About YP

YouthPlaces creates safe spaces and experiences that inspire young people to imagine, explore, and design their own futures.

We believe in the youth we serve. We commit ourselves daily to our mission because, in the end, our youth deserve a chance to succeed. To us, success takes no single form. Our steadfast vision is that youth in our community become happy, healthy, and dynamic adults.

Through our mission and vision, we have set a direction for YouthPlaces. That direction is reinforced by the values and beliefs that are shared within our organization.

• We embrace a positive youth development approach, which focuses on building key developmental assets as a means to achieving youth success
• We provide safe, accessible sites where youth can engage in activities without physical or emotional barriers
• We are responsive to youth, actively involving them in planning, implementing and governing the programs in which they participate and incorporating their needs, their interests and their abilities into our operational decisions, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or cultural background
• We are a consistent and reliable presence in the communities we serve. • We collaborate with the communities we serve, engaging families, schools, other youth serving agencies, and grassroots organizations to provide the best possible services to youth.
• We employ individuals who are comfortable with and respectful of the youth they serve.

Talk is cheap, so our adherence to these standards is crucial in order to demonstrate our commitment to our mission and vision. By embracing these values in all that we do, YouthPlaces earns the trust of our youth, the communities we serve and the partners who support our work.

YouthPlaces was founded as a community response to an overwhelming need for afterschool programs for teens in high-risk, under served communities. Established in 1997 through the Youth Crime Prevention Council comprised of civic, community and corporate leaders, YouthPlaces began with 5 sites and 500 youth, and has evolved to seventeen sites serving over 4,000 youth annually. In 2005, YouthPlaces incorporated as an independent not-for-profit, and in 2012, YouthPlaces established a hub center on Pittsburgh’s Northside that houses managerial offices and program opportunities.