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University YMCA Archives · Student Organizations

Student organizations

Student groups have made the University YMCA their home since Students for Environmental Concerns began here in 1969. A few the Y started itself; most are independent groups the Y has housed, advised and supported. This list draws on the Y's annual reports, newsletters, event booklets and published histories, and it is still incomplete, especially before 1998.

Alternative Seasonal Breaks

Student-led service trips over fall, winter and spring breaks, working with grassroots social and environmental justice groups across the United States. Started by Y staff member Maria Somma in 1989 as Alternative Spring Break, with a first trip to Brownsville, Texas.

Amnesty International UIUC

The campus chapter of the worldwide human rights organization, working through lectures, petitions, demonstrations and letter-writing campaigns. Its zine Candlelight won the Y's Shark Tank 150 in 2023.

Animal Rights Coalition

Raised awareness of animal rights issues on and around campus through nonviolent action.

An inclusive bicycling group connecting students with the local cycling community.

Campus Vegetarian Society

Promoted vegetarian eating through potlucks, food giveaways on the Quad and an International Vegetarian Dinner.

Coalition for Voter Rights

Cosmopolitan Club

The University's historic international students' club. Its weekly coffee hours moved to the Y in 2010-11, when the club became part of the Y.

Engineers Without Borders UIUC

Students design and build sustainable engineering projects with communities abroad and in Illinois, and learn about sustainability and international development along the way.

A grassroots feminist program that encouraged girls aged 7 to 18 to explore their interests and talents, with a radio show, RadioGrrl, on WEFT. Students volunteered with it.

The campus's student-run environmental magazine. As Environmental Resources it was a joint publication of SECS, Red Bison, the Rainforest Action Group and the Campus Vegetarian Society; SECS members relaunched it as the Green Observer in 2005-06. It went online-only around 2018-19.

Grows fresh produce in campus garden beds for local food pantries, with workshops and volunteer days. Its plan for a large community garden won the Shark Tank 150 in 2023.

A service and advocacy group that works with undocumented students and the wider undocumented community for equal access to education, and teaches the campus about DACA and immigration.

Illinois Student Pugwash

Local chapter of the international student group that explores the social effects of science and technology.

Indigo Theater Troupe

A student theater troupe.

Interfaith in Action

Brings students of different faiths, and of none, together for community service and interfaith dialogue.

Internships for Action

Placed students in internships with social action organizations.

Invisible Conflicts

Raised awareness of overlooked conflicts, and paid for the schooling of children in Uganda orphaned by civil war.

The campus student service council, linking community service groups.

Korean Student Association

A large Korean student association that joined the Y in fall 2005; the Korean Cultural Center at the Y grew out of the partnership.

Advocates for immigrants and for Latine students, with grassroots projects, high school mentoring and scholarships for undocumented students.

Learning Exchange

A student group formed at the Y in 1975, inspired by the free-university movement; it led to Communiversity in 1977.

Raised awareness of human trafficking.

National Coalition Against Racism in Sports and Media (Illinois)

The Illinois branch, formed in 1998, of a national coalition against Native American mascots, including Chief Illiniwek.

Ran a gallery in the Y where students could show their art.

Nuestra Verdad Publicación

A student-run magazine of BIPOC news, culture, art and issues.

Oxfam America (campus chapter)

The campus chapter of the international anti-poverty organization.

Philippine Student Association

The campus's oldest Asian American student organization, which celebrates Filipino culture and identity. It hosts the annual Filipino Americans Coming Together (FACT) conference.

Prison Justice Project

Worked to change the U.S. prison system, and from 2015 ran CU Succeed, a mentoring program for local high school students.

Progressive Student Union

Founded at the Y in early 1985 to bring campus activist groups together; it ran a political film series and a newspaper, Free Thought.

Project for Less

Students pack unserved dining-hall food into meal boxes each week for the Wesley Food Pantry, cutting food waste and food insecurity together.

Rainforest Action Group

Campaigned to protect tropical rainforests. Its 1996 Quad Day table is on the cover of Peters's history of the Y.

Volunteers who restore native prairie and woodland around Champaign-Urbana, collecting and sowing seed. It grew out of SECS.

Rural Area Student Initiative

Supports University students from rural areas, and helps rural high school students who want to go to college.

Save the Children Action Network

Campus chapter of Save the Children's advocacy arm, building bipartisan support for early learning in the U.S. and for protecting children in war zones.

Stop Sexual Assaults

Worked against sexual assault on campus.

Students for Economic Justice

Campaigned for workers' rights and against sweatshop labor, beginning as the campus chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops.

Students for Environmental Concerns

The University of Illinois's oldest and largest environmental organization, begun at the Y by graduate students around the fall 1969 Faculty Forum series on the environment. For the first Earth Day, in April 1970, it ran a week of lectures, seminars and field trips, and it has campaigned on energy, recycling, coal and divestment since.

Students for Matthew House

Students who volunteered at Matthew House, a Champaign program for low-income children.

Students for Mutual Arms Reduction Today

Organized action and education for arms control and against nuclear weapons.

Students Improving the Lives of Animals

Educated students and the community about the treatment of animals, with lectures, protests and food giveaways run with the Campus Vegetarian Society.

Taught about Central America and raised money to deliver medical supplies to Belize.

University YMCA Student Board

The Y's student governing body and a registered student organization in its own right. Its members represent the affiliated student organizations; it reviews groups that apply to affiliate, gives the Outstanding Student Program award, and its president sits on the Board of Governors.

Teaches composting with worms to cut food waste, and gave workshops and composting kits to households across Champaign County. It grew out of a Y team project at the 2020 Y-USA youth summit on climate change.

Places University students in Champaign and Urbana schools as weekly tutors and classroom aides. The Y created it in 1981, after school budget cuts.

Know a group we've missed, or have photos, flyers or memories to share? Write to hello.ymca@universityymca.org