Our mission

Committed to North Philadelphia's Fairhill community since 1993, Providence Center offers education programming for children, youth, and adults. Our mission is to educate people to have the power and spirit to transform their lives and community.

At Providence Center children are empowered to overcome trauma and grow into their full potential, teens become leaders and role models in their community, and adults find the confidence and skills to speak English.

What we do

Many of our students have experienced too much of the world's cruelty. We offer a "love full of action"--a safe space, nurturing environment, and vibrant educational experience to help children, teens, and adults grow as bright, caring, and creative people.

Children's Programming: We provide a values-based afterschool program for 45 elementary and middle school children grounded in social-emotional learning principles. We are a safe haven for children after school, a place where children develop nurturing relationships, make choices that contribute to their growth and safety, and explore creative outlets to understand and express their feelings.

Teen Programming: Role modeling is a critical part of our youth programming. We hire our Teen Leaders from North Philadelphia and train them to work with the children. The teens receive personal development to help them identify and achieve their own goals and to prepare for college. They are powerful mentors because they have grown up facing similar challenges and yet are now taking leadership roles in the community.

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL): Providence Center offers ESOL classes for adults, serving 300 each year, currently in four levels of instruction. Learning English improves their employment prospects. And with newfound confidence and skills, our adult students are able to help their children with schoolwork, communicate effectively with their teachers and doctors, and become more involved in their community.