For years, Dunbar students have been attending YMCA conferences such as the Kentucky Youth Assembly (KYA) and the Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA). However, unlike many other schools that attend, Dunbar did not have a registered Y-Club until this year.

Seniors Ellora Kamineni and Shelby McCubbin created Y-Club to help students prepare for KYA and KUNA, create a sense of community for students going into the conferences and help students get involved with service.

Y-Club meets monthly to discuss club news and upcoming service opportunities. Each meeting also offers a simple activity, such as making cards for patients in a local children’s hospital. In another upcoming project, members will be collecting t-shirts to turn into dog toys.

“What is really cool about it this year is that we haven’t had any service requirements to be in the club, so kids are doing stuff truly because they want to, not because they’re trying to check off all these boxes,” McCubbin said.

Though service is an important aspect of Y-Club, the organization also serves to prepare students for KYA and KUNA. Dunbar students are very active in these conferences and often write and debate proposals, take part in media coverage and run for office.

According to McCubbin, “we usually win several awards as a school and, in general, just have a lot of fun while we are there. It’s great to see how much people grow in their confidence throughout the year and watch how well they do at these conferences.”

Students wanting to join Y-Club are free to become involved at any point throughout the year. Meetings are declared in the morning and afternoon announcements and via the club’s Instagram, @pldyclub.