Our History
Founded in 1999, the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) has played a pivotal role in the development and empowerment of Philadelphia's youth. At its core, PYN was established to be a collaborative effort to address the multifaceted challenges faced by young individuals in the city.
Starting as a small non-profit organization, PYN has grown into an independent, citywide entity, putting more than 250,000 youth to work in internships, training programs, and out-of-school time programs, infusing more than $51 million into the local economy through wages paid to youth, launching seven industry pipeline programs to enhance education in high-growth and high-earning careers, and coordinating services for over 140 youth-serving organizations.
Our Impact
Over the course of its 25 year history, PYN has served more than 250,000 youth across the city of Philadelphia. Our programs have helped young people gain valuable work experience, develop essential job skills, and build the confidence they need to succeed. We are proud to have made a positive impact on the lives of so many young people in our community.
Driving Data For Change
To improve outcomes for teens and young adults in Philadelphia, PYN has worked with partners to build data sets focused on better understanding Philadelphia's youth population, their connection to career and academic opportunities, and their needs. Our data-based initiatives are driven by chartering research, fielding surveys, and hosting interviews to inform our work and make a maximum impact.
Over the last several years, PYN has worked closely with the Aspen Institute, to track and quantify local opportunity youth (ages 16-24 and disconnected from school/work) and set target goals for re-engagement.
Click below to learn more about how PYN uses opportunity youth metrics to drive our program targets and evaluation.