Youth Development

Nurturing the potential of every child and teen. All kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve. That’s why, through the Y, thousands of youth in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties are cultivating the values, skills, and relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health, and lifelong achievement.

Healthy Living

Improving the nation’s health and well-being. The Y is a leading voice on health and well-being. With a mission centered on balance of the spirit, mind, and body, the Y encourages good health and fosters connections through fitness, sports, and shared interests, to achieve greater health and well-being for the whole person.

Social Responsibility

Giving back and providing support to our neighbors. The Channel Islands YMCA has been listening and responding to our communities’ most critical social needs since 1887. Through the Y, thousands of volunteers, donors, leaders, and partners across San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties are empowering others to be healthy, confident, connected, and secure.

Our Mission

As a leading nonprofit, the Y is committed to strengthening communities throughout the nation. Your local Y seeks to fill gaps in community services and develop activities, strengthening communities across San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. 

Believing that everyone should have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive, the Y nurtures potential and brings people of diverse backgrounds together. The Y has a local presence and national reach, mobilizing local communities to effect lasting, meaningful change.

The Channel Islands YMCA is a charitable organization providing programs based upon Christian principles to people of all ages, races, religious beliefs, and economic status to promote Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility.

For the history of the YMCA, visit ymca.net/history. 

Our Commitment to Belonging

At the Channel Islands YMCA, belonging and inclusion are at the heart of our mission. We are committed to building bridges within our communities. We aspire to create spaces, experiences, and a culture where all people belong and feel connected.

 

Roadmap for a Brighter Future

Our Staff

Our executive leaders are at the forefront of the Channel Islands YMCA delivering its mission. They foster an environment of inclusiveness within our organization and throughout the community through our core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.

Staff & Board

 

Our Local Y History

In 1887, the same year that the first train came to Santa Barbara, the YMCA was formed in Santa Barbara and Ventura. Since then, Santa Barbara, Ventura and the YMCA have grown and changed. Originally headquartered on the second floor of a downtown office building, the Santa Barbara Y offered fellowship, music and exercise programs to the community. In 1910, construction began on the first official Y building in Santa Barbara, on the corner of Chapala and Carrillo Streets. The facility opened in 1912 and offered gymnasium classes, wrestling, boxing, handball, summer camps, hikes, athletics, swimming, and a variety of clubs and social services. The Ventura YMCA got its start on September 30, 1887, with a house that was purchased on the corner of Santa Clara and Oak Street, the YMCA was then considered the YMCA of Ventura County.

Here at the YMCA, we are committed to the highest ethical standards of a non-profit community organization. The Channel Islands YMCA, an association of seven YMCAs, is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. We are governed by, and accountable to, an independent board of directors of community leaders and volunteers. 

 

Our Annual Reports

Here at the YMCA, we are committed to the highest ethical standards of a public charity. The Channel Islands YMCA, an association of seven YMCAs, is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. We are governed by, and accountable to, an independent board of directors of community leaders and volunteers. Whatever you give to the YMCA, and whenever you give it, you can rest assured that your donation will be in good hands.

Annual Reports

 

Channel Islands Family YMCA Events

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