The YMCA Offers Programming and Pool Management in Middleburg
Written by Kaitlin Hill
Pam Curran, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington and a Middleburg Town Council member, is in the business of being community-minded.
“I moved to Middleburg six years ago,” Curran shares. “And like everyone else who lives here, I have come to appreciate it as such a special community.” She adds, “The longer I lived here, I realized there were opportunities where The Y could connect but I hadn’t taken action on it.”
A conversation with The PLAYroom owner Michelle McNaughton helped spur Curran into motion. “We started talking and she said she would really love it if I was able to do some things in Middleburg for children.”
“I moved to Middleburg six years ago. And like everyone else who lives here, I have come to appreciate it as such a special community.” –Curran
The duo agreed that beyond babysitting, the parents in town wanted programming. “Michelle opened the door for me at the charter school and [The Y] ran before and after care.”
She expands, “We continued to strengthen our relationship to the community, and this year we got the opportunity to offer camp and run the pool.”
The summer camps, which are designed for children aged 5 to 12, take place at the Middleburg Community Charter School and include a variety of themes. Weeks 1 and 2, which were in June, covered space exploration and soccer skills, where kids designed their own rockets and then took the pitch to participate in World Cup-style tournaments.
The fun continues this month with weeks 3 through 6 and activities in art, basketball, and the scientific method. Curran says, “We have some things that are very innovative — related to robotics, STEM, and creating different things.” She adds, “Parents do want to see their children outside playing, so in all of our camps, we incorporate time where the kids are outside having a great time and learning values in a safe environment so that they can grow.”
“It was very important to the Community Center that we maintain that small community-based pool, that neighborhood pool feeling.” –Curran
For older kids, there is a counselor-in-training program, and in the future Curran would like to add a civics camp “where kids can learn how to create bills and work in government,” she explains.
The YMCA is also managing the Community Center pool this season. “It was very important to the Community Center that we maintain that small community-based pool, that neighborhood pool feeling,” she says. But for Curran, safety was top of mind, “At the same time, it only takes a second for a child to lose their life in the water when people don’t pay attention. So, what we’ve done is brought the YMCA standards for lifeguarding, the Red Cross standards, to Middleburg, and at the same time maintained a very friendly environment.”
She finishes, “It’s safe, it’s clean, and it’s a really positive environment for everyone.”
Going forward, Curran hopes to expand the adult aquatic offerings by adding water aerobics to the calendar. “The next step … is preventative health classes that can help Middleburg just continue to be a stronger community overall.” She’s even brainstormed with Police Chief Shaun Jones on offering mentoring and tutoring programs. “It all depends on what the community wants.” ML
Featured photo courtesy of the Middleburg Community Charter School.
Published in the July 2026 issue of Middleburg Life.