Saying that Jennifer Lehn is a very busy person would be an understatement. Besides supervising the YMCA’s custodial staff, she organizes the programming, handles the children’s tutoring sessions, manages before- and aftercare, and oversees summer camp. It’s a lot of responsibility for this woman who originally moved from Ontario, Canada, to work at the Hyatt Regency.
The change came when she started taking her child to the Stay & Play at the Pauline F. & W. David Robbins Family YMCA in Cambridge. Then she got a job there, which allowed her the freedom to pursue both of her passions.
“I can focus on my children and having the time for my family, plus focusing on my professional career, as well,” said Lehn, who worked over the last seven years to being the program director.
Part of her duties is leading the Tuesday/Thursday early learning program where infants up to five years old can play and learn with their parents. After they age out of that, the children are eligible for the before- and aftercare services the Y in Cambridge provides for Maple, Choptank, and Sandy Hill Elementary Schools. Lehn also oversees before-care at Warwick and aftercare at Vienna.
Additionally, she offers reading and reading comprehension lessons for kids through Grade 3. The program is based in part on the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the goal of which is to get children reading on grade level by third grade. Lehn has been with the local campaign group for the past three and a half years, ever since they gave a grant to the Y’s early learning program.
In her tutoring classes, which began last December, Lehn still sees the struggles children have been experiencing since Covid. The loss of several years’ worth of learning has left big gaps in their education, and this manifests in their issues with easy words or kindergarten-level material. But, since the schools want the kids to move forward, Lehn is trying to get them where they need to be.
“You never want to see a child struggle because he can’t read,” she said. “You don’t want to see someone struggle because they don’t know a math problem. Because, once you see those struggles, and they can’t catch up, you may see behavior problems come along with that.”
There is, however, more to learning than just math and reading, and more parts of the brain to engage.
“I grew up on a farm,” said Lehn, “and I really think it’s important for children to learn you don’t always have to buy your food.”
So, a couple of years ago, she implemented a gardening program. She and the kids plant seeds in a garden in back of the YMCA building, and they take care of the plants during the spring and into summer. This year, the Y got a garden grant that they’re using to build vertical walls for herbs and other things. The group performs activities based around seeds and plant life, and they learn how fruits and vegetables are grown.
“Then they get to eat the rewards of it, basically,” said Lehn.
The summer camp, which is for age 5 to 14, runs for all ten weeks of the summertime. Lehn had started out with a year of Camp Abilities, where she worked with a little girl named Sierra, before being promoted to camp director. For this post-pandemic season, she is making the schedule and inventing the activities for a bigger group.
“We are lucky to add more numbers this year,” she said. “We have been keeping it fairly low due to Covid. So, we’re going to be at about 65 to 70 kids this year.”
Throughout the summer, Lehn will conduct a daily learning-loss activity involving reading or math, and then she or someone else will read to the children.
Beyond her in-house responsibilities, Lehn also is passionate about reconnecting the Y with the community. “I feel like that’s where it belongs. That’s why we’re here: to help children, adults, anybody who needs somewhere to go.”
And she wants the public to know that the YMCA will make sure the programs are affordable for interested kids.
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