Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout (YEAH Philly) is a Black-led, community-based nonprofit organization located in West and Southwest Philadelphia. They serve teens and young adults ages 15 to 24 who have been impacted by violence, with a special focus on young people in the juvenile system charged with a violent crime. YEAH’s mission is to acknowledge youth as experts of their own lives, help them get the lives they want and deserve through holistic support, and to push back against oppressive systems that often lead to violence. 

YEAH has placed 227 young people in sustainable job opportunities or paid internships, provided court advocacy and positive sentencing outcomes for 175 young people, provided services to over 500 young people per year, and served 17,845 people with free groceries.

YEAH Philly has partnered with Good Energy Collaborative (GEC), a student-led organization developing programs for a more sustainable and equitable future, to work on youth-focused climate resilience initiatives in the area. This includes hands-on workshops that teach practical skills in solar energy, green jobs, and urban regenerative agriculture. They also hold youth-led sessions to highlight the social, economic, and environmental benefits of solar technology, especially for low-income and marginalized communities historically excluded from the sustainability movement.

In line with their commitment to community empowerment, YEAH Philly and Good Energy Collaborative partnered with RE-volv to go solar. With help from the local accredited installer, GreenBrilliance, the solar panels are now mounted on the roof. This project was made possible through generous support from REVERB's Impact Fund and the Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation Solar Moonshot Program.

Once their 12 kW system is up and running, the nonprofit will not only save thousands on its energy bills and reduce its carbon footprint, but, most importantly, serve as a powerful example for other community organizations in Philadelphia to follow!