Announcing the HRYMCA's Classroom Connections, October 13, 2020

Dear staff and faculty,

As we wrote on September 21, Smith College has been exploring partnerships with local organizations to support employees with children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are happy to share news on that front. The Hampshire Regional YMCA (HRYMCA) will operate Classroom Connections at Smith College, a program to support online learners who need a safe, accessible space to engage in already-scheduled remote learning. While hosted at Smith College, please note that the college does not operate or oversee this program. The college will simply be providing space for the HRYMCA’s program.

The program, which begins on October 19, 2020, will operate out of the Smith College Conference Center and enroll students in grades K through 8 for nine-hour blocks. The HRYMCA will hold approximately 50 spots for Smith College employees during an exclusive pre-registration period that begins today and ends on November 2, 2020. For details, including the program’s cost, please visit the HRYMCA’s childcare website.

We hope that this program—along with the recently-announced childcare grant funded by President McCartney, the parent and guardian online network and other resources—helps provide some of the support our employees need as they care for themselves and their family members.

I’d like to extend a special thanks to Jim Gray, Associate Vice President for Facilities & Operations, and Peg Pitzer, Director of Events Management, for their work arranging this partnership.

Sincerely,

David DeSwert
Vice President for Finance and Operations