Keystone Youth Alliance provides mentoring, education, and job readiness programmes for teenagers across Philadelphia. New leadership. Same mission. Forty years strong.
In 2024, Keystone Youth Alliance faced a crisis that shook our community and the families who trust us. We won’t shy away from that.
Here’s what we did: The entire previous board stepped down. Verna Washington was appointed chair of a new, independent board. Marcus joined as Executive Director in January 2025. We rebuilt our safeguarding framework from the ground up.
Our programme staff — the people your children know and trust — stayed. Akilah Brooks continues to lead our programmes with the same dedication she’s brought for years.
We publish our safeguarding policy in full. Our audited accounts go back five years. We believe transparency is not optional — it’s owed.
Read our safeguarding policy →Our Programmes
Every programme is designed to meet young people where they are and help them get where they want to go.
One-to-one relationships between caring adults and young people. Consistent, safe, and built to last.
Learn more →
Academic support, homework help, and enrichment activities in a safe, supervised environment every weekday.
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College prep, application support, campus visits, and financial aid guidance for young people with big ambitions.
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Employment skills, internship placements, and career exploration — real preparation for real opportunities.
Learn more →In Their Words
These are the voices that matter most. Real stories from the young people we serve.
“My mentor didn’t give up on me when everyone else did. She showed up every single week. That consistency changed everything for me.”Mentoring programme participantAge 17, North Philadelphia
“I didn’t think college was for people like me. Keystone helped me apply, helped me get financial aid, and now I’m starting in the fall. I still can’t believe it.”College Access programme participantAge 18, West Philadelphia
“The after-school programme gave me somewhere safe to go. I got my grades up and I actually started to like school again.”After-School programme participantAge 15, Kensington
How It Works
Whether you’re a parent, school counsellor, or social worker — here’s how to connect a young person with our programmes.
Fill in our referral form with basic information about the young person and the programme you’re interested in.
Our Head of Programmes, Akilah Brooks, will contact you within two working days to discuss the young person’s needs.
We’ll match the young person with the right programme and introduce them to their team. No waiting lists where possible.
Accountability
Transparency is owed, not optional. Here’s everything you need to hold us accountable.
Published in full. Not a summary. Our complete safeguarding policy, including how to raise a concern.
Read the full policy →New independent board appointed in 2024, chaired by Verna Washington. Full bios and professional backgrounds.
Meet the board →Five years of independently audited financial statements, available to download.
View accounts →What we achieved, how many young people we served, and where the money went. The numbers, plainly stated.
See our impact →Whether you’re a parent, a school, a funder, or just want to know more — we’d like to hear from you.