Healthy Kids • Y Stories • YMCA Child Care • YMCA Volunteers
YMCA Child Care: changing lives for the better (Sarah’s Story)
31 July 2019 - by Dawn Yan
After Riham reminisced about her time with the Y, I was convinced her fellow YMCA Child Care placement student Sarah Bunsee would have some fond memories too. Especially, I wanted to know if Sarah had seen the Y make a difference in children's lives.
Sarah explains that Y educators make an effort to remember all the details — big or small. They can rattle off the kids’ favourite colours, find their favourite toy, or, perhaps most importantly, remember their least favourite fruit or vegetable.
She rightly counts herself among those educators who are making a difference in children’s lives. “During my placement, I had the opportunity to plan weekly activities for the kids. They were designed to target specific developmental skills and interests. For me, it was a very rewarding experience to see the children learn and discover new concepts through activities that I planned; it made me very happy to see that I had made a difference in their development.”
For anyone thinking about volunteering or completing their placement with us at the Y, Sarah says, “You’re bound to create countless memories here and I would highly recommend volunteering at the Y! In such a warm and welcoming learning environment, surrounded by incredibly genuine and kind children and staff, it’s hard not to have an experience like that!
Looking back, I’ve formed so many close relationships with the children and staff these past few months; it’s going to make for some really hard goodbyes once my placement comes to an end,” Sarah sighs.
Much like two of our other placement students, Riham and Yussra, Sarah has aspirations to work at the Y in the future. And we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the trio back into our Y family!
At the Y, we believe it takes a healthy village to raise a healthy child — and healthy children come from healthy beginnings! For over 165 years, the YMCA of Greater Toronto has been helping people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities reach their full potential. Apply to volunteer at the Y and start making a difference in your community today!
“All the educators I've worked with here are extremely nurturing and intentional towards the children,” she tells me. “They really take the time to get to know each child that comes into our care and they try to build personable relationships with each and every one of them.”
Sarah explains that Y educators make an effort to remember all the details — big or small. They can rattle off the kids’ favourite colours, find their favourite toy, or, perhaps most importantly, remember their least favourite fruit or vegetable.
She rightly counts herself among those educators who are making a difference in children’s lives. “During my placement, I had the opportunity to plan weekly activities for the kids. They were designed to target specific developmental skills and interests. For me, it was a very rewarding experience to see the children learn and discover new concepts through activities that I planned; it made me very happy to see that I had made a difference in their development.”
For anyone thinking about volunteering or completing their placement with us at the Y, Sarah says, “You’re bound to create countless memories here and I would highly recommend volunteering at the Y! In such a warm and welcoming learning environment, surrounded by incredibly genuine and kind children and staff, it’s hard not to have an experience like that!
Looking back, I’ve formed so many close relationships with the children and staff these past few months; it’s going to make for some really hard goodbyes once my placement comes to an end,” Sarah sighs.
Much like two of our other placement students, Riham and Yussra, Sarah has aspirations to work at the Y in the future. And we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the trio back into our Y family!
At the Y, we believe it takes a healthy village to raise a healthy child — and healthy children come from healthy beginnings! For over 165 years, the YMCA of Greater Toronto has been helping people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities reach their full potential. Apply to volunteer at the Y and start making a difference in your community today!
