Supportive environment but faces staffing and organization issues - Youth Development Counselor The Y (YMCA) Employee Review

4.0
May 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

great kids, nice coworkers/managers, very easy to tailor your program to the needs of your kids, and pretty adaptable to your schedule. all of their policies are easy to learn and follow. you have a lot of resources to help you in your position.

Cons

there are monthly trainings that are mandatory and over an hour away. can be very unorganized at times, consistently understaffed which makes it hard to have a consistent routine in your program as well as putting at lot added responsibilities to their staff. corporates puts a lot of pressure of their staff with threats of termination that doesn't truly match the level of pay you get.

Explore other reviews about The Y (YMCA)

5.0
Apr 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great co workers and bosses

Cons

Typical non profit pay that isn't super high

3.0
May 28, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The team members/ coworkers and administrator (team lead) that you work with on a day-to-day basis are the ones who will make or break the experience. Obviously working with children, one must have patience, be flexible, creative - there are some days that test all of those skills! lol! But when you have a great teaching team to work with, your program can run like a well-oiled machine. I loved the time I had working with this program!

Cons

The pay is very low, I do understand with the YMCA being a non-profit, but at the same time when a position is responsible for young children, the pay should be higher than a fast-food chain, to attract and keep higher caliber staffing. - If you already work at a school, it's not a bad gig to make some extra money for coming in a few hours early or a few late. But if you are driving more than 5min, to work 2-3 hours for a ridiculously low rate I would say pass. I was not doing this for the money - I truly loved my coworkers and the kids that attended my school. Unfortunately, some of the other cons are: poor communication (very poor), lack of SOP's when it comes to how teachers should be handling situations for their own personal safety and unrealistic expectations (of us to do marketing, surveys collecting demographics, and pushing for financial donations). The last few things listed is what ended up driving me to resign.

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