Since 2014, Blackburn Mentoring has offered one-on-one mentoring and coaching for teens 13 and up, college students and young adults; in Pennsylvania it works by video, and in-person sessions are available in Los Angeles. Begin with a free 20 minute intro call, then expect a mentor match within 2 business days.

Best for these situations:

A student who needs help planning the week, starting work and keeping track of deadlines
A college student who wants one steady person checking in every week
A young adult who is drifting and wants a clear plan for work or school
Parents who want to step back from managing every detail

Families and young adults anywhere in Pennsylvania, from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to the small towns of the northern tier, can work with one dedicated Blackburn mentor by video. Sessions are scheduled in Eastern time, three hours ahead of our Los Angeles team, with text and phone check-ins between them.

Bookended by two big cities

Pennsylvania has a large metro at each end and a lot of country in between. Philadelphia and its suburbs fill the southeast. Pittsburgh anchors the west where three rivers meet. In the middle are Harrisburg, Lancaster, York, Reading, the Lehigh Valley, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, State College and Erie on the lake, with long Appalachian ridges, farmland and forest separating them.

Crossing the state takes the better part of a day by car. For many families, especially in rural central and northern counties, a consistent local mentor is hard to find. Video makes the distance irrelevant.

What Pennsylvania runs on

Eds and meds: universities and hospital systems are among the biggest employers in both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Life sciences: pharmaceutical and biotech companies cluster in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Technology and robotics: Pittsburgh has rebuilt much of its economy around research, software and autonomous systems.
Manufacturing and logistics: still strong across the state, with large distribution centers in the Lehigh Valley and along major highways.
Energy: natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in the north and west.
Agriculture: dairy, farms in Lancaster County and mushroom growing in Chester County.

Schools and colleges without the name-dropping

Pennsylvania has hundreds of local school districts, often one per town or township, which means quality and expectations can vary a lot from one place to the next. The Philadelphia area has a deep tradition of independent and Quaker schools. For college, the state has a system of state-owned universities, several large state-related research universities, community colleges in most regions, and one of the largest concentrations of private colleges in the country.

So many colleges means many students come to Pennsylvania from other states. Plenty of Pennsylvania students also leave, often for New York, New England, the mid-Atlantic or the South.

Where a mentor fits in Pennsylvania

Parents of high schoolers

Often in competitive suburban districts or independent schools, looking for an outside adult to help with planning and motivation. A parent can join the intro call and get regular updates. See mentoring for high school students.

College students

On campuses in the state or elsewhere, needing structure in the first year or after a rough semester. See mentoring for college students.

Young adults and professionals

Starting careers in health care, pharma, tech or the trades, or living at home while they decide what is next. See young adult mentoring.

Pages for areas in Pennsylvania

How it works from Pennsylvania

Sessions are 60 minutes, weekly or several times a week. A 4 pm session in Pittsburgh is 1 pm for the mentor, and evening slots work well for professionals. Parents can read more on mentoring for families; our online mentoring page covers the details, and mentoring by state lists other states.

Growing up and starting out in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania childhoods often revolve around a hometown: the same district from kindergarten through graduation, Friday night football, and in many regions, the opening day of deer season treated almost as a school holiday. In suburbs like Lower Merion, Radnor, Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon and Central Bucks, academic and athletic competition can be intense. In the central counties and the coal region, many families have roots in manufacturing, mining and farming, and career and technical centers train students in trades alongside their regular classes. Snow piles up on the ridges and in the northern tier each winter, and summers bring trips to the Poconos, a lake cabin or the Shore.

Housing is affordable in much of the state compared with nearby New York and New Jersey, though the Philadelphia suburbs cost more and wages in rural counties can lag. Families compare state-owned universities, state-related research universities and community colleges largely on cost, and the state grant program run by the state’s long-standing higher education assistance agency helps many residents; rules change, so check the official site. Young adults in smaller cities often face the choice of staying near family or leaving for Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or out of state.

Situations Pennsylvania families and young adults often navigate

A high school student splitting the day between a career and technical center and the home high school, unsure which path to commit to.
A college student at a campus a few hours from home who drives back most weekends and never quite settles in.
A young adult in Scranton, Altoona or Erie weighing a move to one of the big metros for more opportunity.
A student athlete in a town where sports carry enormous weight and grades quietly take a back seat.
A graduate living at home on the Main Line and commuting into Center City while saving for a place.

Pennsylvania runs on Eastern time throughout, and your mentor schedules around that local hour. Sessions statewide happen over video, and in-person meetings are reserved for Los Angeles. Families considering hands-on careers can read how to choose a trade, and athletes can look at mentoring for student athletes. See also how education works state by state and our pages for Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg and Lancaster.

Common questions

Which time zone do Pennsylvania sessions use?

Eastern time, across the whole state. That is three hours ahead of Los Angeles, so after-school and evening sessions are easy to schedule.

Do you work with families in rural Pennsylvania?

Yes. Clients anywhere in the state, including small towns far from Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, work with their mentor by video.

My child is at college in Pennsylvania but we live elsewhere. Can you help?

Yes. The mentor meets the student by video on campus, and with permission keeps parents updated wherever they live.

Are mentors tutors?

No. Mentors help with goals, planning and follow-through, and can coordinate with a tutor a family already uses.

Get started

Would it help to talk about someone in Pennsylvania? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.

Last updated November 2, 2026.

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Online Mentoring and Coaching in Pennsylvania