Thousands of youth will have free access to the Y’s health and wellness and youth enrichment programs through the end of September

Minneapolis, MN – The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and the YMCA of the North, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, will offer free memberships for thousands of teens and young adults across the Twin Cities. From June 21 to September 30, teens can access this free membership to 21 YMCA locations throughout the Twin Cities.

The YMCA is positioned to help ensure that youth of all backgrounds and incomes have access to learning opportunities outside of school. The Y’s locations cut across city, county and school district boundaries. More than 80 percent of Twin Cities teens live within 15 minutes of a YMCA location that offers opportunities for wellness, sports, leadership activities, STEM projects and more.

“The YMCA Get Summer program is making a real difference in our community by providing a safe space for youth to connect and have fun while learning important lifelong skills,” said Mark Dienhart, president and chief executive officer of the Schulze Family Foundation. “We believe supporting this program offers a truly unique opportunity to engage youth in their neighborhood with educational and enriching experiences with caring mentors and role models.”

This year the YMCA will offer teens entering 9-12th grade an opportunity to be engaged in fitness and wellness programming at the Y. They will also have opportunities for in person and virtual teen specific programming including:

  • health and wellbeing classes
  • leadership and character development programs
  • access to gymnasium, fitness floor and aquatics areas

"The YMCA has given me so many options since getting my membership. You can always find me with my friends playing basketball or lifting weights throughout the week. This structure to my routine is crucial to my mental, emotional and physical health,” said Jacob, 16 year old from Forest Lake area.

"I'm so thankful my kids have the opportunity to access so many activities and programs at the YMCA. I feel grateful they have a safe and fun environment they can be a part of,” said DeAnn Mayer, parent from Forest Lake area.

The YMCA is thrilled to partner with the Schulze Family Foundation to provide a safe environment for young people to engage in programs that promote healthy living, build character and leadership, and support success in school and in life,” said Glen Gunderson, president for the YMCA of the North. “The Y is committed to eliminating barriers to participation so all have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive during out of school time. This program is possible because of the generous donation from the Schulze family.”

For more information, visit ymcanorth.org/locations.

About the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation

The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation (RMSFF) was created in 2004 by Best Buy founder, Dick Schulze, as a way to give back to the community where Dick and his family grew up and where he built Best Buy to become the world’s largest consumer electronics retailer. Schulze and his family believe that a good education, a supportive family and a strong work ethic prepare children for a successful future. To support that belief, it supports organizations operating in the areas of human & social services, education, including scholarship awards to graduating students from eligible high schools, and health & medicine.

About the YMCA of the North

The YMCA of the North is a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.  Established 165 years ago, the Ys provide life-strengthening services across the greater Twin Cities metro region, southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin communities.  The 29 Y locations and program sites, eight overnight camps, 10 day camps, and more than 90 child care sites engage more than 370,000 men, women and children of all ages, incomes and backgrounds.  To learn more about the Y’s mission and work, visit www.ymcanorth.org.