Mission:

Improving the education and opportunities of African-American and lower income families through strategic partnerships with community and faith-based organizations.

Vision:

By 2013, we envision thriving children, families and communities anchored by a network of accountable, collaborative community, educational and faith organizations.

Calendar

02/15/2010–02/16/2010
PDE Basic Tutor Credential
Monday and Tuesday, February 15 and 16 – 10AM to 1PM (must attend both days)
Must watch training videos first.

02/17/2010
Secrets of Parent Engagement
Guest Speaker Tara King, Schenley Heights Community Development Program
Wednesday, February 17 – 11AM to 1PM

02/23/2010
How to Make Homework Engaging
Guest speaker Karen Brooks, Reese Carnegie Library
Tuesday, February 23 – 10AM to 12PM

03/02/2010
5 Areas of Reading
Tuesday, March 2 – 10AM to 12PM

03/03/2010
Parent Engagement and Interaction
Wednesday, March 3 – 11AM to 1PM

News

No current news articles are available.

Bank of NY Mellon Day of Caring

On October 7, 2008, a wonderful group of 11 Bank of NY Mellon volunteers took time out of their very busy schedules to invest in the futures of Pittsburgh Peabody students. The BNYM volunteers teamed up with the Community LEARNS program staff to freshen up the classrooms and computer lab at the Mt. Ararat Community Activity Center location.

Community LEARNS is a partnership between Wireless Neighborhoods, Bloomfield Garfield Corporation and Mt. Ararat Community Activity Center. Each day, Community LEARNS serves approximately 50 high school students at this site, located in the City's Larimer neighborhood. The program provides academics, recreation and support services to students six days per week throughout the school year and over the summer. Many of the students in the program live in neighborhoods negatively impacted by the affects of poverty. Death, drugs, single parent families, and much of the despair that accompany poverty are a far too real part of the lives of far too many of the Community LEARNS program participants. Regrettably, many of the young people, as is the case for lower income and African-American students across the nation, are struggling academically. In many cases, the young people are multiple years behind grade level and at significant risk of not graduating from high school. The program provides them with a safe, supportive environment each day with lots of academic support; healthy, constructive recreation opportunities; connections with positive, caring and nurturing adults; and now, because of the efforts of the BNYM volunteers, wonderful, inspiring program spaces.

Maria, Amaris (Go Schenley!), Celease, Damon (Mighty Commodores), Kenika, Larry, Pricilla, Marlene, Robin, and Marlene donned their blue jeans, tennis shoes and BNYM tee shirts and got down to work painting classrooms, computer labs and other program spaces used by participants each day. By the end of the day, the Community Activity Center had been transformed. The impact that the renovations have had on the program and its young people is tangible. Inspired learning is strongly supported by inspired environments. BNYM gave this enduring gift of fresh new spaces and new friendships to Community LEARNS. It is easy for those of us in social service to care about our young people and their families. We know them and get to experience all the joys and challenges with them every day. It is heartening to all of us to know that such caring and compassionate people exist in our Pittsburgh community.