Community Impact: Career and School Readiness
STricklAnd Research Training
From medical assistant students to Pitt-trained clinical research staff. Diversifying the Pitt research workforce. Providing new research career opportunities to underrepresented and second career community members. These are the goals of the STricklAnd Research Training (START) program, a collaboration between Pitt’s Clinical and Translation Science Institute (CTSI) and the Bidwell Training Center.
Manufacturing Assistance Center
Skilled workers are the most critical element of successful companies. But the barriers to entering the manufacturing industry are often a challenge for individuals who may lack the education or experience. The Manufacturing Assistance Center (MAC) has been breaking those barriers since it was established in 1994, providing machinist trade training for those interested in changing careers or entering the manufacturing industry.
Just Discipline Project
What if we changed the culture surrounding school discipline? Would it lead to improved student outcomes and overall school performance? The Just Discipline Project is a research-to-practice initiative designed to both advance achievement for all students and reduce racial discipline disparities by implementing and evaluating school-based relational climate and restorative practice programs across the region.
College in High School
Housed within the Dietrich School, the College in High School program, which is the largest and oldest program of its kind in Pennsylvania and one of only two accredited programs in the state, enables high school students to earn both high school and Pitt credit in courses taught right in their classrooms—within a supportive high school environment and at a fraction of the cost of normal tuition.
HealthyCHILD
If you visit the Office of Child Development’s HealthyCHILD office any day of the week during the school year, you are likely to find an empty space. This is because the program team, which helps early educators and families build their capacity to promote children’s social-emotional development, is out providing support directly in the community.
Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education
For young children of color, having a positive racial identity means feeling good about one’s physical features, heritage, history and culture. The Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education program is an early childhood program developed in 2017 in the Office of Child Development that supports the positive racial identity development of young Black children aged 0 to 8.
S.T.E.A.M. Saturday
S.T.E.A.M. Saturday is a collection of educational programs delivered by Pitt students and offered to third- through eighth-grade students at the Hill District Community Engagement Center. The program aims to increase confidence, problem-solving skills, technology skills and interest in STEAM careers through engaging lessons and hands-on experiences.
Pitt Sustainability: The Efficiency Network
In 2021, the Pittsburgh Public School’s Allegheny Traditional Academy got an energy makeover. With new lighting, updated plumbing features, a solar water heater and more, not only was the school now equipped with the tools to be more energy efficient, but students also were able to power their own minds through a partnership with The Efficiency Network (TEN) and the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation (MCSI).
Pitt Prison Education Project
The Pitt Prison Education Project’s 20 courses, which feature small class sizes and include both incarcerated students and Pitt undergraduates, are modeled on the Inside-Out prison exchange program that enables incarcerated and non-incarcerated people to encounter one another simply as fellow students. Since 2016, the program’s emphasis on collaborative learning invites people on both sides of prison walls to learn by applying diverse experiences to a shared topic of study.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Pitt
Established at Pitt in 2005 and one of 125 Osher Lifelong Learning Instutute's (OLLI) located on college campuses throughout the United States, OLLI at Pitt offers more than 350 enriching courses, lectures, tours and other opportunities for social interaction and engagement throughout the year to adults aged 50 or better.
PittEnrich
Loud and lively are the best ways to describe a typical Saturday at the Homewood Community Engagement Center (CEC). In partnership with The Gismondi Foundation, PittEnrich uses a unique blend of in-school tutoring and Saturday learning-through-play sessions to help Homewood students improve their reading and math skills.
Public Health Science Academy
Launched in 2022, the Public Health Science Academy (PHSA) immerses 11th- and 12th-grade Pittsburgh Public Schools students in research projects that address pressing public health issues. Students are matched with faculty mentors who shepherd them through the scientific process, culminating in a research symposium where they present their findings to family members, mentors and educators.