The Jenkins Institute
As we celebrate the YMCA’s 140th year in the Inland Northwest, we thought it would be a fun opportunity to look back on some of the highlights of our first 14 decades.
Since the 1890s, the core tenets of the YMCA have been built upon the idea of helping people build their spirit, mind and body. Today’s story is focused on the mind. As Spokane progressed from its earliest days as primarily a mining and timber town into a full-fledged city, the need arose for expanded educational opportunities for the populace. In 1907, Col. David Jenkins, an early Spokane pioneer and philanthropist donated $50,000 to the YMCA to establish a new school, called the Jenkins Institute. While initially only open to men, by 1918, the Jenkins Institute also included women among its students. Rising to meets the needs of the growing city, the school helped high school dropouts get their degrees, offered preparatory classes for those wishing to attend college and following World War I helped returning soldiers prepare for civilian life. With an emphasis on clerical, secretarial, mechanical and financial education, the school served as a precursor to the Community Colleges of Spokane which wouldn’t be founded until 1963.
The Jenkins Institute no longer exists, but the Y continues to focus on the importance of education on a daily basis. Most notably, we now focus on educating the youngest members of our society with our early learning and before and afterschool programs. Each year, the Y cares for and educates hundreds of children in these programs, helping ensure they’re in a safe and caring environment while their parents are at work as well as preparing them for the next steps in their educational journey. But we all know the cost of childcare isn’t feasible for so many families. The Y will never turn a child away from our programs due to their family’s financial limitations and each year we provide over $300,000 in scholarships and subsidies to local families so their children can participate in these programs. This is all because of our wonderful donors who step up and help us ensure every child can access the programs they need. We invite you to join these generous neighbors by donating to the Y’s 140th Anniversary Campaign so we can continue to provide these opportunities for our young learners.
