Philadelphia Student Union gives young people the tools and skills they need to organize to fight for a high quality public education in Philadelphia. It is a supportive organization that is often described by students as a family. During our meetings and programs students learn many skills such as, public speaking, teamwork, leadership, writing, research, strategizing and event planning.
The Philadelphia Student Union exists to build the power of young people to demand a high quality education in the Philadelphia public school system. We are a youth led organization and we make positive changes in the short term by learning how to organize to build power. We also work toward becoming life-long learners and leaders who can bring diverse groups of people together to address the problems that our communities face.
The Philadelphia Student Union was started in 1995 by a group of young people who were concerned about not receiving the quality of education that they deserved. They decided that if school reform were going to be successful, it would have to involve students as leaders for change. At that time the White Dog Café was starting a non-profit called Urban Retrievers, which agreed to sponsor the Philadelphia Student Union. As the Philadelphia Student Union grew, it became clear that it was the most exciting part of Urban Retrievers’ programming. In March of 2001 Urban Retrievers’ board decided to officially change the name of the organization to the Philadelphia Student Union.
The Philadelphia Student Union started with a small group of students mainly from magnet schools. In the first two years of its existence the message of PSU reached students in the neighborhood high schools. Neighborhood school students flocked to PSU because of their desperate need to make changes at their schools, which lacked books, qualified teachers, and healthy school cultures. In 1997 the organization opened chapters at Simon Gratz High School and West Philadelphia High School. From this point forward the Student Union’s primary membership became neighborhood school students. We continue to have active participation from magnet school students as well.
The organization has grown from the dream of a few students to a strong organization that has allowed students themselves to become a major force for improving schools in Philadelphia. Over 3,500 young people have completed the Student Union’s leadership development program. These young people learned how to bring people together to solve problems. Many of our former members have become active in organizing, youth work and advocacy in their colleges and communities.
501 S. 52nd Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tel- (267) 233-7703
Email: julien@phillystudentunion.org
Website: phillystudentunion.org