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Our Mission

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

Our Vision

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.

Our Values and Beliefs

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.

Our History

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.

Board of Directors

Executive Committee

Chair
Mike Denove
Partner
Ernst & Young

Treasurer
Juan Garrett
Executive Director
Riverside Center for Innovation

Secretary
Dr. Quintin B. Bullock, DDS
President
Community College of Allegheny County

Board Members

Dara Ware Allen, Ph.D
President & CEO
City High

Debra L. Caplan
Executive in Residence 
Forbes Funds

Brandi Fisher
Founder & Executive Director
Alliance for Police Accountability

Sabrina Saunders Mosby
President & CEO
Coro Center for Civic Leadership

Christopher Ragland
Commander, Zone 1
Pittsburgh Bureau of Police

William J. Sheridan, Esq.
Partner
Reed Smith, LLP

Deanna Sieberkrob
Controller
Carlow University

James E. Taylor, PhD
Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer 
UPMC

William Thompkins
Executive Director (retired)
The Pittsburgh Project

Mike Woychek
Google

Damon Young
Editor-in-Chief
VerySmartBrothas.Com

 

Honorary Directors

Diana A. Bucco
President
The Buhl Foundation

David J. Malone
President & CEO
Gateway Financial

Frederick W. Thieman
Chair for Civic Leadership
The Buhl Foundation

Our Team

Administration

Cynthia L. James
President & Chief Executive Officer
412.434.0851 x101

Saira Walia 
Executive Assistant and Data Liaison 
412-390-6501

Finance Office
412.434.0851

Operations

Uwe Calloway
Chief Operations Officer
412.956.5224

Desiree Johnson
Operations Manager
412.584.9679

Management Team

Weston White
Associate Director
412.495.9930

Natalie Jones
Manager of Expansion Implementation 
412.312.1107

Natasha Kennedy
Manager of Education and Programs
412.863.1045

Ayodeji Young 
Manager of Leadership and Engagement
412.396.8239

Sarah Gethers 
Family Engagement Manager
412.584.3263

Katrina Hawthorne 
Manager of Behavior Development
412.883.2292

Site Staff

Tammy Brown
Site Manager – East
412.512.1686

Demetra Franklin
Engagement Coach – East 
412.584.4802

Brenda Sawyer
Site Manager – McKeesport
412.589.4073

Shayla Evans
Site Manager – McKeesport
412.654.1889

Roget Mitchell
Site Manager – Downtown
412.689.4049

Leanna Lyle
Engagement Coach – Downtown
412.654.4108

Audie Chapman
Site Manager – North
412.961.4891

Andrea Jordan
Engagement Coach – North

Nina Byrant 
Site Manager – Duquesne
412.935.3721

Esther Brown
Site Manager – McKees Rocks
412.935.9556

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