GPN Youth Academy
An innovative, research-backed certificate program for youth
The GPN Youth Academy cultivates high-demand professional competencies, namely leadership, management, cross-cultural mindset, and interpersonal skills. Our proprietary five-step Possibility Development model bolsters students’ personal and professional development while also offering a framework for them to engage in social entrepreneurship projects that empower their communities.
Unique Offerings
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Rooted in Penn GSE professor, Dr. Michael Nakkula’s Possibility Development model, the GPN Youth Academy is backed by leading youth development research. Using Dr. Nakkula’s five-step model, students will emerge with a tangible roadmap, or “Possibility Portfolio” that turns their envisioned possibilities into achievable steps.
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Central to the experience is a curriculum focused on real-world projects. Students work on initiatives that apply academic concepts to solve community challenges, promoting innovation and civic responsibility. The course project vision is to get students applying their new skills and knowledge to meeting a community need.
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Through our proprietary digital platform, we promote and maintain a network of Youth Academy certificate holders that cultivates connection and collaboration through emerging adulthood and potentially, beyond.
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Students will receive personalized, high-level instruction from University of Pennsylvania professors. Upon completing the GPN Youth Academy program, students earn a certificate officially issued from the GPN and Penn GSE.