StoriED (Today & One Day)

StoriED is an organization formed for the purposes of The advancement of education through listening to the humanistic stories of teachers and students working to reimagine education and eliminate prejudice. This project connects our educators of today, our pre-service educators of tomorrow and our students in the city of Pittsburgh through stories. Stories of diverse educators today inspire our future educators of tomorrow who, in turn, empower diverse students and their stories via literacy support, identity, criticality and joy. Three stories. One belief. Literacy heals the landscape.

For our educators of Today …

StoriED began with our teacher storytelling platform in 2020. It continues to share powerful stories of diverse Pittsburgh educators to inspire future generations, lift up the profession and build bridges of empathy. This project transcends across school districts and grade levels, opening new windows into the field. We hope to continue to recognize diverse educators who are working to insert humanity back into education, and transform the field in regards to diversity, equity and inclusion. Educators are continuing to leave the field at an alarming rate, and this organization wishes to recognize the stories that often go unnoticed and encourage future educators into the field.

For our educators of One Day…

StoriED hopes to begin collecting pre-service educator stories from The University of Pittsburgh and surrounding universities, as we work together to provide culturally responsive literacy lessons and literacy tutoring services to students residing in the city of Pittsburgh. Utilizing a mirror (identity), window (perspectives of others) and bridge (action) framework, students will work to create culturally affirming environments, inclusive literacy lessons grounded in the science of reading and Saturday programming focusing on diverse, authentic literature and Gholdy Muhammad’s five literacy pillars-identity, joy, criticality, skills and intellect.

For our students and future global change makers…

Students are our future change makers and global leaders. With this knowledge, we understand that literacy is a right. Giving our students the power to read and write empowers identity, culture and voice. We use stories to accomplish our goals. We use stories to improve our futures. Our students deserve to find joy in reading and use their own stories to advocate for social change.

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Tabitha’s Daughters

the project

“If you empower women, you can change the world.” Tabitha’s Daughters believes this assertion.

Where women gather to transform an issue or challenge, you will find our stories of strength, resilience, and determination. We want to change Pittsburgh! In order to change our city – a city where women, and especially African-American women are living with health, educational, housing, and economic disparities that are ” the worst in the nation,” (based on the Gender Equity Commission Report of 2019), women must be a part of the solutions for change. In a city which claims to be the “most livable city in America,” women must force change in political, social, educational, and economic systems that impede our progress and keep us from participating in the growing prosperity of Pittsburgh.

Our project is a social justice initiative where women of all ages and ethnicities are invited to be a part of the transformational change that needs to happen in Pittsburgh. Using the Gender Equity Commission Report as the framework, we will gather to analyze and honestly discuss this report, choose an indicator to attack, and build an initiative that will improve, via one of the 5 indicators, the living standard of women in our city. This project will involve 3-4 mini symposiums where experts will assist us in being a part of what must change in our city.

the steps

Training the Trainers – Interactions that will employ techniques and strategies to train those who will lead the discussion group and build the strategies for affecting the negative indicators affecting women.

1st Mini – Symposium – Collaborating with experts on the Gender Equity Commisison Report that can lead the women who gather to understand and unpack the report.

2nd Mini- Symposium – Group “table talks” on what the report means to the women mentioned in the report (African-American, Latina, Asian, & Euro-American women)

3rd Mini- Symposium – Choosing one of the 6 indicators (health mortality, infant mortality, educational, housing, economic) to build a strategy of improvement and impact around. Building out an initiative that partners with collaborators to continue to work the program and promote change.

why we’re doing it

Tabitha’s Daughters believes the “future is female.” Women, who occupy more space on the globe than men, must be moved to leadership positions that allow us to be a part of our own solution. Our project, through the information provided in the Gender Equity Commission report, allows women to take ahold of our own future. This report gives us the problems and challenges; now, Tabitha’s Daughters wants to build out solutions to create equity within our city for women who live, work, worship, and support their families.

Our project will ultimately be a solution to the statistics housed in the Gender Equity Commission report through concerted action. Whether educational, health, housing, or economic disparities, we will work one of these indicators to viable solutions and affect change in the city. We believe that small groups can make a difference and this project is constructed to make that difference.

source: https://ioby.org/project/tabithas-daughters-framing-future

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STEM Leadership Center

The STEM Leadership Center offers a space and support for youth in grades 6-16 to pursue real-world projects in science and technology. The Center works with our Odyssey Fellows to partner with leaders around the world seeking to solve the real problems, to make meaningful projects possible, and to stoke the fires of what makes them passionate imagineers of a more beautiful world. Fellows tell the stories of today’s scientific and technological breakthroughs through published books, web resources, electronics prototypes, YouTube videos, games, virtual and augmented realities, and mobile apps. Odyssey Fellows, with the help of our project managers, take their creations to regional and national STEM competitions, science fairs and maker faires.

We accept donations to support those fellows whose families cannot afford the monthly lab access fees. Donors may choose which fellowships to direct their monies to:

Current fellowships include:

Heroes of Math: Promoting a new Heroes of Math Medal for school to 3D print and award annually to a student of their choice. heroesofmath.weebly.com/
Charging into the Future: Investigating advances in battery technology of Electric Vehicles. chargingintothefuture.weebly.com/
4 Step Robotics: Prototyping a robotic kitten for use in Alzheimer’s research and treatment. 4steprobotics.weebly.com/
River Robots: Programming solutions to Ohio River water pollution riverrobots.weebly.com/
Bridge Builders of Tomorrow: Looking at new tech in bridge building and repair. bridgebuildersoftomorrow.weebly.com/
Into Words: Online Workshops and meetings centered around teaching effective communication skills. intowordsclub.weebly.com/
Catching RFID Waves: Celebrating RFID Tech and the IoT catchingrfidwaves.weebly.com/
Taking Root: Building a text based choose your own adventure Python game centered around the life of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Awardee Wangari Mathai.

Fellowships continue throughout the year. Any royalties or profits are donated to charities chosen by each fellowship.

Contact Information
stemleadershipcenter.com

Grow Sto-Rox

Grow Sto-Rox envisions a safe, healthy and prosperous Sto-Rox community where every resident has the tools, resources, and opportunities to succeed and move from poverty to prosperity. They collaborate with the community, other organizations, and stakeholders to improve the lives of Sto-Rox residents across all social determinants of health.

“We are a collective of organizations who are committed to help Sto-Rox residents build better lives. We believe that poverty can be eradicated, and opportunity gaps can be filled to create an interconnected Sto-Rox community where people can live full lives. We can all experience health, education and economic prosperity. That’s why we use a community-based, trauma informed, strength-based approach and measure outcomes to monitor the health and needs of the community.”

GOALS

Listen to the community
Provide access to resources
Advocate with the community
Collaborate with the community
Fund opportunities and programs

STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS

Identify community needs, serving as an incubator and accelerator for programming led by partners
Connect community to resources & opportunities
Monitor community indicators and collaborate across organizations

BACKGROUND

The Sto-Rox community is composed of the racially-diverse, Pittsburgh rust belt communities of Stowe Township and McKees Rocks Borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. In 2014, an Allegheny County Department of Human Services study ranked Sto-Rox as a “Distressed Community”– the highest designation of rural and suburban poverty based on the number of single-mother households, unemployed males, housing vacancy and transportation scarcity. The Sto-Rox School District (SRSD), serving approximately 1,500 students 100% of whom qualify for free-and-reduced price lunch, has historically been one of the lowest performing school districts in Pennsylvania, known for significant gaps in digital access and struggles with charter school competition.

Despite these challenges the Sto-Rox community has many resources: over 10 Early Childhood Educational facilities, 5 Out-of-School (OST) providers, an active Community Development Corporation (MRCDC), revitalizing business and manufacturing bases, and a strong anchor human services organization (FOR) which runs a Community Resource Center and a powerhouse community arts center.

In 2014, when faced with budget and capacity constraints, SRSD called on local organizations to support critical youth and family programming. In response, the McKees Rocks CDC (MRCDC), Focus on Renewal (FOR) and over 15 other local organizations convened to form the “Sto-Rox Youth Partnership,” (SRYP) aimed at improving outcomes for youth and families. The SRSD and community partnered with Communities In Schools Pittsburgh – Allegheny County (CISPAC) to help guide the vision and resources. In 2017, the MRCDC, FOR, SRSD and CISPAC strengthened the efforts of the SRYP by forming an executive level steering committee and identifying key focus areas to support the work happening on the ground.

Concurrently, the McKees Rocks CDC (MRCDC) and Focus on Renewal (FOR) partnered with New Sun Rising (NSR) in 2016 to lead the development of a revisioning and activation plan while more deeply engaging the Sto-Rox community. The plan emphasized the voices and empowerment of stakeholders throughout the process, with special attention to underrepresented citizens. Building upon this research and feedback on the community’s development priorities, NSR, MRCDC, and FOR facilitated the Ignite Sto-Rox startup workshop in 2017 to identify local social entrepreneurs and provided ongoing intensive development support to 10 organizations through the Launch Sto-Rox incubator in 2018.

Building upon this period of increased collaboration throughout the community, New Sun Rising (NSR) began to meet with stakeholders to identify opportunities for transformational collective impact. Existing workforce and economic development assets were numerous but disconnected, including: Youth Workforce programs, Adult Workforce programs, plans to establish an “Opportunity Campus”, developing a light manufacturing and coworking space, and most importantly a commitment to prioritize community outreach and engagement to vulnerable residents in all decisions.

In August 2019, the Grow Sto-Rox founding partners first met as a collaborative and committed to increase their efficacy by fully embracing the tenants of collective impact planning as it works to improve the quality of life of Sto-Rox residents through trauma informed, strength-based programs that improve the equitable economic future of the community. The founding partners acknowledged that this work is not possible without building trust, engaging the community, eliminating locally defined disparities, developing a culture of continuous improvement, and leveraging existing assets.

In acknowledgement of this shared vision and commitment, the Grow Sto-Rox collaborative was accepted into the inaugural year of The Forbes Funds C3 (Catalyst Community Cohort) program in late 2019. The C3 program provides funding and mentorship that will serve to advance the collaborative’s planning and capacity building efforts as they move towards implementation. GSR offered professional training to community members and providers, then incubated the Affinity Circles program with a goal to break the cycle of generational poverty. During this 8-week cohort, residents learn to address trauma and social-emotional needs by prioritizing individual health & wellbeing and financial literacy, better preparing over 70 people (as of June 2023) to take advantage of opportunities to pursue a thriving wage.

Another barrier to eliminating poverty is the prevalence of violent crime in Sto-Rox. Statistics from the FBI show that our communities have the worst per capita violent crime rate in Pennsylvania. In response, community partners led by Focus on Renewal are collaborating on three evidence-based models in the development of a Community Violence Reduction Plan. When the Hay’s Manor public housing development was identified as a potential HUD Choice Neighborhoods Initiative project, community partners mobilized to engage and support residents in their goal of affordable, safe, and healthy living spaces.

TRAUMA INFORMED, STRENGTHS-BASED

The founding partners of the Grow Sto-Rox collaborative believed that the community’s goals can only be achieved by implementing solutions which are Trauma informed and Strengths-based. Initial activities include training and community engagement on developing these two competencies – as well as systemic racism education.

Trauma informed is realizing that every individual’s experience results in varying levels of trauma that plays a big role in how they respond to everyday interactions. People develop masks to hide the fact that they are traumatized. In community, these masks manifest in real ways, such as mental health with addiction, indifference in hyper masculinity, and false confidence hiding fear in educators. Trauma-informed approaches allow you to take your own mask off and engage with the real person. Being vulnerable and recognizing that trauma is manifesting in another human being provides people with a different experience, avoiding the reinforcement of their current mental model. Providers must be aware of our own triggers, levels of chronic stress, and ability to avoid escalation by reframing conversations. Dealing with trauma has been relatively absent in our community and is critical for people to move into strengths-based approaches and ultimately, equitable economic growth.

Strengths-based means genuinely getting to know the people that you are working with and valuing that their knowledge and experience can be used to help them reach their goals. Providers, leaders, and peers must develop the ability to truly meet people where they are at – sometimes that can mean admiring people for just showing up. People who are caught in generational poverty are made to feel less important than others. In order to break this cycle we must understand what success looks like to each individual, help them to see their strengths, and build upon them. People who feel powerless need to be given options and have the opportunity to share how they feel. By facilitating a greater understanding and practice of strengths-based approaches throughout the broader community, Grow Sto-Rox will help to lift the power of individuals in poverty to participate in their own growth. Not by leading, but by following their lead.

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Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid

Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid provides resources and community support to low-wage restaurant and hospitality workers who have lost financial, housing, food, and healthcare security. Built as a coalition of service industry workers in response to the economic distress caused by COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, our goal is to create a mutual aid network that can address immediate needs, through this crisis and beyond, by distributing food, baby necessities, pet care items, cleaning and hygiene products, and small emergency cash grants.

In response to the closure of dine-in facilities in Allegheny County on March 15th, we partnered with the Irma Freeman Center in Garfield to set up the Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid Food Distribution Center. Since then, we have delivered close to 400 care packages to the front doors of low-wage restaurant workers in the region, from our next door neighbors to folks in neighboring counties. Our Food Distribution Center acts as a hub to collect donations from community members and partner organizations, assemble care packages, serve meals, allow neighbors to pick up groceries, and send out volunteer drivers with deliveries. These resources will aid low-wage neighbors to maintain food security for themselves and their families during times of need.

Through reaching out to our greater community for support, the folks who eat at our tables and celebrate at our bars, the communities around us that benefit from the vibrant culture created in our dining rooms and on our stages, we will be able to better recover from these hard times and welcome our guests back with open arms.

The Partnership Network (TPN)

The Partnership Network (TPN) is a group of intermediary funders and/or capacity building organizations working to mobilize the community and economic development sectors in the Pittsburgh region. TPN creates the conditions for change by solving complex community challenges at the macro, meso, and micro levels of our communities. Partner organizations include Grounded Strategies, Neighborhood Allies, NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania, PACE, and New Sun Rising .

Collectively, TPN is focused on building capacity for community leaders to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). TPN members, and as a collective group, work at both the organization and resident-level with a commitment to being people-centered in their work. In order to achieve this goal the members have agreed to the implement the following practices which are critical to how they will manage their intra-network relationships and expectations:

Aligning resources
Creating transparency
Articulating shared outcomes

NSR Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund (the “Fund”) provides up to $5,000 to small businesses and nonprofits who demonstrate critical economic needs as a result of unemployment or underemployment due to the COVID-19 crisis.

NSR is committed to increasing data sharing and transparency. Please click the Fund Overview image to learn more about applicants, funded organizations, and community needs supported. Special thanks to the generous and timely support of the Hillman Foundation for providing $100,000 in seed funding. Applications are currently closed due to depletion of funds. If you are interested to contribute or partner, please email vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org or consider making a donation.

Successful applicants receive funds and technical assistance by selecting between two options:

Loan Repayment. Organizations who do not elect the Loan Forgiveness option will enter into a standard loan agreement (0% interest, 3 year term, 6 month no payments)
Vibrancy Corps (Loan Forgiveness). Organizations that elect to participate in the Vibrancy Corps are eligible for full loan forgiveness. The Vibrancy Corps requires organizations to make a 1-3 month commitment to use funds to implement projects which address community needs. Failure to complete a final report of Vibrancy Corps activity will result in a default to the Loan Repayment option.
- Create Impact. Use your organization’s products, services, or staff to address a validated community need, improve public health and safety, or help other organizations to improve their operations or generate income during COVID-19 recovery. Positive community impacts of your work should be reasonably expected within 30 days. Note: Vibrancy Corps activity will be reported as 1099 activity for individuals and for-profit businesses, and as an award to non-profits.
- Connect. Attend a 1-hour phone or online weekly support meeting with other Corps members. Provide photos of you and your team doing this work so we can amplify your organization through our media channels.
- Be Flexible. We encourage flexibility, creativity, and adaptiveness when proposing Vibrancy Corps projects. Organizations will have the opportunity to share high level details in the program application.

Fund availability is contingent upon available financial resources. New Sun Rising reserves the right to adapt Fund goals at any time to reflect the emerging nature of community needs.

ELIGIBILITY, APPLICATION, + DETERMINATION

Nonprofits, for profit businesses, social enterprises, and cooperatives in Allegheny and Beaver County, are all eligible to apply. New Sun Rising reserves the right to prioritize support for organizations who have previously participated in our programs. Organizations are not eligible if they have received Crisis Mitigation Relief Funds in the last 12 months, are seeking support for candidate campaigns or other partisan activity, leadership transitions, or start up costs.

Applications to the Fund are to be completed online or, if technology creates a barrier, through an application interview scheduled by emailing vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. All applicants are vetted by a diverse Fund Committee, composed of New Sun Rising staff and community representatives, following the Selection Criteria.

Initial application deadline has passed on April 3rd. Applications received by 11:59PM on the deadline dates will receive a notification of their status within one week. Additional dates will be communicated through the New Sun Rising website (newsunrising.org) and social media accounts as determined by fund availability.

SUPPORT

As part of the Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund, New Sun Rising and program partners will also provide recipients with support services and educational opportunities. This could include topics such as operations, human resources, finances, and leadership resilience to support organizations through the crisis. Peer support will occur through weekly Vibrancy Corps check ins.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Due to the rapid response nature of this Fund and evolving community conditions, the following criteria will be used to guide due diligence. All decisions will be made by a diverse Fund Committee, including New Sun Rising staff and community representatives, according to the NSR Vibrancy Score Rubric and prioritized using the following criteria:

Values: Organizations who demonstrate a commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion throughout their staff, the people they serve, and community partners that are most impacted by racial and economic inequities will be prioritized. (e.g. communities of color, immigrants, refugees, formerly incarcerated residents, youth, low-wage workers, people with disabilities, low-income residents, LGBTQ community members, etc.)
Need: Organizations who demonstrate a critical need for funds due to unemployment or underemployment since the COVID-19 breakout will be prioritized.
Impact: Organizations who have products or services that serve basic human needs, public health and safety, or help other organizations to operate virtually or generate income will be prioritized. Operations must occur within publicly accepted and government mandated public health and safety standards.

Applications Currently Closed

The Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund is made possible through the responsive and extraordinary support of the Henry L. Hillman Foundation. Please consider a donation to help us support more organizations and leaders through this crisis.

Beltzhoover Institute for Arts & Sciences

“Through science, we shall know it to be correct; through art, we shall know it to be beautiful”

The South Hilltop Men’s Group is a non-profit project of New Sun Rising, directed by Beltzhoover native, Jmar Bey. Their mission is to promote environmental protection through community training programs that use sustainable practices. With a broader goal to create hope and opportunity for those who have none. Since 2015, the South Hilltop Men’s Group has been working to support the responsible and inclusive revitalization of Beltzhoover.

BIAS Beltzhoover Institute for Arts & Sciences Byte-Sized Data Story Report 02.2025 - FINAL (1)

In order to address widespread problems like blight and abandonment, lack of resources, and excessive unemployment while preserving and developing assets within the community, New Sun Rising and the South Hilltop Men’s Group acquired 600 Beltzhoover Ave on November 1, 2019 to become the eventual Beltzhoover Institute of Arts & Sciences. The proposed renovation will be led by the South Hilltop Men’s Group, creating a hub for revitalization and local jobs while addressing environmental issues. Allegheny County Economic Development has approved a $250,000 CITF grant. City of Pittsburgh $100,000 NIF, and Federal Community Project Funding Grant of $428,064 to support the initial phase of work.

The building is strategically located along Beltzhoover Avenue, a major artery that connects McKinley Park and Emerald View Park, serving as a hub for learning, training, and creativity and connecting related projects along an eco-corridor. To support work in combating blight the project will be anchored by two departments: the Wangari Maathai Environmental Laboratory and an Art Studio. Together, these departments will provide space and opportunities for residents to become engaged in the revitalization of the community.

The Wangari Maathai Environmental Laboratory will provide space for equipment, research, and education on urban environmental topics, focusing on green space management. The Laboratory is named after Wangari Maathai, who became the first African woman and first environmentalist to receive a Nobel Peace prize. Maathai studied at the University of Pittsburgh and later founded the Green Belt Movement, which creates employment to combat deforestation through sustainable practices. The Laboratory will be located on the same block as the Lots of Pride experimental research garden. This project is actively testing various methods for soil remediation using sustainable, low-cost techniques. The strategically located site provides outdoor practical research space that will be supported by the Laboratory.

In addition to the laboratory and art studio, this building will feature green infrastructure and sustainable technologies which will also serve as educational tools, as the building itself will be transformed into a living classroom. For example, a rooftop greenhouse will be used to incubate plants for the various neighborhood community gardens. Stormwater will be captured for irrigation and cleaning on the property. A 2,000 gallon fish tank will display Pennsylvania’s native fish species and spread awareness about the importance of wildlife management. Solar energy will be used to power lighting or other equipment. Mesh networking will be used to provide free internet access to project participants and local residents. All of these various components serve multiple purposes with education and awareness at the heart of it all.

The importance of this project isn’t just about rehabbing a building. The importance of this project is about resurrecting a neighborhood and bringing hope to a broken community. This building serves as a metaphoric symbol of our neighborhood. Battered and blighted it stands as one of the last commercial buildings left, in a once beautiful and proud area. A once happy community full of friendly people and thriving businesses. A safe place for children with a good school and good neighbors. The kind of place to raise a family in.

ReEngage Conference

ReEngage is a live conference that inspires and empowers veterans to embrace their post-military purpose, connect to resources within their communities, and take the next step towards their greatest potential. It also provides an opportunity for community members to connect to the veterans around them and better understand their journeys.

The inaugural conference will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at the Heinz History Center in the Strip District. There will be interactive breakout sessions, dynamic panel discussions, and motivational keynote speakers, including Pittsburgh Steelers legend and Vietnam war veteran, Rocky Bleier.

ReEngage is honored to partner with the following organizations for the 2020 conference: Veterans Breakfast Club, The Mission Continues, Veterans Leadership Program, Pittsburgh Hires Veterans, Operation Homefront, Adventures in Training with a Purpose, The Vet Center, Robert Morris University’s Center for Veterans and Military Families, and Duquesne University’s Office for Military and Veteran Students.

NOMA PGH

Our Project Pipeline Programming is designed to provide educational and mentoring opportunities for minority students as they matriculate through grade school, college, and the process of becoming licensed architects upon graduation.

We currently facilitate education programs for youth in Middle & High School through our annual architecture camp and design workshops. Providing students with exposure to architecture at a young age gives each child an opportunity to discover their artistic and technical passions early in their educational development. Students, parents, teachers, and counselors can then place students in classes that will build on the student’s interest in architecture and design.

As our older students enter college, we provide mentoring opportunities, portfolio reviews, and job shadowing experiences to give students a chance to walk a day in the shoes of an architect. We also encourage college students to join or even start a local NOMAS student chapter at their respective colleges and universities.

After college, we support emerging professionals through the Architectural Registration Exams by providing access to study materials, mentoring and study cohort groups. Our Licensed professionals have the opportunity to serve as mentors, grow as business owners and become key players at some of Pittsburgh’s most respected architecture firms.

PGH Map Lab

PGH Map Lab is a social enterprise that empowers neighborhoods, non-profits, and municipalities to make data-driven decisions through the creation of maps, apps, and storytelling tools. We are motivated by healthy, equitable, resilient communities. It is our belief that a holistic approach to community development starts with good planning, which requires the best data possible. Our interest is to help organizations and municipalities find, use, and analyze this data to make better informed decisions.

PGH Map Lab is dedicated to enhancing the GIS capacity of individuals and organizations for the benefit of the greater good. Our vision of the Map Lab is an accessible, hand on learning space to test out innovative geospatial and data technologies. We will connect social justice, art, environment, and land use planning through the use of maps. It is our hope that these unique applications will provide clear communication and positively impacting local communities.

Day One Project

The Day One Project works to end the cycle of poverty for single parent families by providing housing, education and career support, andcommunity connections so that parents can achieve self-sufficiency and their children can succeed in school.