MAIN ST

Results: A major success for Main ST is having staff who are veterans in providing STEM/STEAM learning and youth development for Allegheny County youth. With over 20 years’ experience, our team has successfully worked for and with several schools and organizations to improve youth STEM knowledge and skills. Main ST lead Creative Directors are former Urban League youth participants and staff, who, as a result of their youth development and STEM learning experiences, are now experts in the local multimedia industry (https://www.deloje.com/pulsus-digital). Some the accomplishments that Main ST staff have achieved when working for other youth organizations include 1. Developing, coordinating, and staffing summer programming for the Legacy Arts Project, including summer camp, Learn and Earn summer youth employment artist apprenticeship program, and stop motion animation programming for summer camp and the Woodland Hills 21st Century after school programming 2. Development and coordination of the Urban League’s TECH U STEM learning for a. middle school youth in the Pittsburgh Public Schools Summer Dreamers Academy b. high school youth in video game development c. high school youth in Comcast Digital Connectors Program; and d. middle school girls in STEM Girlz program at Propel Schools 3. Providing Out of school programming support for Assemble Additionally, many of these STEM programming created by Main ST staff that continue to operate. Programming that continues to this day includes: • Propel schools STEM Girlz - http://www.propelschools.org/003-summer-programming/ • Legacy Arts Project’s Teaching Artist Apprenticeship • Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Tech U (Techno Teens and Digital Connectors) - http://ulpgh.org/programs/economic-self-reliance/tech-u/ Another major success is that partnerships established through our work for other organizations have transcended the years, as well as transitioned to our new roles at Main ST. This is because these partnerships are based on shared purpose and vision as well as our partners’ trust and confidence in our ability to implement quality impactful programming. Partnerships with schools - Pittsburgh Public School Out of School Time Partner, Propel Charter School Partner, City High Charter School Partner. Partnerships with other youth serving organizations – Legacy Arts Project, Assemble Major strategic accomplishments in 2021 were • Awarded a $48,944 grant from Heinz Endowments to conduct Tech Innovation summer programming in Hazelwood • expanding the board by recruiting 3 more members • Establishment of an Advisory Board • Designing of two curricula that correlate to PA educational standards • Designing of evaluation tools • Conducting 2021 summer programming in two communities (Hazelwood and Homewood) that served over 20 campers • Finalizing the structural format for We Are Open • Expanding initial fund development plan • Creating a Main ST website (www.themainstreet.org) • Finalizing Tech Innovation

Target demographics: 1) build creative and technical capacity of underrepresented enterprises as a means of improving their impact and reach in order to equitably, economically, and culturally strengthen our communities; and 2) advance work equity by training, coaching, and mentoring a new generation of underrepresented youth to be work ready through STEAM Programming.

Direct beneficiaries per year: 21 Propel Charter school students, 51 Legacy Arts Project youth, and 3 small businesses.

Geographic areas served: The Greater Pittsburgh area

Programs: - We Are Open services that addresses the historical barriers to resources that help black business owners and organizational leaders equitably compete, and - Tech Innovation that addresses the obstacles that impede minority youth’s ability to compete in a workforce that is still not diverse.