Minding Your Mind – We share our stories to create hope in others.

Minding Your Mind’s (MYM) primary objective is to provide mental health education to adolescents, teens and young adults, their parents, teachers and school administrators. Our goal is to reduce the stigma and destructive behaviors often associated with mental health issues. Treatment is available, yet only 3 out of 10 individuals needing help actually seek help. Minding Your Mind programs move away from crisis-based response to prevention through education. 

The Pennsylvania Youth Congress – Advancing Freedom and Justice for LGBT Youth (payouthcongress.org)

PYC unites young LGBTQ leaders from across the commonwealth within their schools and communities in order to create a responsive and organized statewide movement. Through connecting and empowering strong advocates, PYC helps ensure that the issues facing young LGBTQ Pennsylvanians are addressed in local and state government. 

PYC was founded in 2011 as a coalition of high school and college LGBTQ student organizations. Over 50 LGBTQ student groups have become members of PYC. These student organizations have direct access to leadership development, networking, and important advocacy opportunities. 

Provides resources to get involved in the LGBTQ Youth movement, local LGBTQ Youth Groups, how to start a GSA in your school, activism, and also offers trainings and workshops. 

Pennsylvania Youth Advisory Board (pitt.edu)

The Pennsylvania Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is comprised of current and former substitute care youth ages 16-21. Youth leaders on the YAB educate, advocate, and form partnerships to create positive change in the substitute care system. 

The YAB provides trainings, workshops and resources to empower youth and young adults who have been part of the substitute care system to gain skills related, but not limited to: Time Management, Knowing Your Rights, How to Handle Yourself in a Courtroom, Strategic Sharing, knowledge on housing, education, racial equity and diversity, money management, and more.  

The mission of the Pennsylvania Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is to educate, advocate, and form partnerships to create positive change in the child welfare system. 

Youth Action – A non-profit that INSPIRES students to LEAD and SERVE (youthactionteam.org)

An organization based out of Philadelphia, PA that produces socially responsible leadership among middle & high school students by providing them with training, socially responsible leadership mentorship, and funding to increase their social awareness of community concerns and lead service initiatives in their communities.  

Homepage - HopePHL

HopePHL™ (pronounced “hopeful”) was founded through an integration of two human service organizations in Philadelphia, PA: People’s Emergency Center (PEC) and Youth Service, Inc (YSI). Leveraging 120 years of combined service experience, it is HopePHL’s mission to inspire Philadelphia's children, youth, families and communities to thrive by providing housing, advocacy, and trauma-responsive social services designed to promote equity, resilience, autonomy, and well-being.

​HopePHL is committed to ending systemic racism. We amplify diverse voices and champion issues of inequity, including accessible quality education, healthcare, safety, and justice. HopePHL helps over 25,000 community members and residents annually to reach their goals of safe homes, economically secure and healthy families, and thriving businesses. People with Hope, thrive.

 

PSAYDN

PSAYDN provides resources to find, start, and fund afterschool programs for youth. With nearly 3000 members and growing, the PSAYDN membership network supports quality out-of-school (OST) time to keep kids safe, inspire learning and help working families. 

PSAYDN offers a free membership that provides the following: 

• A voice for afterschool advocacy at a regional, state and federal level. 

• Technical assistance and professional development resources. 

• The opportunity to serve on planning and development committees for events, policy, communications and funding initiatives. 

• PSAYDN e-blast, a weekly e-newsletter containing state and national news, grant announcements, upcoming events, best practices, advocacy tips and more on afterschool and STEM initiatives. 

• Priority invitations and e-alerts to PSAYDN or PSAYDN partner conferences that offer continuing education credits, webinars, advocacy events, new OST publications, and more. 

• The ability to submit training and conferences to the online event calendar and post job openings on the network’s website. 

• Access to our searchable OST map. 

• A membership certificate. 

Youth Advocacy | PA Youth Advocacy Network | Pittsburgh

The PA Youth Advocacy Network seeks to provide skills-building and advocacy opportunities for teens who have an interest in mental health. Youth advocates, connected as a powerful network for change across the Commonwealth, are committed to:

• Educating teachers and students in mental health

• Reducing disparities in mental health

• Promoting suicide prevention and awareness

• Creating safe and inclusive school environments

• Addressing mental health as part of health

​

Inspired by national youth movements, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (based in Pittsburgh) sought to engage young people in this urgent call to action. The aim of developing a statewide youth advocacy network
is to connect a diverse group of student leaders, including teens with lived experience facing mental health challenges and their peers, to develop advocacy skills, understand implications of policy and resource allocation, and advocate for change. Since the initial advocacy summit in November 2018, youth have demonstrated they are a powerful force for change, leading advocacy and awareness building efforts in their own communities and joining together to advocate at the state level.

The PA Youth Advocacy Network brings together a diverse group of youth advocates and partner organizations, including Stand Together, The Second Floor at the Jewish Community Center of Pittsburgh, the Beaver County Youth Ambassadors Program, the Friendship Circle-Pittsburgh, UpStreet Pittsburgh, PA Care Partnership, Youth MOVE PA, The Mentoring Partnership, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.