Meet YMCA Community Partner: Alec A.
For 6th grade teacher Alec Arntzen, a simple YMCA membership grew into a big idea. Alec, who teaches 6th grade at Washington Middle School, was looking for field trip ideas to engage his students.
"We weren't able to have field trips during COVID. Coming out of the pandemic, I was trying to find new field trip partners while keeping costs low for families," he said.
Around the same time, Alec had become a Missoula Y member to help strengthen his knee after ACL surgery. While working out in the Health & Wellness Center, he started wondering if his students might also enjoy the Y.
Thanks to his son, Alec was familiar with the Y's Active 6 program, which offers free YMCA membership and after school activities to all Missoula County 6th graders. The program was great, but he realized that many Active 6 participants didn't know what they could do at the Y, so they weren't using their memberships.
Alec reached out to the Y's senior director of youth programs, Eli Catton, and pitched an idea: What if he got every one of his students to sign up for Active 6, then brought them to the Y for a field trip? The kids would get a fun day out, and the Y could introduce them to all the options available with a YMCA membership.
"6th grade is a critical year since students are transitioning from elementary to middle school," explained Alec. "It's a restart for them. They're excited to try new things."
In November 2022, the Y hosted its first group of Washington Middle School students. The field trip was such a success that Alec and the Y immediately scheduled several more with the help of Delaney Wells, the Y’s Director of Member Services.
“Our partnership with Washington Middle School has allowed the Y to give kids in our community the chance to try new things while teaching the importance of healthy living,” said Delaney. “With Alec’s help, we’re seeing that the kids are much more motivated to participate and challenge themselves thanks to these field trips.”
During the 2023-24 school year, Alec and the Y organized two field trips for 240 6th graders—one in Fall and one in Spring.
"Our first trip was very guided. Every student completed the Y's Health & Wellness Orientation, which introduced them to the fitness equipment. They also tried out the rock wall and a fitness class," he said. "By the time we had our Spring trip, the students were familiar with the Y. We gave them a list of options and they each got to choose which ones to do."
In 2023, the Active 6 program took on a new level of importance for MCPS students when Flagship, Missoula's free after school program, closed.
"A lot of families relied on Flagship as a safe place for their students to go after the bell," said Alec. "When that ended, the Y stepped up to be that space for our 6th graders."
361 students have signed up for Active 6 during the 2023-24 school year, checking in for an impressive 1,653 visits to the Y.
"The partnership between Washington Middle School and the Y has been really beneficial for our students. We see them at the Y consistently. They're confident to show up on their own and know how to access the space," said Alec.
The program is continuing to grow, too, with Hellgate Middle School recently signing up for its own Active 6 field trip.
“We’re really excited to expand the opportunity to middle schools,” said Eli. “Having a champion like Alec to help drive the excitement is paramount.”