what we do

Youth Programming

PCDC’s Youth Program is a crucial academic and social resource, especially for AANHPI youth. The program includes an afterschool program and summer career employment (Summer C2L-PHL Program, a highly competitive 6-week paid internship program for students to gain experience working in a non-profit). Youth have also volunteered for civic engagement activities, including community cleanups, intergenerational digital literacy, and ESL workshops for Chinatown seniors.

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OST Program

PCDC’s primary youth programming consists of a comprehensive Out-of-School-Time (OST) program during the school year and summer that aims to close the academic resource gap for Philadelphia’s low-income, minority, and limited-English proficient students. Established in 2001, the program provides college trips, leadership events, and internships. Uniquely, the program offers bilingual English-Chinese capability. Every year, the Teen Club serves approximately 200 students in grades 7 to 12.

Youth Activities

Our OST afterschool program takes place from 3pm to 6pm, Monday through Friday, at Crane Community Center and offers a variety of educational and recreational activities, including sports such as basketball, volleyball, and badminton; study hall and SAT prep; field trips; and a place to socialize with other OST youth. The program also includes workshops related to personal and professional development, with topics such as building resilience, developing conflict resolution skills, and navigating internships.   

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Summer Internship

PCDC’s Youth Program includes our summer internship program, Career-Connected Learning Philadelphia (C2L-PHL). This is a highly competitive 6-week paid internship program for students to gain experience working in a non-profit, and students are placed at various sites around the city based on their areas of interest. Through this program, youth develop leadership and communication skills, explore potential career paths, and gain important internship and work experience.

Community Service

Youth actively participate in civic engagement activities such as:

  • Community Clean Ups: Youth volunteers contributed to many community beautification projects, including gardening, painting, and picking up litter to help keep the community clean.
  • Chinatown Events: Youth volunteers also helped coordinate, organize, and set up certain events, such as the Chinatown Night Market and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
  • Intergenerational Digital Literacy Workshops: With the generational divide with technology, youth aimed to lead workshops that helped older citizens to navigate smartphones, use social media, and other online/digital services.
  • ESL Workshops for Chinatown Seniors: The existing language barrier faced by many elderly residents in the community, the youth helped organize ESL classes and workshops tailored to the needs of seniors.
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Black & Gold

The Black & Gold 2.0 program was launched by PCDC in 2024 as a direct response to the racial tensions and mental health crisis experienced in post-pandemic Philadelphia and is designed to bring Asian and African American youth (ages 12-17) together through recreational activities and educational workshops. The program fosters mental well-being and youth empowerment through cross-cultural collaboration and education in trusted spaces.