After taking this class, you will have the knowledge and skills needed to be a safe, responsible, and successful babysitter.

YMCA Global Leaders is a leadership development and service learning program that engages teens in a year-long empowering international experience culminating with a week long summer service abroad experience.

About YMCA Global Leaders 
The Global Leaders Program aims to empower and endow the next generation of global leaders with innovative and cultural competency skills necessary to lead inclusively in a world that is ever more interdependent. This program includes deep personal growth and discovery, cultural travel, meaningful service and college readiness.  Through the Valparaiso, Chile YMCA and the YMCA of the USA Chile Coalition, the goal is to strengthen teen engagement and global leadership development in the US and Chile YMCAs.

• Program Components: The program has four major components which include the following:
  • Stewardship: Leadership Development & Summit Planning (minimum 3 meetings throughout school year- in person and virtual)
  • Service: Service Learning Projects locally & abroad
  • Summit: Global Teen Leadership Development Summit
    • Dates: Sunday, July 6th, 2025- Sunday, July 13th, 2025 in Chile

• Program Fees: YMCA Global Leaders will be required to fundraise for their portion of the Global Teen Leadership Development Summit.  Approximate per person fees are $3,000 per person which includes airfare, lodging, airport transportation, meals, and cultural activities.

Apply Now!

Applications for the YMCA Global Leaders program are OPEN!  On selection, participants will attend leadership development and summit planning meetings with their travel group which will focus on team-building, leadership development, and cultural competency trainings in preparation for their trip. The application and selection process consists of the following:

1.  Indicate your interest by registering for the program below!
2. Upon registration, you will be provided with a YMCA Global Leaders program application.  MUST apply to be considered.
3. In-Person or Phone Interview

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, January 15th, 2025

Eligible Applicants Are:

• In high school
• Available to attend regular mandatory meetings
• Available to travel in July of 2025 to Valparaiso, Chile
• Curious, open to new experiences
• Want to make their community a better place
• Embody the YMCA core values

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM?  Join us for an information meeting on Wednesday, December 4th from 3:30pm-4:30pm at the YMCA at Pabst Farms!

Learn the tools necessary to start staying home alone. We will discuss making good decisions, safety practices, first aid, and more. Bring food/snack/drink needed to get through this class time.

Youth and Government™ or (YIG) a national YMCA program, empowers students from every corner of the U.S. by giving them the opportunity to learn about—and experience—government policies and methodologies firsthand.  This unique program is made up of thousands of teens nationwide in state-organized, model-government programs. Participants immerse themselves in experiential civic engagement, debate issues that affect citizens in their state and even propose legislation. The program culminates with teens serving as delegates at their state conference, debating bills on the floor of the legislature.

Delegates from across Wisconsin convene at a Model Government conference each year to debate proposals they’ve written to improve our state.  To prepare for the conference, there will be a pre-government session on Saturday, February 1st in central Wisconsin (location TBD).  The Model Government conference will held at the Wisconsin State Capitol from Friday, March 7th- Sunday, March 9th, 2025. The fee to attend the conference is $100 and includes two nights lodging, meeting spaces at the hotel and Capitol, evening activities, materials, and state dinner at the Model Government Conference.

Meeting times and dates will change and will be established by the delegation (middle school & high school).

Looking to learn more about Youth in Government or understand what it is all about?  Join us for an informational meeting on Wednesday, October 23rd from 4:30pm-5:30pm at the YMCA at Pabst Farms!  For more information, contact us at [email protected].

The mission of the YMCA Youth Service Summit is to help build, shape, and mentor the next generation of servant leaders in our community! For this day long summit, we will engage high school students (ages 14-18) in a morning of community service at Feeding America in Milwaukee, followed by an afternoon of leadership education with talented speakers. The day will end with a Summit Social at the Y with various activities including rock climbing, swimming, gaming, and more!

Do something meaningful on your day off of school and give back to your community!