)
-Teen REACH Counselors (Sites in Joliet)

Part-Time Employees receive the following benefits:

  • A free YMCA Membership
  • May enroll their eligible children in Kid Zone at no cost
  • Save 25% off of Y programming
  • Have the opportunity to participate in the Y’s retirement plan (when eligibility requirements have been met)

Program hours vary by location.

APPLY ONLINE TODAY

To learn more, contact your local Y branch below:

C.W. Avery Family YMCA 

Plainfield School District 202
Lori Barrie
Before and After School Care Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (815) 267-8600, ext. 205

Valley View CUSD 365U
Kassandra Lepe
Childcare Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (815) 267-8600, ext. 211

Galowich Family YMCA

Elementary Schools in Joliet, Laraway, Rockdale, and Troy Districts
Tori Dutkiewicz
Before and After Care Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (815) 744-3939, ext. 307

Teen REACH After School Program in Joliet District 86
Darrell Collins
Teen REACH & Teen Achievers Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (815) 744-3939, ext. 361

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Greater Joliet Area YMCA Receives $850,000 Grant to Support Programming at the Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center

On Wednesday, February 19, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA was proud to announce an $850,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that will support YMCA programming at the Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center. 

Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair, YMCA Operations Director Brooke Hall, Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center Pastor and Administrator Scott Hurula, and Salvation Army Associate Chicago Area Commander Major K. Kendall Mathews were joined by support staff from the YMCA and Salvation Army to welcome U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood for a special check presentation. Underwood, who championed the grant through the application process, was also presented with a special thank you message made by students in the YMCA’s before and after school Kid Zone are program. 

Leclair, Hall, Hurula, and Matthews reiterated that the grant will strengthen the YMCA’s partnership with the Salvation Army, which began with efforts to support e-learning for local students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now helps provide summer day camp programming to area families.

Funds from the grant will be used to create a family innovations lab and STEAM programming space at the Salvation Army Community Center, allowing the YMCA to expand after school offerings as well as new activities during YMCA summer day camp.  

Features will include:

  • A computer programming and coding lab, including robotics and 3-D printing.
  • A fine arts studio for painting, sculpture, vocal and instrumental music, etc.
  • A video production studio, including green screen technology. 
  • A maker space where children and families can express their creativity.

We can’t wait to welcome students and families to these new spaces!

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