RDG Youth Hub: Connecting Youth to Opportunity

Access to safe, enriching experiences outside of traditional school hours is more than a convenience — it’s essential. These spaces support learning, build relationships, foster leadership, and play a critical role in preventing and reducing the conditions for youth violence. When our young people are connected to meaningful opportunities, our entire community benefits.

The RDG Youth Hub is the result of a multi-year collaboration between Centro Hispano and youth-serving agencies across the Reading community through the Greater Reading Thriving Together Initiative (formerly the Harwood Initiative).  A working group of youth-serving agencies was formed with a shared goal: to increase access to and participation in high-quality afterschool and out-of-school-time programs.

When we asked students, parents and community partners about the needs and challenges to engage in afterschool opportunities, what we heard was clear: students and families want a centralized, easy-to-use place to find information opportunities that respond to their needs. They face barriers like transportation, cost, and competing responsibilities, especially for youth caring for younger siblings after school. And they’re looking for a wide variety of opportunities that meet different interests and ages, from STEM and arts to emotional wellness and youth leadership.

Guided by these insights, the working group began building solutions. Early efforts included a Summer Activity Slide Deck in 2021, evolving to a simple Google Map in 2025. That map alone was viewed more than 50,000 times—demonstrating both the demand for and the impact of accessible, centralized information.

In 2026, we launched the RDG Youth Hub as a year-round, interactive map to easily identify and connect to information. This new platform brings together youth programs and resources from across the City of Reading into one accessible platform. Users can easily search by program type, age group, and location to find opportunities that fit their needs.

We hope this tool not only helps you find what you need—but also reveals something deeper: that our City is full of opportunity, care, and people working together to support young people.

This work would not have been possible without the many community partners, organizations, and volunteers who contributed their time, insight, and commitment from the earliest conversations to the final launch.  In addition to all the partners on the Greater Reading Thriving Together / Harwood Initiative, special thanks to the Reading School District, the Berks Youth Anti-Violence Coalition, and Laurie Grobman from Penn State Berks. Funding is made possible through Centro Hispano and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Learn more about the Greater Reading Thriving Together / Harwood Initiative HERE

For more information about the RDG Youth Hub contact one of Centro Hispano’s Community Navigators at 610-685-1265 or info@centohispano.org