Our goal is to connect youth and young adults, with and without disabilities, to opportunities across the state that foster leadership, advocacy, and connection. We aim to build meaningful collaborations between individuals, youth organizations, and adult allies, creating a network for sharing knowledge and empowering youth to become leaders in their lives and communities.
Youth Leaders and the Adults who support them
We believe young people can use their voices to influence change in their communities and beyond. Through the power of friendship and experience, we connect young people to like-minded youth as well as present them with opportunities to practice leadership!
Adults can foster leadership in young people by supporting them to have a voice and learn how to use it effectively. Everyone’s journey looks different, and having a safe place to learn from mistakes and try again makes a world of difference!
We collaborate with professionals and organizations who believe in the youth-led, youth-driven model. These partners support our mission by providing opportunities to get involved in community and statewide events and initiatives.
The Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network (PYLN) was established in July of 2004 at an
initial meeting held at the PA Secondary Transition Conference in State College, PA.