YES!
PARENT
GUIDEBOOK
Free Day Trips for Military Youth
YES!
It is tough being a kid these
days – particularly when
dealing with the stress of
belonging to a military family.
Our Youth Development
programs help kids cope while
providing them with positive,
fun opportunities to get to
know themselves and each
other.
San Diego Armed Services YMCA
3293 Santo Road, San Diego, CA 92124
YES! (Youth Enrichment Summer) This Parent Guidebook has
outings afford children in military useful information to prepare
families, the opportunity to your child for YES! as well as
explore a variety of Southern an overview of YES! policies
California attractions.
and procedures. Please take
time to review this with your
The Armed Services YMCA is
child and get excited about
delighted to offer the YES!
program for the third consecutive YES!
summer to San Diego military
kids. YES! youth trips, for children
ages 7 to 12, include a day at
YMCA Camp Surf and the Balboa Contents:
Park
Staff & Activities 2
We are proud to offer for the
second summer, a YES! teen trip
for kids ages 13 to 15 to Knott’s Preparing for YES! 3
Berry Farm. It will be a great
chance for military teens to meet YES Policies 4
and connect over the summer!
Visit our website www.militaryymca.org for more information on
the over 40 free programs and services available to your family!
 YES! Staff
YES! staff are full time Armed
Services YMCA Youth and
Community Outreach (YCO) staff
members that want to host an
awesome summer packed with
fun, adventure, and exploration!

Our staff is passionate about

supporting military youth and
take pleasure in maintaining a

YES! Outings:
structured, educational program
in an atmosphere of fun and
excitement.

Knott’s Berry Farm The ASYMCA takes seriously the

importance of child protection
July 29th and safety. We have specific,
tested policies and procedures
Teens 13-15 years: for all staff that work with
Military teens explore Southern California and connect children.
with other military teens through a day long excursion
at America’s first theme park Knott’s Berry Farm. The following are some of our
Experience great adventures! proven safety practices:

1. The ASYMCA has comprehensive

San Diego Balboa Park pre-employment screening for
staff members and program
August 5th & August 12th volunteers, including interviews,
reference and nation-wide
criminal history checks.
Kids 7-12 years:
While visiting the park, campers will explore the Natural 2. All staff members regularly work
History Museum in the morning and venture into the with school aged youth in
Reuben H. Fleet Center for hands on science exhibits informal educational settings and
followed by an adventure into another world while viewing are certified in pediatric First Aid
an IMAX film. and CPR.

YMCA Camp Surf

August 19th & August 26th

Kids 7-12 years:

Kids will have a blast learning fun new activities
including archery, wall climbing, boogie boarding and
surf lessons. Children will have a water training and
safety course prior to water activities and will be closely
supervised by both Camp Surf lifeguards and ASYMCA
staff when they are in the water.
 YES! Staff
Preparing for YES!
YES! Clothes
YES! is fun. Occasionally fun can also mean messy! Dress Lyndsay Calhoun: Program Director
your child in old clothes so they are ready to play hard and Beginning her
get dirty! Children are required to wear closed toed shoes second summer at
and socks daily and should arrive to YES! with sunscreen the Armed Services
already applied. Remember, YES! Is not a fashion show! YMCA, Lyndsay is
a San Diego native
What to Bring and graduate of
It is recommended that you send your child with a University of
backpack to keep all their belongings together. All California, San
belongings should be labeled with your child’s name Diego with a degree in Sociology. Her
before sending to YES! outings. Please also be sure your passion for working with children of all
child has sunscreen and a sweatshirt. ages has made working at the ASYMCA
a incredible experience. Lyndsay is
What not to Bring eager to explore San Diego with
Children may not bring electronic devices (cell phones, military children leading the way!
digital cameras, iPods, video games), toys, jewelry, or Andrea Fields: Program Leader
money to YES!. The Armed Services YMCA is not Andrea is excited to begin her third
responsible for any items that are lost or stolen. summer at the Armed Services YMCA.
A Southern California native, summer
has always been her
Deposits favorite season!

YES!
YES! registration forms and a Andrea is a graduate
twenty dollar refundable deposit from SDSU, with a
will be required to register. degree in Women’s
Deposits will be available for Studies and Social
return to parents the final day of Work. She looks
the last registered YES! outing. forward to directing
YES! Eligibility her passion for empowering youth and
YES! is open to children of military Should the family fail to cancel their families into meaningful summer
service members from all service their child’s space at least two
weeks prior to the outing or the programs for military youth.
branches. The military service
member must be rank E6 or below child not attend, the deposit will Cathy Tann: Program Leader
be considered a donation to the Cathy couldn’t be more jammed for
and assigned to a San Diego
non profit Armed Services YMCA. her first summer at the ASYMCA!
military installation or San Diego
based ship. Children must be Cathy is a Texas native with a degree
between seven and twelve years
Emergency Procedures in Interdisciplinary Studies and
old by August 1st to be eligible for Contacting YES! Kids Elementary Teaching Credential from
Youth YES! and between thirteen the University of
If you should need to reach your North Texas. She is
and fifteen years by July 29th for child during YES! please call our
Teen YES! There will be no age looking forward to
front desk at 858-751-5755. They using her
exceptions. Priority will be given will take your message and get the background
to children who have not information to your child. working with youth
participated in 2010 Operation Children are not permitted to
Outdoors. both in and out of
bring cell phones to YES! the classroom to
Financial Contributions Child Illness or Injury enhance summer programs.
The Armed Services YMCA is If your child becomes ill at YES! Kelly Christianson: Program Leader
proud to provide over 40 free our staff will contact you to pick Kelly is thrilled to begin her first fun-
programs to San Diego military them up. Please have filled summer with the ASYMCA. Kelly
service members and their families arrangements to do so in a timely is a San Diego native
each month. Should you wish to manner. If you child is injured who graduated last
make a contribution to the Armed staff will take whatever steps are year with a M.Ed and a
Services YMCA in support of necessary to obtain medical care. Multiple Subject
programs like YES! you may do so If we are unable to reach you and Teaching Credential
by sending your donation to the your child needs medical attention from UCSD. She is
Armed Services YMCA at 3293 they will be transported to the passionate about
Santo Road, San Diego, CA 92124 hospital by an ambulance. All teaching and working
or call 858-751-5755 for more expenses for emergency medical with youth, and she is
information. care are the responsibility of the excited to experience new adventures
parent. this summer at the ASYMCA!
Field Trip
Transportation
YES! participants will travel by
Armed Services YMCA buses.
The following are some of our
transportation safety practices:
1. Each bus driver is a Armed
Services YMCA staff member who
has completed comprehensive
pre-employment screening
including interviews, drug and
alcohol testing, and reference
and nation-wide criminal history
checks.
2. Each driver is required to perform
a pre-trip inspection for their bus
before transporting passengers.
3. Each Armed Services YMCA bus is
outfitted with seat belts and
routinely inspected by the
California Highway Patrol.
We do our best to maintain a reliable
schedule of departure and arrival times
and accomplish all planned activities.
Please do your part to help by arriving
on time to YES! and ready for the day’s
activities. We appreciate your
understanding that trips are subject to
change as necessary for health or safety
of the participants and staff.
Important Times
8:00 a.m.
YES! opens for drop off
8:30 a.m.
Buses begin leaving for field trips
4:00 p.m.
Buses return from youth YES!
4:30 p.m.
Youth YES! Pick Up
7:15 p.m.
Buses return from teen YES!
7:30 p.m.
Teen YES! Pick Up
Behavior Management
YES! Policies Guidelines
Drop Off It is the Armed Services YMCA’s
YES! opens for drop off at 8:00 goal to provide a healthy, safe,
and secure environment for all day
a.m. each day. YES! buses begin
to leave at 8:30 a.m. YES! camp participants. Children who
participants that arrive after field attend the program are expected
trip transportation has departed to follow the behavior guidelines
can not be accommodated. based on the four core values and
to interact appropriately in a
Pick Up group setting.
All YES! participants must be
picked up and signed out by an Behavior Guidelines:
adult listed on the authorized pick- 1. We will care for ourselves and
up list. Please show courtesy to for those around us.
YES! staff by arriving promptly for 2. Honesty will be the basis for
pick up. YES! participants not all relationships and
picked up within 30 minutes of the interactions.
schedule pick up time will be 3. People are responsible for
supervised by ASYMCA staff and their actions.
every attempt will be made to
contact parents and emergency
4. We respect each other and the
environment.
contacts. If within an hour the
parents are not reachable, Child Our staff is trained and is expected
Protective Services will be called. to resolve behavior problems in a
positive manner. In the event
Attendance problems persist the child may be
YES! is a full day experience. YES! suspended or dismissed from the
participants that are late, or YES! program. Some acts may
absent will be dismissed from result in immediate suspension or
remaining YES! outings. Deposits dismissal including but not limited
will not be refunded for those to: fighting, intentionally harming
dismissed from YES! If you child is others, theft, and possession of
for whatever reason not able to weapons or drugs. Deposits will
attend please contact the Armed not be refunded for those
Services YMCA as soon as possible dismissed from the program due
so that a waitlist child can be to a behavior problem.
invited.