What Do We Mean By Youth Leadership? 

SEPC stands apart from other youth service providers because youth are directly involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs through its Youth Leadership Council.  Through its Youth Leadership Council, SEPC is able to improve intercultural understanding between its diverse participants by having young people of different backgrounds work together on community goals.

What Is The YLC? 

The Youth Leadership Council of the Southeast Philadelphia Collaborative is the youth voice in the Collaborative's collection of social service agencies. We work with the Collaborative, in the community, through our Teen Lounge and through partnerships with other youth activist groups to build programs and projects for youth in Southeast Philadelphia that promote youth leadership, environmental justice and fun.

The Youth Leadership Council currently works with Teens for Good and hosts their own community garden site, selling and donating their produce to community residents, corner stores and restaurants. They also have their own orchard trees with the Philadelphia Orchard Project. The teens work throughout the year with Clean Air Council on various environmental projects and field trips. The Youth Leadership Council is also partnering with the Philadelphia Urban Food and Fitness Alliance (P.U.F.F.A.) in order to address accessibility to and nutrition of school breakfasts and lunches, along with improving access to built environments that allow for safe, physical activity.

The teen staff of the YLC meet every Tuesday at the Houston Center at 8th & Snyder Streets, where we make our own agendas and facilitate our own meetings. The adult staff are there as support on Tuesdays when we meet, and as coordinators during the rest of the week.

We also operate a Teen Lounge, a drop-in center for youth, in the Houston Center. Youth can always stop by for safe and fun afterschool activities and hang-out space. See below for schedules of all of our lounges.