President’s Club Social Celebrates New Era for Nature Center

Under perfect back-to-school weather, with a mix of late summer sunshine and the first hints of fall foliage on the trees, the South Shore YMCA welcomed members of the Executive Board, donors, local and state officials and other supporters to tour the new Nature Center Preschool at the South Shore YMCA Nature Center in Norwell. The new four-classroom preschool is the latest completed project of the Leave Your Mark capital campaign.

“We completed the Outdoor Aquatic Center at the Emilson Y in Hanover in 2023,” said Paul Gorman, President and CEO of the South Shore YMCA, “and it has been a tremendous success. And now, this beautiful building is ready for the opening of the new school year. We are not done yet. After reaching as many people during the quiet phase of the capital campaign as possible, we are now entering the community phase of the Leave Your Mark campaign.”

The campaign, begun in 2019 and unexpectedly paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, has raised more than $12 million for several transformational projects across the South Shore. Entry into the community phase of the campaign comes at a precipitous time for the Y.

“We are serving more people now than we have in our history,” said Gorman. “Our membership levels are higher now than they were prior to the pandemic. Our summer camps had their best year ever.

“Our next project is the expansion of the Hale Family YMCA in Quincy. We will be adding space for teens, more room for group exercise classes, and a gymnastics center. In the next six to nine months we will be finalizing our association’s plans for the next three to ten years.”

Trevor Williams, Chief Operating Officer of the South Shore YMCA, oversaw the preschool construction project. “Soon, this space will be filled with the laughter of kids in muddy boots learning about the natural world around them,” he said, “all thanks to the generosity of Leave Your Mark campaign donors. “The four new classrooms in this building will now host the preschool and our summer camp, meaning that we can focus on making similar investments in community environmental education and STEM programs in the original building. It gives us more space to consider exploring afterschool and potentially kindergarten programs.”

Williams introduced Sarah Kugel, the new Nature Center Director, Jessica Hagen, the Nature Center Preschool Director, and Rachel Bond, the Nature Adventures Day Camp Director and a teacher at the Nature Center Preschool. “Together,” he said, “this leadership team will help us move forward as we continue our quest to develop the next generation of environmental stewards.”

“The Leave Your Mark Campaign is already having a major impact on the South Shore Y communities with the success of the Outdoor Aquatics Center in Hanover” said Mary Orne, Chief Development Officer for the South Shore YMCA. “There is much more to do as we cover the expanded costs of this project, renovate the children’s gardens and outdoor areas, and refurnish the main building.” COVID caused delays in project start dates and construction costs to escalate to more than 30 percent higher than they were in 2019, when the campaign started.

“We need your support,” she said. “We need your donations, and also need your connections to bring together others who care about this community and want to leave their mark on the future of the Nature Center as well as our other locations supporting our impact across the South Shore.”

Attendees shared hors d’oeuvres crafted by Off the Vine Catering Chef Eric Caron, toured the new Nature Center Preschool, and witnessed the future of the South Shore YMCA Nature Center firsthand.

Please reach out to Mary Orne, morne@ssymca.org, to schedule a tour of the new Nature  Center Preschool building.