Philadelphia Youth Basketball (PYB) is a dynamic organization that leverages the iconic game of basketball to provide a safe, nurturing environment for young people to build the skillsets and mindsets they need to succeed on the court and in their education, careers, and lives. We recognize the necessity to combine youth development, community empowerment, and workforce development to maximize transformational impact, and strive to connect all of those elements in the under-construction Alan Horwitz ‘Sixth Man’ Center, set to open in late 2023, and all of our programming across the program suite. PYB is an inclusive, mission-driven, direct-service organization made up of individuals from across our city and region who share a belief in the power and potency of basketball when purposefully blended with positive coaching and mentorship, academic enrichment, health and wellness, and leadership development opportunities. Our programs include our 1) Middle School Partnership Program, 2) HoopHers, our female empowerment program, 3) Lace Up and Learn Up Summer Camp Series, 4) I Am Because We Are, a program for young men touched or at risk of being touched by gun violence, 5) Work-Based Learning, 6) Youth Leadership Council, and 7) Youth Entrepreneuship. All of our programs are led by our culturally-relatable and accessible Coach-Mentors. The goals of PYB’s programming are to decrease high school dropout rates and achieve long-term academic success as well as help our student-athletes build better relationships with their 1) learning; 2) adults; 3) peers; and 4) communities.