Teen Center awarded Cloudsplitter grant

Silver Bay YMCA Ticonderoga Teen Center receives $5,000 grant

Silver Bay YMCA is excited to announce that the Cloudsplitter Foundation has awarded Silver Bay YMCA with a $5,000 grant for the Silver Bay YMCA Ticonderoga Teen Center.

The Cloudsplitter Foundation was founded in 1987 and re-domiciled in New York in 1999. Its goal is to be a second-order influence on the social and environmental needs of the Adirondack region.

Silver Bay YMCA’s Vice President of Development and Government Relations Walt Lender spoke on the grant award, “We are thrilled that the Cloudsplitter Foundation is supporting our Teen Center. With so many great new activities at the center and such energetic and dedicated staff, we are proud to be recognized in this way. The youth of our rural community need this program to help them become successful adults.”

The Teen Center, which is open five days a week during the school year, is a free drop-in program for area teens in 6th through 12th grade. At the Teen Center, teens can participate in structured programming, receive homework help, learn life skills such as cooking, meet new people, participate in Leaders Club, and more!

“The grants we receive enable us to create a safe and inclusive space where teenagers can learn, grow, and thrive. Our goal is to create a safe and engaging environment for teenagers to connect with their peers, access resources, and engage in positive and constructive activities. This grant helps to strengthen the community by providing a valuable resource for teenagers and promoting youth development. We are grateful for the support of these grants, as they play a critical role in our ability to make a positive impact on the lives of the teenagers we serve,” stated Jackie Palandrani, Silver Bay YMCA’s youth and teen director.

Uriah Rodriguez, Silver Bay YMCA’s Vice President of Programs, said on the grant, “Funding allows the Ticonderoga Teen Center to continue to provide Y-AIM as a free youth and teen program for program participants. With almost one hundred youth anticipated, enrolled and participating in 2024, Y-AIM is designed to support each student through high school and provide an optimum chance for graduation and college admission.

The program provides area teens with a safe space to connect with their community, engage in opportunities to grow, and the freedom to be themselves. Through afterschool tutoring, enriching educational experiences, recreational activities, and counseling, we empower the teen-aged residents of Ticonderoga, Hague, and Putnam. With a focus on building positive relationships, academic support, and fostering leadership skills, Y-AIM offers a holistic approach to addressing challenges such as school dropout rates, low GPA, poor leadership skills, and lack of parental support. Additionally, we bring in guests to demonstrate critical life skills like healthy meal preparation, wellness, and leadership.

Organized sports and a variety of crafts, led by professional staff, further enhance the program’s offerings, providing a comprehensive support system for the youth in our community.

To learn more about the Teen Center, visit silverbay.org/youth-teen/ or follow the Teen Center on Facebook at Silver Bay YMCA Teen Center – Ticonderoga.

About Silver Bay YMCA: Silver Bay YMCA, founded in 1902, is in Silver Bay, NY, just minutes south of Hague. Its 700-acre campus along one mile of Lake George shoreline offers a breadth of programs for all ages. Silver Bay YMCA is consistently ranked one of the top ten family reunion sites in the country and is on the National Register of Historic Places with the U.S. Department of the Interior. As a mission-based charity, Silver Bay YMCA offers outreach programs in addition to its core activities as a premier conference and family retreat center. Learn more about Silver Bay at www.silverbay.org.

Our MISSION: To foster relationships, strengthen communities and nurture spirit, mind, and body for all.

Our IMPACT: Because of Silver Bay YMCA, connections between people and family are stronger. People are more connected, respectful, and caring. They have the confidence to develop to their full potential and to positively impact the communities in which they work and live. As a result, communities are more dynamic, inclusive, and diverse. As stewards of Lake George, we inspire people to be stewards of the environment while they are visiting our magnificent campus and in their home communities.