Life Skills with Layups

Small sneakers are squeaking at the Palestra thanks to Young Quakers Community Athletics (YQCA), a collaboration between the Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships and Penn Athletics.

Established in 2012, YQCA connects Penn’s varsity teams with elementary school students in West Philadelphia public schools for after-school mentoring. Recently, YQCA added basketball to their after-school offerings.

Young Quakers Basketball officially tipped-off in the fall of 2021, pairing the Penn men’s basketball team (Big Quakers) with fourth and fifth grade students (Young Quakers) at Andrew Hamilton and Henry C. Lea University-Assisted Community Schools in West Philly. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program began virtually, but 2022 marked a new chapter for the growing partnership. Forty students are currently attending weekly clinics that cover much more than basketball during a six-week spring session.

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