Capital Area YMCA celebrates 170 years with free swim lessons in the fall

The Capital Area YMCA on Pennington Ave, the first YMCA in New Jersey founded in 1856, will commemorate its 170th anniversary by reopening the Hedgepeth-Williams Intermediate School indoor pool, where they will offer free swim lessons beginning this fall to elementary and middle school students across Trenton Public Schools. 

Reopening the swimming pool was not an easy feat. “It was a lot of repairs because the pool was closed down for several years,” said CEO of the Capital Area YMCA, Louise McCants. But thanks to a two-year grant of $206,000 from Mercer County Human Resources, the pool and locker rooms were renovated in collaboration with Trenton Public Schools to provide after-school aquatics in the capital area. 

The age range of the aquatics after-school participants will be 7 to 13 years old. “We expect to expand the program from initial students from Hedgepeth-Williams Intermediate School and Paul Robeson Elementary School to reach students throughout Trenton with additional funding and support,” said McCants.

Currently, many have to go outside of Trenton to neighbouring branches in Lawrenceville or Hamilton to access swim lessons; the Capital Area YMCA is bringing that to Trenton. Additionally, donations they get towards the aquatics program go to free lessons for youth and bathing suits for families who may not be able to afford them.

“In the past, you had to take swim class in order to graduate high school. But that went away a long time ago, in the 90s,” McCants shared. “Now it’s not even an elective in junior high school to be able to take pool. So you won’t learn how to swim necessarily until you get to high school. And then that is also a choice. It is not mandatory. So this [program] gives kids an opportunity to choose at an earlier age to be able to get some swim lessons for free.” 

This is just one part of the Capital Area YMCA’s celebration of their 170th anniversary. “We are the oldest YMCA in New Jersey. And so with that being said, that means over 170 years, we’ve been pivoting [and] doing service for the people in this area,” shared McCants. From the first basketball champions to one of the largest dance academies in the city, the Capital Area YMCA has been integral to Trenton’s community. 

Read more about their current programs at https://capitalymca.org/.