YOACAP was founded in 1989 to address the disproportionate rate of high AIDS case rates in areas including North Philadelphia, Germantown, and West Philadelphia. YOACAP developed community outreach strategies and culturally tailored HIV education activities (plays, workshops, and outreach) delivered by African American youth peer educators in local churches, community centers, schools, parks, and other locations where youth congregated.

YOACAP received a $50,000 award from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health/AIDS Activities Coordinating Office (AACO) to conduct HIV prevention.

YOACAP partnered with the Celebrity AIDS Awareness Project (CAAP) to provide youth across the country with information about AIDS, HIV prevention methods, and risk-reduction techniques. YOACAP and CAAP tour the Midwest performing “Wake Up the World” and providing educational workshops in local schools.

Black Entertainment Television’s “Teen Summit,” hosted by Lisa Johnson, aired a show entirely dedicated to HIV/AIDS. YOACAP’s cast performed scenes from “Wake Up the World” and also participated in the discussion with the adolescent audience.

After the successful completion of two national tours, YOACAP and CAAP merged to address youth issues in Philadelphia.

YOACAP received City of Philadelphia Empowerment Zone funding to provide HIV prevention services to African American families from the North Central Philadelphia Empowerment Zone. YOACAP established satellite offices in North Philadelphia and Germantown. YOACAP staff, being trained by the local health department & STD Control, began providing STD testing in the community.

YOACAP received the Daily Points of Light Award, which honored organizations and individuals who had made a commitment to secure the fundamental resources needed to help others lead productive lives. YOACAP received national recognition from President George H.W. Bush, Senator Arlen Specter, and Governor Tom Ridge.

YOACAP partnered with the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Metzger, DHHS in Washington, and completed a research project using Rapid Assessment, Rapid Response & Evaluation (RARE) in Hunting Park and the Bottom (40th & Lancaster) to study the intersection of crack cocaine and HIV. Findings from this project led to a new prevention approach to work in “risk pockets.” This model was later incorporated into the HIV Planning Council's Prevention Strategy in Philadelphia. Access the report here.

YOACAP restructured to reflect its growth and diversification, having multiple funding streams. There was a need to better serve its youth and their entire family.

The restructuring provided more accessibility to Philadelphia youth, based in the community. It allowed the agency to reach youth through plays, workshops, radio, case management, and structured behavioral change interventions. The agency was then composed of four units: Reproductive Health Services; Research, Program Development & Evaluation; Youth & Family Preservation Projects; and Media Health Promotions.

Linda Burnette, who had served as YOACAP’s Executive Director for 15 years, was named the agency’s President and CEO. Duerward Beale was named the new Executive Director. Managerial responsibility evolved as the organization was managing additional projects.

The William Penn Foundation provided YOACAP with an Out-of-School Time (OST) grant based on a successful pilot program in West and South Philadelphia. This grant supported the further development of YOACAP’s afterschool program to include structured activities around skill development, youth leadership (youth council), academic excellence, and college preparation for 50 YOACAP youth.

YOACAP partnered with the city of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, alongside Dr. Metzger and Julia Danzey, to collect data in Southwest Philadelphia using the RARE Methodology as part of a Violence Reduction initiative. As a result of this initiative, the Southwest Community Advisory Group planned and implemented campaigns such as “Turn in your guns - No Questions Asked”, and the Basketball league games coordinated by the Kingsessing and Myers Recreation Centers.

YOACAP partnered with the city of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania (alongside Dr. Metzger and Julia Danzey) to work in Southwest Philadelphia to collect data using rapid assessment as part of a Violence Reduction initiative. A result of this initiative was campaigns such as “Turn in your guns - no questions asked”.

YOACAP was one of the first four organizations awarded funding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement Community Approaches to Reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections. YOACAP’s CARS Project helped better identify the social determinants of health related to STDs in Southwest Philadelphia. The YOACAP CARS Project also began the Nicetown and North Philadelphia Community Advisory Group, which determined which interventions worked better in their community. Learn more here.

YOACAP received its first grant from the City of Philadelphia to operate a high school OST program. Since then, the high school program has operated at YOACAP’s Center City location.

YOACAP and UAC partnered to provide free computer training to seniors and youth as part of their BTOP Program. UAC assisted by providing funding for low-cost internet at $15 per month and computer training.

YOACAP created the “Sharp Insight Project” to promote African American barbershops as trusted places for accurate information, civic engagement, and voting during the 2016 Presidential Election. YOACAP that year was funded by the Knight News Challenge and worked with 150 barbers to implement a civic engagement program to reach Philadelphia black males at local barbershops. Please click here to view the final report.

YOACAP continued to partner with UAC and the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) to provide summer jobs for 14-to 24-year-olds. Youth received training one day a week at YOACAP’s office and worked at a local business four days a week to gain valuable work experience.

YOACAP partnered with Tilden Middle School and PHMC to implement the Career Exposure Summer Camp in Southwest Philadelphia. The program paid middle school students from across the city to learn about careers in a safe environment, participate in various trips, and earn monetary incentives as they completed weekly benchmarks.

YOACAP began its building trades pre-apprenticeship program. The program partnered with the Carpenters and the Finishing Trades Institute (FTI) unions to strategize on reaching young men and women in Philadelphia interested in becoming plumbers, carpenters, painters, electricians, drywall finishers, and glaziers. Other partners were the GBCA and Tague Lumber.

YOACAP received funding from Philadelphia Works to launch a building trades pre-apprenticeship program, drawing on Executive Director Duerward Beale’s experience as a union carpenter.

YOACAP partnered with Pickett Mastery Charter High School to implement its building trades program for the school's students. Later, YOACAP received several Schools-to- Work Grants to expand from Pickett Campus to Simon Gratz, Hardy Williams, and Shoemaker Mastery Schools.

After decades of work exposing young people to careers in the building trades, YOACAP receives funding from Philadelphia Works for the organization’s first building trades pre-apprenticeship program, drawing inspiration from Executive Director Duerward Beale’s experience as a union carpenter in his youth.

YOACAP partnered with the hip-hop library to provide a book club to their Tilden afterschool program. Tilden students read books and were involved in the Hip-Hop Library’s Story Time activities.

YOACAP received Community Expansion Grant (CEG) funding from the City of Philadelphia. YOACAP staff worked with barbers to recruit young men at risk for gun violence. Once recruited, participants were engaged by barbers as mentors and enrolled in skills-building activities, while meeting with a case manager weekly to support and track their progress.

YOACAP began an Out-of-School Time Program at Parkway West High School. Staff began operating the program at the school with PHMC funding. The grant allowed students to participate in summer employment and year-round structured activities.

In 2023,Councilmember Katherine Gilmore-Richardson with Philadelphia City Council approval, provided YOACAP with$100,000 funding for state-approved building trades pre- apprenticeship program alongside fellow grantees the Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Technical Center and Samuel Staten Sr. Pre-Apprenticeship Program Inc.

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YOACAP partnered with JEVS to provide summer and then year-round training and internship opportunities for Philadelphia youth. Eighty-six youth received summer training, and selected individuals continued in YOACAP’s school-year internship program, Career Connected Learning (C2L). Our thanks to Urban Affairs Coalition, JEVS Human Services and PhiladelphiaWorks Inc.

Young men who were initially enrolled in YOACAP’s Building Trades Pre-Apprenticeship graduated from their registered apprenticeships, received their completion certificates, and became journeymen in their respective building trade fields. Our thanks to the Finishing Trades Institutes, the Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Technical Center, Local 98 General Building Contractors Association and other YOACAP building trade partners.

YOACAP received funding from the District Attorney’s Office Forfeiture Fund grant to expand its violence reduction program to include supportive services, gaming systems, trips, and space upgrades.