CLAY COUNTY – The YMCA’s before and after school programs are operating across 28 different schools this year, and while they’re largely the same as before, there have been a few COVID-19-related changes.

The First Coast YMCA has undergone many operational changes in order to weather COVID-19, especially in light of a new surge brought on by the Delta variant. Masks are mandatory in its facilities and hand sanitizer stations can be found around every corner. The YMCA hosts year-round school-related programs that many parents rely on and it was important for those to continue in the current school year.

“We’ve been creative in coming up with new ways for our students to partake...while still having fun,” YMCA afterschool experience director Chuck Steinfurth said.

Steinfurth said the YMCA is still operating in all of its locations across the county’s 28 elementary schools. That means before and after school programs are running because Steinfurth said each is critical to the community. For parents who need a safe and educational environment for their child – these programs are for them.

They’re also so much more, he said.

“We provide homework assistance, snacks, a variety of activities from sports to games to stem projects and more,” Steinfurth said. “We help students develop math and literacy skills, character development, and ... generally, we just try to enrich the students’ lives when they’re with us.”

The YMCA could use some help, though. It’s currently accepting applications for those who want to “help change the lives of youth and work before and after school hours.” Steinfurth said the programs are so popular this year that some schools already have waiting lists.

He said while things might look a little different – students might sit further apart than they’re used to – the experience is still the same.

“We’ve definitely had to heighten our safety measures a bit,” Steinfurth said when asked about COVID-19’s effects on the programs.

“We do require all staff and students to wear masks, we have adjusted some of our inside activities so that we have more spacing between children, we keep social distancing in place when possible, and we’ve increased a lot of our cleaning and sanitation.”

He also said the program always ensures students are washing their hands, and that all project materials and supplies are cleaned in between each use.

“We’ve been super creative in coming up with new games and projects and new ways to play old games with social distancing, all while still making sure everything is fun and educational for our students,” Steinfurth said.

The program hasn’t changed beyond many of the customary COVID-19 protocols. The program is still a paid weekly program, and it’s still year-round. It even has optional programs and camps for the times when school is out and those enrolled in the programs can receive a discount for those optional things.

“It really is the same program students already know and love,” Steinfurth said. “We’ve just had to adapt [to COVID-19] like the rest of the world.”