Literacy Pittsburgh strives to deliver educational programming that creates stronger career outcomes for our students. Our College Pathways program will ensure that students seeking to attend college can successfully transition from Literacy Pittsburgh classes to college, persist to completion, and build their careers.
Our vision is that all students with a higher education goal will effectively navigate a pathway to college because they understand the process, master aligned coursework, and utilize Literacy Pittsburgh's support services to help them. Similarly, partner institutions will be invested and well-positioned to support Literacy Pittsburgh students throughout the application, admission, and persistence process.
To ensure that the College Pathways courses will deliver on what students want, Literacy Pittsburgh's Program Improvement Team surveyed students with college-going goals. Next, several focus groups were held to identify students' concerns and interests about going to college. The team then met with enrollment and student services staff at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), Point Park University, and Carlow University to understand common needs and necessary skills for their students. This information was incorporated into our College Pathways coursework. Staff from these institutions also offered to help deliver parts of the courses and host workshops.
Based on the information gathered, Literacy Pittsburgh will launch three new courses for students over the next several months: Thinking about College, Preparing for College, and Digital Skills for College. These classes will be offered as a series, but students can take one or all. Additionally, Literacy Pittsburgh will host a college fair on May 7 for students to talk to representatives from CCAC, Carlow University, Point Park University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Partner schools will present sections of the new classes and be available to talk to students. Each enrolled student will work with a Literacy Pittsburgh staff member or volunteer mentor throughout the process. Other college-related workshops will be offered to students to help them with topics such as filling out the FAFSA, going on a campus visit, accessing various services at a college, and more. The Literacy Pittsburgh team will continue collecting student feedback to improve the programming. It will track student progress in applying to, entering, and persisting in higher education.
If you are interested in learning more or becoming a mentor, please reach out to Miguel Diaz, Program Coordinator, at mdiaz@literacypittsburgh.org or Lori Como, Chief Program Officer, at lcomo@literacypittsburgh.org.
Literacy Pittsburgh (formerly Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council) helps create better lives through learning. Recognized as a national leader in adult and family literacy, Literacy Pittsburgh is the largest provider of adult basic education in Allegheny and Beaver Counties. Last year, Literacy Pittsburgh helped more than 4,000 individuals acquire the skills needed to reach their fullest potential in life and participate productively in their communities. Literacy Pittsburgh provides free, personalized instruction in workforce readiness, high school diploma test preparation, digital literacy, English language learning, math, reading, and family literacy through one-to-one and small class instruction. Founded in 1982, it serves local adults through numerous neighborhood locations and its Downtown Pittsburgh Learning Center.
