Funding is helping to support paid summer jobs for thousands of young people.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN), a local non-profit organization dedicated to creating coordinated systems that promote education, employment, and success for youth, has received a $150,000 grant from Bank of America (BofA). The grant provides crucial funding for WorkReady Summer, PYN’s flagship program that provides roughly 8,000 youth with paid summer work experiences each year.
With the help of its partners, PYN has provided over 250,000 opportunities to Philadelphia youth since being founded in 1999. Since its founding, PYN has been committed to helping teens and young adults in Philadelphia, providing more than $15M in support of education and employment opportunities in the city. The 15-year partnership with BofA extends beyond financial support for summer youth employment; PYN also hosts five paid youth interns who work with development, partnerships for employment, education and workforce policy & strategy and program operations teams each summer via the Bank of America Student Leaders® program.
“PYN’s longstanding partnership with BofA is a testament to the business sector’s continued support of upward mobility for the Philadelphia economy’s most valuable asset – its youth and future workforce,” said Wendy-Anne Roberts-Johnson, President & CEO of PYN. “We appreciate BofA’s generous support and continued investment in summer youth employment and look forward to continuing our partnership for years to come.”
The grant is part of Bank of America's philanthropic giving efforts in local communities. Awardees were selected for their commitment to addressing basic needs and workforce development for individuals and families.
“Philadelphia Youth Network actively cultivates opportunities to empower youth in lower- and moderate-income communities,” said Jim Dever, President, Bank of America of Greater Philadelphia. “As part of our commitment to responsible growth, we continue to invest in workforce development programs like the WorkReady program that creates a pathway to hire from the communities we serve, connect people with local career opportunities, and foster a diverse pipeline of talent that can help shape the future of our region and our local youth.”
About the Philadelphia Youth Network
The Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) is a solutions-builder forging together significant players to alleviate a root cause of poverty by preparing 12-24-year-olds to become productive working adults. Our work is grounded in the understanding that young people need access to both education and employment, proven factors in being prepared for a career. With a track record of increasing impact, PYN funds and brokers action with the right partners to collectively address barriers. PYN constructs systems to create change, while innovating to meet evolving needs. Together with our partners, PYN dramatically changes the trajectory of individuals’ lives by giving voice to underserved youth, and ultimately creating a pipeline for an educated, engaged workforce. For more information, visit www.pyninc.org.
About WorkReady Summer
WorkReady programs offer 12–24-year-olds in Philadelphia opportunities for workforce preparation. WorkReady Summer programming runs between July and August each year, and WorkReady School-Year opportunities are available by invitation only. WorkReady Summer offers 100+ different programs through 80+ partner organizations throughout Philadelphia. Each year, at least twice as many young people apply for the roughly 8,000 opportunities available. WorkReady is managed by the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN).
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