Shared Impact

Beyond the Bars is a music and career planning program dedicated to interrupting the cycles of violence and incarceration in Philadelphia. They work with youth ranging from middle to high school who have been impacted by violence to help them realize the talented musicians and leaders that they are.  Beyond the Bars work to combat problems facing our community such as divestment, mass incarceration and the impacts of trauma by working to build safe and accessible music programs throughout our neighborhoods where students can learn to be songwriters and express their emotions. They offer programs at every phase of the school to prison pipeline by offering: community-based programs, diversion programs, and programs for youth who are currently incarcerated.

Big Picture Alliance empowers youth to define their own narrative through filmmaking and digital media. Their pathway of digital media programs, independent filmmaking, and industry apprenticeships provide youth ages 12-24 the tools to tell their own stories and the skills to succeed in school, life and career. They aim to uplift & amplify marginalized voices and cultivate a new generation of storytellers who contribute towards a more inclusive, equitable and just society.

The Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) is the only youth-centered organization that bridges the gap between social science research and media creation to help storytellers better reflect the lived experiences of adolescents. They bring together the academic and creative communities to unlock the power of storytelling to help the next generation thrive and grow. Their primary aim is to support content creators who are working toward changing entrenched cultural narratives around the key issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, mental health, and inequality. CSS is affiliated with UCLA through the faculty appointment of their founder in the Psychology Department, one of the highest-ranked in the nation, and they have more than 100 academic collaborators working with them from universities around the world.

We partner closely with a core group of Philadelphia-area nonprofits that apply a strengths-based approach to youth development. Core grantees include Covenant House PA, The Crefeld School, Healing Hurt People (at Drexel University), Hopeworks ‘N Camden, SpeakUp!, Students Run Philly Style, YouthBuild Philly, and the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project. Together, we’re working to strengthen Philadelphia’s youth development ecosystem and support our shared impact goals.

We partner with Neuroflow, a digital health company that integrates behavioral health support at scale. Founded by Chris Molaro, an army combat veteran, and Adam Pardes, NeuroFlow currently enables hundreds of leading health plans, provider-led organizations, and the US military to support the behavioral health needs of over 14M individuals.

SpeakUp! is dedicated to helping teens develop supportive relationships with the adults in their lives. They enable teens to talk openly, honestly and without judgment about difficult topics and reach out for support within their homes and schools. SpeakUp! focuses on the fact that no matter what the problem is – stress, drugs, alcohol, depression, anxiety, suicide, relationships, social media or others – the solution always begins with realizing you are not alone and having the courage to speak up and ask for help. All teens benefit from learning how to have courageous conversations with important adults in their lives. SpeakUp! currently partners with over 30 middle and high schools in the greater Philadelphia region.

The Jed Foundation (JED) protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults, giving them the skills and support they need to thrive today…and tomorrow. Research shows that building resiliency and life skills, promoting social connectedness, and encouraging help-seeking and help-giving behaviors in teens and young adults supports their overall well-being, helps them thrive, and protects their emotional health. JED uses digital campaigns, the media, and partnerships to engage teens and young adults where they are and in a way they’ll understand. We support JED Campus, a rapidly expanding national program of 400+ colleges and universities with 5.5 million students—that guides schools through a collaborative process of comprehensive public health systems, program, and policy development with customized support to build upon existing student mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention efforts. SPP is partnering with JED to deepen its footprint in the Philadelphia region.

We are convening and funding a cohort of community-based programs in Philadelphia that seek alternatives to the justice system for young people. These programs are working closely with local system partners to define and develop innovative approaches to youth justice.

YSRP works to keep children out of adult jails and prisons, and to bring home people who were sentenced as children to life in prison without the possibility of parole (“Juvenile Lifers“). Their core work involves mitigation, reentry planning, training for legal defense and advocacy, and advancing policy reform.