First, there were Little Ladies clubs, followed by Girl Reserves, and then Y-Teens National Teen Organization.

1919 - The YWCA starts a chapter of Girl Reserves, the international YWCA organization focusing on community and world service The program included discussion of personal problems, development of a better understanding of religion, creative activities, and wholesome recreation. The special code Girl Reserves were expected to live by included:

     G - Gracious in manner
     I -   Impartial in judgment
     R - Ready for Service                             Girl Reserves Motto - TO SEEK AND GIVE THE BEST
     L - Loyal to Friends

     R - Reaching toward the Best
     E - Earnest in Purpose
     S - Seeing the Beautiful
     E - Eager for Knowledge
     R - Reverent to God
   V - Victorious over Self
     E - Ever Dependable
     S - Sincere at all times

1925 - Asheville High School 1925 Yearbook, The Hillbilly, "There is quite a large group of girls in the club that is composed of workers for the Girl Reserve ring - the highest honor that can come to a Girl Reserve. The Ring Committee has played a big part in the club work this year and besides the regular work has planned several meetings which have been big successes...No member who had the privilege of attending the faculty frolic at the beautiful YWCA. camp will ever forget the fun, and at the same time the interest and beneficial association derived from it. "

1932 - Asheville Citizen-Times Newspaper tells the story of "Jobless Girls to Receive Aid," about a Girl Reserves program helping 200 unemployed girls in Asheville. Program topics included remodeling of clothes, Conversational English, and the psychology of how to get a job and how to keep it.

1936 - "The Girl Reserves have been interested in Marionettes. The group has a portable stag with footlights which enables them to travel around at various places. The girls make and manipulate their own marionettes and make the scenery and properties for the plays which they produce"

Asheville High School Yearbook, The Hillbilly 1936

1939 - Girl Reserves total attendance was 2,736. The purpose of Girl Reserves was building desirable attitudes, both personal and social.

1943 - There were 10 groups of Negro Girl Reserves, one or two in each negro high school in Asheville. "Before dawn each Christmas morning, Girl Reserves assembled at the branch to be escorted on a city wide singing tour. These girls went street to street and house to house singing carols to the sick and the elderly. This was a self-satisfying expression that strengthened the bonds of togetherness and gave the shut-ins a feeling of being loved and remembered." Lucy Harrison

As the YWCA branched out and became more inclusive in its membership, Girl Reserves, with its strong religious aspect, gave way to Y-Teens, who did many of the same things, but in a less structured manner. As Y-Teens became interested in and challenged by the social issues of the times and expressed the desire to become politically active, the NTO (National Teen Organization) was born.

1943 - The YWCA Business Girls' league held weekly parties for service men at the YWCA on Grove Street. The Phyllis Wheatley Branch plans regular programs for negro servicemen in conjunction with the YMI

1943 - Asheville-Citizen's Times had a article, Girls to Date Boys for Maroon Hangout Dance Feb. 12, 1943 A dance to which no boy may be admitted without a girl and only girls may come stag.

1943 - Teen Tavern, a recreational room for students from 5 local high schools, opens at Central YWCA. 150 students attended the opening. Teen Tavern was open from 8-11pm on Friday nights. Ping Pong, table games, skating and dancing were offered.

- Y Teens from Phyllis Wheatley gathered for social games,

dances , and classes

1950 - Y-Teens invited women of the community, who had lived in foreign lands, to speak to them on the problems of teenagers in these lands".

1950s - Y Teens attended the National Y Teens conference.

1960's - "We had a one day, once a month, the school would let the children [high school students] come to the YWCA. We had a whole day with them and broke them into groups and worked with them and tried. Well, at that time, integration was so new, we were just trying to expose them, let them see that nothing was going to happen and everybody could get along alright." Thelma Caldwell

- "We at one time had a very strong teen program. When I was there, I had organized teen groups and, at that, we could go into the school system and they would set aside like 35-40 minutes, from 2:05-2:35. We could have a youth group and get them organized. Phyllis Jones Sherrill This Saturday, they have scheduled a reunion...I think I had approximately 5 groups when I was employed at the YW. They have all since graduated. We helped some through college. I am just so excited about that to see some of the ladies who did work with the YW. We helped mold them into careers, adult life. I'm very, very proud of them. The majority of them finished college or had gone to AB-Tech and have technical skills and have enjoyed some very good jobs"

- "We used to have teen dances for them. On any given night, I could have 4-500 kids at the YWCA with chaperones and the whole nine yards." Phyllis Jones Sherrill

1972 - YWCA: Continuing Education for Pregnant Girls offers two and one-half hours of school work to continue the education of pregnant students, who were required to leave school.

"The Y ...really made a change in the community to get the schools to accept girls back in school that had had babies." Sally Bridenstine

"They had the school for these young mothers at the Y, an so to take care of them, they had to have a day care center after they had the babies. They just kept pounding away at the School Board until they finally opened it up and let the girls come back to school."

1978 - Adolescent Girls in Conflict program

brought girls together with counselors from Mars Hill College.

1985 - MotherLove for teen mothers is established. "I used to attend meetings on Tuesday nights for the MotherLove program. It was for teenage mothers. I attended class when I was 16. A lot of counselors helped us with checkbooks, classes and figuring out what we needed to do. It was a good program." Minnie Jones and Mary Williams

1993 - Spirit Summer Camp - Sliding Rock, North Carolina

2007 - Present programs for Teens

Spirit Camp for 12-16 Year Olds YWCA Spirit Camp, for 12-16 year olds, provides participants with opportunities to become involved in their community. In addition, they enjoy swimming, dance lessons, cook outs, roller skating, games, camping and more. Field trips include Lake Lure, Ripley's Aquarium, Charlotte's Discovery Place, kayaking, tubing.

Latino Learning Center The Latino Learning Center (LLC) provides computer skills classes for Spanish-speaking students. Classes are offered at the YWCA and at Issac Dickson School in collaboration with Children First and Monterrey Tech.

American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Course The YWCA of Asheville offers the American Red Cross Lifeguard Training course. The course includes life-guarding skills, First Aid and CPR for the Professional Rescuer, and more. Participants must be at least 15 years old.