Youth Initiatives
Interfaith Philadelphia’s Youth Initiatives create a welcoming space for young people where interfaith relationships thrive and dialogue skills are built, supporting a diverse community for the leaders of tomorrow.
We provide students from elementary school through college with skills to approach differences with curiosity and respect and experiences to learn to appreciate the rich diversity of the Philadelphia region. Interactive workshops, cohort experiences, and summer programs serve as an avenue for students to explore and articulate their own beliefs and values as they learn to celebrate difference from and alongside peers.
Customized School Programming
Grades: K-College
Invite us to your school! We work with public, independent, religious, and private schools to meet your interfaith and intergroup needs. Examples include multifaith panels for students studying world religions, Passport to Understanding sessions for identity exploration and dialogue skill-building, workplace diversity workshops, and trainings for orientations.
Programs vary in size and number of meetings and are developed for each school.
Interfaith Alternative Break Trips
Grades: High School and College
Visit Philadelphia, the birthplace of religious freedom in America, and embark on a unique, transformative journey that explores faith, service, and interfaith dialogue.
Interfaith Book Trail
Grades: K-5
Embark on an enriching interfaith journey through hands-on activities that promote unity and celebrate the diversity of people and their faith traditions.
Mosaic Summer Program
Grades: Incoming 6-8
Explore the beautiful mosaic of Philadelphia made up of unique individuals through a week-long summer program. Students explore the five Passport to Understanding practices, learning to Be Curious, Welcome In, Venture Out, Stand Tall, and Stand With.
Walking the Walk® Youth Initiative
Grades: 9-12
Join a religiously diverse community of friends as you learn about the religious and cultural diversity in our region, strengthen your identity and values, and grow as a leader with empathy, curiosity, and skills for allyship and solidarity.
Pillars of Interfaith Philadelphia Youth Programs
Creative Reflection
A critical and constant component of our programs is helping youth develop tools for integrating their experiences and expressing what those experiences mean for them as young people of faith engaged in their communities. Creative reflection takes on many forms including poetry, journaling, and collage.
Interfaith Engagement
We provide a safe environment for youth of diverse faith traditions to come together, break down stereotypes, share their distinctive practices and beliefs, and learn common values.
From sharing ritual objects to touring faith communities to question and answer sessions with religious leaders, youth learn about other religions while strengthening their own religious identities.
Relationship Building
We aim to strengthen communities on individual, congregational, and regional levels.
This includes highlighting key elements of healthy development for youth, such as: feeling empowered, being valuable resources for the community, forming supportive relationships with peers and adult mentors, and building positive identities.
Service Learning
We work with social service organizations which address a social justice issue or community problem. Through service-learning with partners, participants put their interfaith values into action.
Interfaith Philadelphia's youth programs integrate meaningful service with focused learning and engagement with constituents so youth can examine the complexity of societal ills.
Contact Us
Tell us more about your needs by completing our intake form.
A team member will reach out to you within two business days to set up a time to talk or meet.
