The Pittsburgh Project

Target demographics: youth and families and homeowners

Direct beneficiaries per year: 250 students and their families, 12 city homeowners

Geographic areas served: City of Pittsburgh, with special emphasis on the city's North Side neighborhoods

Programs: The Pittsburgh Project (TPP) is a faith-based community development organization with a mission to "share hope, empower youth and build community." After-school program participants receive academic support through daily homework tutoring. In elementary programming, there is a focus on non-traditional learning, and students are provided with time for play-based learning as well as regular access to an on-site makerspace called the DREAMlab. Students are also provided with exposure to a myriad of enrichment activities, including robotics, animation, songwriting and poetry, fashion design, woodworking, dance, fitness, worship, music studio, artificial intelligence, chess, nutrition, and world cultures. These activities pay dual dividends, providing a platform for students to learn vital skills like creative thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and perseverance and, at the same time, exposing students to things that they might not otherwise experience so that they can find their passions and better understand themselves as individuals. In addition to engaging and cognitively challenging programming, TPP also places a high value on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). The middle and high school programs have an added emphasis on mentoring, and students have classes on social justice and must participate in at least 20 hours of service during the after-school and summer programs. The Leaders-In-Training high school program is a job training and college preparation program. Students are offered employment at TPP to work as assistants with the elementary and middle school programs, caring for the buildings/grounds or in the kitchen. LITs also receive training in life skills such as cooking and financial literacy. Students are eligible for small scholarships if they successfully complete the LIT program. The Pittsburgh Project is a Program Administrator for the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Homeowner Assistance Program. This program gives forgivable loans up to $35,000 for low income homeowners in the city of Pittsburgh to cover much needed repairs. Our role is to be the liaison between the contractor, homeowner and URA to ensure a great project for all. We are also expanding this community outreach program to involve volunteers to do smaller jobs for these homeowners. We have received a Community Development Block Grant from the City that will allow us to provide on going assistance to these homeowners by way of lawn care, painting, trash removal and other small jobs. The URA only does major repairs and many other small projects will bless these homeowners and connect them to caring community members.