BY KATE DALY

“Tastes good,” Cale exclaimed, smacking his lips after biting into what he called “a baby apple” he plucked from a tree growing in Bonni’s Garden at the Wood River Community YMCA.

Cale is one of dozens of elementary school students enrolled in the Kids Club afterschool programs at five locations in Blaine County including Hailey, Bellevue, Alturas and Carey elementary schools.

“Yucky!” Harland yelped, dropping her apple as she spied a worm in hers. A third child, Remy, opted not to pick an apple at all.

“I don’t like apples,” he declared, even though he had eagerly filled out a worksheet labeling the parts of an apple.

Literacy is often woven into the afternoon sessions, which end every day with the children buddying up to read books to each other.

Wood River Community YMCA CEO Jason Shearer says these sorts of activities can be valuable.

“We want to be a place where kids can be after school and in the summer, between when they are done with their regular day and their parents get off work.  These are the hours when kids are most vulnerable and it’s an incredible opportunity for those who need a little extra help or that boost,” he said.

Elementary school is the most impactful time,” he added: “Kids who read at grade level at the end of elementary school are pretty likely to graduate from high school.”

There’s a fee for Kids Club, but scholarships are available.

Shearer said the Y depends on gifts to support the more than $1.3 million it spends annually on educational programs. He credits donors for “taking care of this community.”

This time of year, the Y appears busy living up to its mission to strengthen the community by offering learning opportunities for all ages.

On Wednesday mornings the Wood River Parents Group meets at 10 at the Y in Ketchum.  The free networking support group is open to parents with children aged 0-5. It’s led by the Child Watch coordinator who oversees the on-site babysitting service available to members when they use the Y.

Monday nights are geared towards high school parents who are meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Wood River High School in Hailey to participate in the Parent Institute for Quality Education program. In partnership with the Blaine County School District, PIQE features a national curriculum run in both English and Spanish. The goal is to help parents navigate the high school years, including preparations for getting students into college.

Anna Nielsen, associate executive director of Youth Development and Education at the Y, says some of the materials focus on the social and emotional development of teens, whereas a session will cover specifics on how to fill out a FASFA form for Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Hundreds of families have already gone through PIQE so far, and some return just to attend the resource fair which is taking place on November 11 this year where they will hear from Wood River High School Principal Julia Grafft and representatives of local non-profits such as Far + Wise, The Crisis Hotline, and The Hunger Coalition.

“We know that we can make that safety net around children for families,” Shearer said. “We want to catch people before they fall off, or if they fall off, to put them back on track.  It’s critical for kids to feel like they have options.”

Thanks to a partnership with The Space in Hailey, 12 middle school students are exploring the Y on a weekly basis this fall. For eight Wednesdays they are accompanied on the bus to go to the Y where they are introduced to the swimming pool, rock climbing wall, and gym. They also take a coding class and harvest honey from the bee boxes on campus.

The Y offers them free membership for a year to encourage them to keep coming back on their own.

The Y Apprenticeship Program is open to those between 16 and 24 who are interested in early childhood, environmental and health and wellness education. It enables apprentices to get paid while they complete 144 hours of on-the-job training to obtain a certificate from the Idaho Department of Labor.

In addition to work, there’s a lot of play going on at the Y. Two free events coming up are a Bonsai workshop for adults at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 18 and a pumpkin carving and painting party for families at 2 p.m. Oct. 27.