EVANSTON, IL. – The McGaw YMCA Residence Team hosted a Men’s Health Fair on June 16 in celebration of Men’s Health Month. The event, which was themed, “Self-care IS Health Care,” included community partners and was open to all residents who live at the McGaw Y. The Health Fair included an interactive workshop focused on both mental and physical health. The Y partnered with health and wellness experts Megan Vazquez from the North Suburban YMCA, Cedric Bussie from Trilogy Inc, and McGaw Y’s Health & Fitness Manager Alyson Mann to present engaging self-care topics that can be incorporated into daily routines. Alivio Medical Center was in attendance to provide wellness resources. Over 25 McGaw Y resident members participated in the health fair. During the event, lunch was provided in kind by local business, Panino’s Pizzeria Evanston. “Good health is a combination of small, intentional actions that address a person’s mental

In April, representatives from McGaw YMCA’s MetaMedia presented their work at two prominent educational conferences.  EVANSTON, IL. – Representatives from MetaMedia recently presented their work at two prominent educational conferences in April. MetaMedia, McGaw YMCA’s digital media center and maker space for middle school youth, provides year-round STEAM programing with hands-on projects that give youth the opportunity to explore, create, and innovate. At the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, a showcase for groundbreaking, innovative studies in education, MetaMedia presented alongside Northwestern University (NU) during a session on co-designing educational justice in Chicago and Evanston. The MetaMedia team shared their innovative approach to co-designing summer programming through their partnership with Northwestern. The partnership began three years ago when MetaMedia received a grant from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) to contribute to research on makerspace programs. The result of their collaboration was the MetaMedia Summer Experience