Columbia North YMCA — Local services in Philadelphia

BEWARE OF SUMMER CAMP!! My 12 year old was enrolled for summer camp and came home with many sad stories and videos on how this camp is run! Most children are here from 8am-6pm IMAGINE being in place for 10 hours completely bored and unsupervised. Children are taken to the gym, given balls and told to play.There is no structure, nothing is pre-planned and staff are just winging it the whole day.Children are forced from room to room(for no activities) while carrying the backpacks the entire day. Art consists of paper markers,crayons, and slime making, again no instruction causing children to lash out,cry, or fight each other out of boredom. Staff are all kind but immature and under-trained. Children often hear inappropriate conversation as most staff openly show interest in each other and are told inappropriate things like "Hit them back" or "Shut up and stop crying". Staff are glued to their phone all day and blast music (again inappropriate) throughout the entire day to keep themselves and students motivated. For outdoor play, staff cross broad st with children often missing the countdown light and hoping the PHILLY drivers will wait until all children are crossed...no protocol! Once students get across, staff allow the children to play in a grass area outside of another random building to do what??? JUST PLAY! Again no direction, nothing planned, no chairs or shade for the children so they are forced to sit on the ground.Lunch is horrible and no snack time in place so children are often hungry causing more mental break downs.But not all is lost at least the children swim 45 mins 3xs a week. JUST ASK YOUR...

Have to edit my review, because who is directing this place??? I signed my child up for one on one swim lessons. When I paid, they told me there’s no refunds. Ok. They also said no one was available at the moment to give them, but someone would call me when there was an instructor available. Never heard back, and that was TWO SUMMERS AGO!! Since then, I’ve called numerous times, and told someone would call me. No one called. Recently I went while the new swim director was there and she told me there’s no record of my payment because it was so long ago, and the director of the Y told her they’d offer me half off of lessons I already paid for. Who’s the director of the Y?! I wouldn’t know because they still haven’t gotten back to me!! She won’t call me because she wants me to pay again for something already paid for with no refunds allowed.

I also signed my child up for gymnastics and basketball, Against my better judgement.. I got a call yesterday two hours before class to let me know there’s no instructor available, and class is canceled. Ok. I take my child for basketball today, and they canceled it, without calling any of the parents, or even the instructor himself. Whoever is running this place (I wouldn’t know because they still haven’t gotten back to me about the paid for in advance swim lessons they refuse to give) should be ashamed of the lack of organization and being so unprofessional!!! Don’t waste your time or money at this place. I’m about to sign up at the Germantown life enrichment center instead. Maybe then my daughter can actually learn how to swim instead of waiting two...

I’ve been here for about a month. I mostly only go for dance related classes. The staff is friendly and helpful. And the classes are fun. Some days they’re challenging enough to give me a good sweat but other days when I get a class with mostly older ppl, it’s not enough for me. And I understand needing to slow it down. I kinda wish there could be different levels of intensity classes tho. The pool is huge and they have a sauna. I dislike a couple things tho. There’s no designated open floor in the wellness center to do floor workouts or weights without feeling you’re in someone’s way. Especially when it’s crowded. Most ppl just find a random space around all the machines. It feels unsafe. Also theres often times when the instructors for classes are late. Or classes are cancelled without any warning. Or they come on time but their speakers aren’t set up and they need to find one and that delays the class. I understand being late every now and then but I think 75% of my classes have ran late. And frankly I think they should get there early enough to have their class set up and ready to start as soon as the class is scheduled to start. But the biggest annoyance I have is the cancelled classes without warning. I know they can make a class cancelled online cause I see some. But twice I’ve come and they canceled the class without warning online and no warning on location. Maybe even a sign board that says which classes have been canceled for the day in the front will help. It just feels like I wasted my time coming out. Cause I only...