A safe and enriching place for remote learning

The YMCA's Virtual Learning Center program offers students a safe and fun place to participate in virtual learning, while meeting the urgent need for emergency child care during the school day for working parents. Participants in the YMCA Virtual Learning Center at Walker Upper Elementary School must be enrolled in remote learning through Charlottesville City Schools.

Walker Virtual Learning Center will become a Friday-only program starting the week of March 8, 2021, when Charlottesville City Schools transition to in-person learning. We will communicate directly with families of currently-enrolled students to make a plan for care if desired.

There are spots at Walker available for CCS students new to the VLC program! Registration info is at the bottom of this page.

Locations

Our Virtual Learning Center location at Walker Upper Elementary School serves Charlottesville City Schools students only. For information about our Brooks Virtual Learning Center location, which serves non-CCS students, please visit:
Brooks Virtual Learning Center >

Overview

• Grades K - 6
• 7:30 am - 5:30 pm, Fridays only beginning 3/8
• Scholarships available
• Limited space available

The safety of both students and staff is of the utmost important to us. Safety measures in place include a mask requirement for both students and staff, consistent pods of 10-13 students with care taken to prevent cross-contamination, frequent sanitizing, and time outside whenever possible. Our spaces comply with state and local guidelines for safety and social distancing.

When online school/ remote learning is completed, students have time for homework or structured, age-appropriate enrichment activities.

Wi-Fi is provided to support video chats, streaming media and other online school demands.

Each student should bring:

• remote learning device (school-issued Chromebook, laptop) 
• headphones
• chargers
• appropriate school supplies
• a mask (masks are required for both children and adults)

To the best of your ability, please make sure your student knows how to log in to their school’s website and learning platforms and how to operate their devices and software. Students should dress comfortably.

Walker Upper Elementary School Specifics

There are several program details specific to the Walker location:

• School breakfast and lunch: At Walker, school breakfast, lunch, and snack is provided FREE for all students.
   
• Cleaning and disinfecting: YMCA staff will sanitize hourly during the day and deep cleaning will be carried out nightly by school district staff.
   
• Ventilation: The ventilation system at Walker does not share air between classrooms. The system pulls in 100% outside air to each individual classroom, and this air is filtered on its way to the classroom. Each classroom's air is also returned to the outdoors without passing through any other classroom. There are console units which recirculate air within each classroom for heating and cooling purposes, and this air is filtered each time it recirculates.

We are thankful to be able to partner with CCS to provide this urgently necessary child care to working parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daily Fees

For our Friday-only program, the fee will be $40 per day. Financial assistance is available.

Registration 

Registration is now open at the Walker YMCA Virtual Learning Center. The center is operating on Fridays at Walker starting the week of March 8, 2021.

1. Register online to reserve a spot, using this link:

If you have already registered online, you STILL NEED TO COMPLETE STEP 2 of the registration process, using the forms below.

2. Download, complete, and return the registration forms, including a copy of the child's birth certificate and other required attachments:

• YMCA Walker Virtual Learning Center Enrollment Form
• YMCA Walker Virtual Learning Center Handbook (signature page to be returned)
• Commonwealth of Virginia School Entrance Health Form

Return the completed forms either in person at the Brooks YMCA or by scanning and emailing the forms to us at youthandfamily@piedmontymca.org.

**All required forms must be submitted prior to your child attending the program.**

Questions?

Contact our team at youthandfamily@piedmontymca.org.