When Passion Meets Opportunity: Opening Doors For Philly Youth

We believe in supporting the brilliance and potential of Philadelphia’s youth, not only through music and creativity, but also by providing real, tangible economic opportunities that cater to their long-term success.

When young people have access to paid opportunities in the fields that they love, it benefits their present and future. Instead of scrambling to find part-time work during the school year or picking up summer jobs, students can focus on their education, creativity, well being, and goals. By offering opportunities like our Career Connected Learning (C2L) program with JEVS, Instructor Training Program, Student Ambassador roles, along with scholarships and post-graduate support, we help students to develop meaningful skills, explore career pathways, and focus on their long-term success—without the pressure of financial stress. Opportunities like these reduce the burden that student debt creates when pursuing higher education and help ease financial barriers that too often block young people from moving forward with their dreams. Our goal is to allow Rock to the Future students to invest their time in learning, growing, creating, and developing their futures. These investments help build a foundation for confidence, independence, and a future filled with choice and possibility.

Rock to the future student receives award at their Year End SHowcase at World Cafe Live

“They give a lot of opportunities to people. When I first joined, I was shocked because they teach really well. Then I heard that they were giving out instruments. It's amazing how they provide resources, give scholarships, and help you with college. I think they do that really well.“ -Rock to the Future student

At our Year End Showcase, we celebrated our largest graduating class yet, sending each of them off with a $1500 scholarship and brand new laptops for post graduate pursuits. This year’s celebration also included the announcement of a new $10,000 scholarship in memory of Georgie Bonds, the late Philadelphia blues legend and one of the original Black cowboys. His final performance was on the World Cafe Live stage in 2022 at Rock to the Future’s Music for All Ball. The Georgie Bonds Scholar Award, sponsored in partnership with the Justamere Foundation, was awarded to student Jose C. who will pursue music in college.

Heading into the summer, we’ll continue turning up the volume! Partnering with the Philadelphia Youth Network, paid opportunities will be available for Philly teens through our Career Connected Learning (C2L) partnership with JEVS which blends creative skill and career development opportunities. Last summer, we put $84k directly into the hands of Philadelphia youth. This summer, we’re stepping it up to distribute $100,000! Teens can earn up to $1,500 just by doing what they love: learning, creating, and growing. Teens join us for a 2-week MusiCore Summer camp at our Germantown or Kensington locations, where they’ll learn to play an instrument, dive into music production, explore graphic design, participate in hands-on educational workshops, and perform live at our exciting end-of-summer showcase! This is more than just a summer job, it's a chance for students to build their skills, grow their creative voice, and earn money while doing it. Whether they’re into beats, design, performing, or just discovering what’s next, Rock to the Future’s WorkReady program is the place to be.

“We’re offered paid opportunities through WorkReady in the summer, where in return for completing 2 weeks of professional development and 2 weeks of music instruction, each student is paid over a thousand dollars by the end of the summer.” -Hadassah, recent graduate

Rock to the Future students pose for a photo after a workshop with Ken Peeples.