Our Work

PYN works to advance initiatives and improve outcomes for Philadelphia's youth by doing the following:

The Post-Secondary Bridging program is based in E³ Power Centers with a primary goal of dramatically enhancing post-secondary success among 250 of Philadelphia’s opportunity youth (young people between the ages of 16-24 who are neither in school nor employed). The Post-Secondary Bridging program is powered by the Social Innovation Fund in partnership with Jobs for the Future and the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions. During the first year of the Post-Secondary Bridging Program, PYN served two cohorts of youth and enrolled a third, introducing participants to “college knowledge” and coaching them through a full semester at the Community College of Philadelphia. Lessons learned from implementing the pilot will help inform Project U-Turn’s agenda for creating more post-secondary opportunities for disconnected youth throughout Philadelphia.

In 2016, PYN opened the Hub at PA CareerLink® West, made possible by the Summer Jobs and Beyond grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The Hub brings together community resources to connect young people living in the West Philadelphia Promise Zone with education and employment opportunities, as well as the individualized supports they need to succeed. The Hub opened its doors in October 2016 and aims to serve 250 participants, including 150 in-school and 100 out-of-school young people in the next two years.

Made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor secured in 2016, Pathways to Justice Careers addresses the systemic challenges in the criminal justice system, and builds bridges between the community and law enforcement by engaging young people in a positive and intentional way. The initiative launched in early 2017 with the goal to enroll 250 participants through 2019, with a focus on secondary credential attainment, involvement in mentorship, career exposure and placement in summer employment to improve success of these youth and young adults and facilitate their entry into the criminal justice and/or emergency services fields.

In partnership with Dr. Sara Heller, Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the City of Philadelphia, and the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) out of MIT, PYN is engaging in a rigorous evaluation of our WorkReady summer program. This randomized evaluation, the gold standard of evaluation methods, will provide a deeper understanding of the long-term impacts of participating in a summer work experience. Engaging in this type of evaluation positions Philadelphia at the forefront of a national conversation about effective ways to increase equity and opportunity for youth and young adults. If you’d like more information about this evaluation, contact research@pyninc.org.

For applicants:
While we do not anticipate the evaluation will impact our program, we and the City may be sharing information about applicants for research purposes only. Please feel free to call our hotline at 267.502.3742 or email us at youth@pyninc.org for more information.