I’d like to offer my thanks to the community for making our TEDxYMCAAcademy and our Open House such a rousing success this weekend. The theme of the TEDx event — wrap around services for youth — neatly dovetails with what we provide here at The Academy.
Unlike many schools, especially independent schools, the Academy does not focus solely on the academic achievement of its students. While we are unique within the YMCAs in Canada in providing a full range of academic supports for students who learn differently, we have very much in common with all YMCA programming for youth in our emphasis on social and personal support. In fact, we don’t even give out academic awards here. Rather, we focus on values we think are much more important. Those values are essentially the six core values of the YMCA of Greater Toronto: Respect, Responsibility, Inclusiveness, Caring, Honesty and Health.
I’m privileged to see these values in action everyday at the Central Y, where The YMCA Academy is located. I see it in our Child Care, in our Youth Leadership Corps, in the Newcomers programs, and throughout the Health and Fitness Centre.
Come for a tour of The Academy — see how we are truly an alternative school.
Don Adams, Head of School