For more information contact:
Madison Area YMCA Marketing & Communications 
Email: smcevoy@madisonymca.org

For Immediate Release                                    

The Madison Area YMCA Receives Grant from BASF for STEM Programming at the Family Center and the F.M. Kirby Children’s Center

(Madison, NJ) January 3, 2018– The Madison Area YMCA is pleased to announce it has received a $5,000 grant from BASF that will be put toward STEM programming at the Y’s Family Center and the F.M. Kirby Children’s Center of the Madison Area YMCA.

“STEM is an important part of youth development at the Madison Area YMCA and Kirby Center because it creates opportunities for children to achieve, build relationships and feel a sense of belonging as they question, investigate, build, test, solve problems, analyze, communicate findings and perform cognitive thinking,” said Madison Area YMCA Youth & Teen Development Director Allison Bardon. “These new opportunities will help us prepare children for the future and inspire them to pursue science driven careers.”

Classes for the new programming will be offered during the Y’s Winter Session and will be incorporated into the Kirby curriculum. Participants will learn how to build robots and program them. Summer mini camps and Family Nights in the spring will offer opportunities to experience the new programming.

About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 17,500 employees in North America, and had sales of $16.2 billion in 2016. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

About the F.M. Kirby Children’s Center of the Madison Area YMCA
The F.M. Kirby Children’s Center of the Madison Area YMCA is one of the largest early childhood development centers and provides exceptional quality in child care and curriculum-based early childhood education for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, Young 5 students and kindergartners. As a former elementary school, the Kirby Center facility is specifically designed for children. Located on almost 3-acres of property, the Center has a full-size gym, full kitchen that serves snacks and meals, a pediatric registered nurse on staff and five state-of-the-art playgrounds to serve all age groups.

The F.M. Children’s Kirby Center is a member of the prestigious New Jersey YMCA State Alliance, a participating partner in the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey initiative to implement school-based food, nutrition and physical education programs and is also a flagship center for the Healthy U program which teaches preschool children the importance of physical activity and healthful nutrition. Financial assistance may be available for eligible families.

As a cause-driven charitable organization, the Madison Area YMCA is dedicated to nurturing the potential of every child and teen, and improving the community’s health and well-being and giving back by providing support to our neighbors.

About the Madison Area YMCA
The Madison Area YMCA is a 501(c)(3) cause-driven charitable organization dedicated to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. All are welcome to be enriched by Y membership, programming, community wellness and health-enhancing programs, regardless of ability to pay. Generous donations to the Madison Area YMCA’s Annual Fund make it possible for everyone in our community to experience the Y.

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