Carlos Aponte, an educator and founder of We Love Philly, is transforming the lives of Philadelphia youth through a holistic program rooted in service, emotional development, and hands-on career training. Aponte’s mission is clear: to create a space where young people feel seen, heard, and loved, helping them build purpose-driven futures.
Aponte, a Philadelphia native, launched We Love Philly in 2019, inspired by his own struggles with feeling unseen in school and unsupported in his youth. What began as an after-school program has evolved into a training initiative that is redefining career preparation for high school juniors, seniors and recent graduates across the city.
“I wanted to build a space where young people feel seen, heard and loved,” Aponte told K-LOVE. “The traditional education system often doesn’t center them. We do.”
Today, We Love Philly operates two primary career pathways—digital marketing and cybersecurity—fields selected by students themselves. Each six-month program is designed to provide participants with hands-on training and personal growth.
Students spend more than 300 hours in the program, beginning each day with a unique, in-house social-emotional curriculum.
“We start with ‘the story of self,’” Aponte said. “Then we ask, ‘What can you do right now to shape your future?’”
From there, students dive into their chosen tracks, gaining paid experience and skills that can lead to salaries of $60,000 or more. In digital marketing, they join a real agency created by We Love Philly that serves clients across the city. In cybersecurity, students work alongside experts through a partnership with Drexel University.
The program operates out of the One Art Community Center, an urban sanctuary with fruit trees, a farm and a classroom built from a shipping container—constructed by the students themselves.
“The whole point is to create from the ground up,” Aponte said. “It’s theirs.”
Since launching its pre-apprenticeship model in 2023, We Love Philly has graduated about 120 students, with hundreds more impacted through earlier elective courses.
Beyond Philadelphia, the group has also traveled to Puerto Rico, where students with Puerto Rican heritage—many visiting for the first time—led a weeklong day camp at the Boys & Girls Club.
“It was exhausting, but incredible,” Aponte recalled. “They made the content, raised the funds and showed up every day ready to lead.”
Aponte is committed to making sure the experience is exactly what the students want and need. Decisions about the program’s direction are made not only for students, but by them. They help vet potential partners, shape service projects and chose cybersecurity and digital marketing as their areas of focus.
“We ask, ‘Is this someone we should work with?’” Aponte said. “Their answers matter.”
The organization’s values—integrity, respect, freedom, love, gratitude, growth and service—aren’t just posted on the walls. They’re woven into hiring, mentoring, curriculum and everyday culture.
“These values helped me grow out of a self-destructive place,” Aponte said. “Now they guide everything we do.”
For Aponte, it’s simple: “When young people feel loved, they rise.”
We Love Philly continues to grow and is actively exploring new pathways. Those interested in learning more or becoming a collaborator can visit welovephilly.org.