From Safety to Experience:

Preparing Our Staff for an Exceptional Summer at the Santa Monica Family YMCA

Each year, our YMCA hosts two annual All-Staff Meetings where are staff participate in hands-on training and workshops to help them lead. Our most recent All-Staff Meeting was on May 1st, 2026, focusing on safety trainings to prepare our team for summer. Summer at The Y looks like summer camps, swim lessons, and a high volumes of families, tourists, and youth trying out The Y. We know that to empower our leaders, it requires an investment of time and resources, and we are proud to create hands-on opportunities where staff can ask questions, learn, and grow. We appreciate both our staff’s commitment to their professional development and the support of our members to invest in our staff.

A Culture of Readiness & Responsiveness

Summer can mean many things for our team, changing up our routines and requiring us to refresh our focus on creating a safe environment for everyone. Our Bi-Annual All Staff Meeting focused on honing our risk management skills going into one of our busiest seasons. Our activities and training sessions ranged across cpr & first aid refreshers, general emergency preparedness, concussion protocols, and fire safety. We are grateful that Fire Battalion Chief Matt Hill led our Fire Safety session, bringing both his expertise and his fun approach to learning important fire safety basics. We hope that you walked away with more skills and confidence to handle emergencies that arise in the building. 

A Culture of Celebration

The evening culminated with awards to staff who embody being Safety Champions. Our Safety Champs embody readiness and responsiveness, both preventing risk and handling emergencies quickly with a cool head. Congratulations to our 2026 Safety Champions!

Safety Champion Awards

• • Ryan Dinshaw | Aquatics
  • Jasmine Ochoa & Ludmila Smith | Early Learning Center
  • Kevin Jandrists | Youth Development
  • Brian Martin | Healthy Living
  • Josh De Leon | Member Experience