Our 2024 Summer Day Camp season, which was generously sponsored by CN, officially came to a close last week. It was another incredible experience for everyone involved!
We’d like to thank all of our camp families for spending the summer with us here at the YMCA. We hope you have a wonderful school year and look forward to seeing you back at camp next year.
We’d also like to thank all of our wonderful community partners who opened their doors and their hearts, allowing us to provide much-needed summer child care at locations throughout Will and Grundy Counties.
Finally, we’d like to thank our top-notch summer camp team for their endless energy, compassion, and creativity. Your hard work and tireless dedication helped to ensure that each of our campers had a summer full of fun and adventures.
As we take a look back at the summer that was, let’s take a closer look at YMCA Summer Camp By the Numbers:
7 Camp Locations
With a little help from our friends, we hosted camp at each of our YMCA facilities and at offsite locations throughout the community. Thank you, Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center, Joliet Junior College, Saratoga School District 60C, Plainfield School District 202, and Valley View School District 365U for helping us serve kids in our community this summer.
1,220 Campers
We are so proud to provide a memorable camp experience for each and every one of our amazing summer day campers.
215 Counselors
Summer day camp would not be possible without the dedication, versatility, and inspiring leadership of our Summer Camp staff team.
39 Summer Day Camp Volunteers Contributing 2,100 Volunteer Service Hours
Student volunteers from local high schools as well as volunteers from the Catholic Charities of Joliet were a pivotal resource during summer day camp as they provided assistance to Y staff, ensuring campers participated in a wide range of learning opportunities.
63 Field Trips
We were thrilled to help our campers go on exciting adventures! Whether it was a trip to the movies, a visit to the zoo, or enjoying a day at an amusement park, our campers got the chance to explore the community and make memories!
More than $80,000 raised by the YMCA’s Send a Kid to Camp Campaign
At the Y, nobody is ever turned away due to the inability to pay. Nearly half of the children who attend YMCA summer day camp programs receive financial assistance, and this is made possible by the incredible generosity of YMCA donors. This spring, our Send A Kid to Camp Campaign supporters generously funded more than 1,700 days of camp for children in our community.
We look forward to seeing you next summer. Camp registration for the summer of 2025 will get underway in March!
The Y is excited to offer health and wellness programs for homeschool families this fall! These five-week programs are open to kids, ages 4-14.
The Joliet Y JETS swim team offers a range of practice groups, from beginner to advanced, based on age, skill, speed and commitment. To be placed on the beginning level of the team, swimmers must be able to swim freestyle for one length of the pool (25 yards) without stopping while demonstrating the ability to comfortably swim at the surface with arms reaching forward over the water, their face in the water, and taking breaths to the side. They must also swim 25 yards of backstroke without stopping, showing they are comfortable floating on their back while maintaining a rhythmic, supportive kick.
Every day the Greater Joliet Area YMCA affirms its commitment to making a positive impact in the community. Y programs provide opportunities for all generations, ensuring that every individual feels a sense of belonging. And as a non-profit, community-based organization, the YMCA relies on the generosity of its members and the support of charitable giving to offer these services and programs for children, adults and families living in our community. 
August 11-25