Level Up featured on nationally-televised ABC NIGHTLINE NEWS with award-winning reporter, Byron Pitts
City, State, & National Recognition
“Pastor Campbell has put together an amazing program centered on young people, meeting them where they are, and giving them the space, security, and support to help them move up and to help them become confident and self-sufficient for them to function fully and effectively in society.”
Vincent Hughes
Pennsylvania State Senator
Special Thanks to Our Partners
In the News
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Join the Level Up Philly community by signing up for our enlightening newsletter. With it, you gain an insider's view of Philadelphia's youth resurgence, receiving live updates about transformative events and witnessing the extraordinary journeys of our attendees.
As a subscriber, you become part of our mission, your engagement directly magnifying our impact. By signing up, you aren't just watching from the sidelines - you are becoming a crucial piece of our shared vision for a brighter future for Philadelphia's youth.
About Level Up & Urban Dream Chasers
76,000+ Home-cooked gourmet meals served since 2019
$510,000 Invested directly into our youth since November 2018
5,000+ Young people from high-risk neighborhoods positively impacted
(ages 13 to 25)
"Thanks for your financial support without which none of this would happen in the midst of such a city-wide youth crisis."
Aaron Campbell, Executive DirectorFollow Him at @pastoraaroncampbell
Philadelphia's escalating violence, affecting our teens both as victims and perpetrators, calls for immediate action. With youth grappling with poverty, homelessness, PTSD, depression, and despair, Level Up steps in.
We engage young people from high-risk neighborhoods directly on Philadelphia's front lines, combating these crises and transforming lives.
Urban Dream Chasers (our guiding 501(c)3 entity) anchors Level Up, a holistic mentoring initiative for high-risk youth.
We offer services like counseling, crime intervention, academic support, and housing aid, all geared towards a larger goal: establishing the city's best art STEM lab to prepare high-risk youth for the global technology-powered job market of the future.
In the heart of the city, our 12,000 sq ft 'safe space'—including a custom-built dance studio—serves as a refuge for over 900 high-risk youth weekly from over 81 different middle and high schools across the city.
From every dangerous corner of the city, these young people find hope and community in Level Up's weekly & monthly gatherings.
The Philly Crisis Deserves A National Response
These nightmarish statistics are affecting REAL people - OUR children and OUR future!
Source: Respective Police Department Crime Data (2021YTD)
Crime and Violence
In 2021, Philadelphia had more homicides than it’s ever had. Even more than New York City—a city that is roughly five times larger!
Serving Life
Historically, Philadelphia has had more teens serving life sentences in prison without parole than anywhere else in our nation.
Source: Mills, John R. and Dorn, Anna and Hritz, Amelia, Juvenile Life Without Parole in Law and Practice: The End of Superpredator Era Sentencing (September 22, 2015). American University Law Review
Poverty
Philadelphia is the poorest of the top ten largest US cities—with a child poverty rate that is nearly twice the national average.
Source: The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kids Count Data Center
Suicide
The national average of high school students who attempted suicide is 8.9%. Philadelphia is among the highest at 15%. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents aged 13-18 in the U.S
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)