The Genesee/Wyoming YMCA and Five Star Bank are launching a collaborative initiative called “Five Star KIDS!” designed to help youths served by both organizations.
It kicked off in the Batavia City Elementary Schools and is, or will soon be, at Warsaw Elementary School. The City of Batavia and Warsaw School districts are, of course, also participating.
Five Star KIDS! targets fifth-graders with a goal of engaging them and empowering them through fun events, positive role models and challenging activities. Its central theme throughout the school year is character building.
"Five Star Bank and the YMCA have a long-standing partnership and this program is an extension of that collaboration,” said Five Star Bank Regional President John Witkowski. "Having the opportunity to advance the YMCA’s ongoing efforts to improve health and wellness as well as promote teamwork and leadership in our kids is part of what being a community bank is all about.”
The program will culminate in June with an all-day program at the YMCA’s Camp Hough on Silver Lake. For Batavia City School fifth-graders, that will be the first time they are all together before they going on to Middle School next fall.
Five Star KIDS! works to develop their spirit, mind and body and be supportive of their family and community. Participants will be encouraged to: become active in community organizations or causes; work hard at school and improve their grade; respect their bodies by eating right, exercising and making healthy decisions, strengthen family ties and; get involved and make a difference in their community.
The fifth-graders get Five Star KIDS! "passports" which they display during program days but get to keep throughout the year. YMCA staff and teachers will focus on promoting the YMCA’s four core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility and will recognize demonstrations of character-driven behavior from individual students as well as entire classes.
Students will be able to accumulate recognition stickers throughout the year and turn them in for program rewards in the spring.
The Five Star KIDS! passports represent a ticket to the future,” said Genesee County YMCA branch director Erik Fix. “We hope to show that good behavior, good decisions and hard work can add up and help get kids where they want to go.”
Five Star Bank has made a $7,500 contribution to the Genesee/Wyoming YMCA to develop and deliver the Five Star KIDS! initiative during the 2009/2010 school year.
