After the success of a two-year pilot program that served over 35,000 youths, Battelle announced a $1.1-million investment into the YMCA of Central Ohio for STEM initiatives.
The additional funding will continue the partnership that has now added STEM elements to all of the central Ohio YMCA programming through 2026, expanding its reach to a total of 44,000 children and families across the organization's 13 community centers in a five-county region, according to Tony Collins, president and CEO of YMCA of Central Ohio.
Wes Hall, Battelle's senior vice president of philanthropy and education, said the company is impressed with how The Y has stewarded its partnership and funds thus far. On behalf of Battelle, he said the vision was to build tomorrow's workforce where families are already convening. This includes the organization's day camps, early learning programs and more.
"I hope that this opportunity allows students of all backgrounds to understand that they can be successful in future STEM careers — and that doesn't mean you have to be a scientist or an engineer to apply the skills that you learn in these programs," Hall said of the intended impact of the partnership.
"It's all about access. I hope that it really allows people to see themselves being successful in the future, and The Y is just so well-positioned to meet children where they are."
Reaching the workforce of tomorrow
Collins said the goal of the first two-year partnership was to reach 20,000 kids, but the program was able to impact over 35,000 youths. As the partnership proceeds with its continuation, he described the process as "compounding" the impact of the YMCA's programming, rather than simply continuing it, as it's growing the number of kids served.
Describing his excitement for both the funding itself and the work to be continued, Collins said this is an investment in all children in all central Ohio communities, both geographically and economically.
"We're targeting neighborhoods and families who are in the most need, and we're targeting families in our rural communities. This is truly an investment in all children in all of our communities," Collins said.
"When we work with Battelle, that's important to them. They want to make sure that we're serving kids in neighborhoods that have the greatest challenges, and they want to make sure that we're serving all kids."
Sophia Veneziano is a Columbus Dispatch reporter supported by the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation. She may be reached at [email protected]. The Dispatch retains full editorial independence for all content.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Battelle invests $1.1M into YMCA of Central Ohio for STEM initiatives
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