The Pittsburgh Study K-3rd grade 3Rs: Reading, Racial Equity, Relationships
As part of the Pittsburgh Study, a community-driven intervention study to enhance youth thriving, The Early School Age Cohort has developed a new literacy initiative focused on reading, racial equity, and relationships for kindergarten - 3rd grade students in Allegheny County.
The 3Rs Initiative uses a 4-strand approach to support the entire early literacy ecosystem by working with families, classroom teachers, community organizations, and local leaders. A foundational tenet of the 3Rs is that high-quality literacy experiences are inextricably linked to living in an equitable society and having strong relationships between children, adults, and organizations. The 3Rs team believes that enhancing children’s literacy experiences begins with partnering with adults. We have two main strategies for creating meaningful opportunities for adults to develop their knowledge and practices around reading, racial equity, and relationships: (1) Picture Books and (2) Communities of Practice.
Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh Youth Art Program (BCAP YAP)
This partnership was forged by Pitt students, many of whom are first-generation immigrants and first- generation American college students, with the goal to strengthen the Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh (BCAP). BCAP consists of Bhutanese and Nepali refugees and is one of the largest and most cohesive immigrant organizations in Pittsburgh. 2022 will be the third year of this partnership and we will not only expand on our existing work, but actively ensure that this partnership will remain strong for upcoming years.
This BCAP Youth Art Program (BCAP YAP) provides services to an underserved population while directly and indirectly combating social issues like racism and inequality. During the pandemic, students received irregular and disrupted education. Groups like refugees and immigrants already are at a disadvantage and do not have access to “luxuries” like music and art. BCAP YAP fills in these gaps and provides additional enrichment to an underserved demographic.
BCAP YAP exemplifies the ideals of both the University of Pittsburgh and BCAP. All individuals involved in this partnership want to empower the next generation of young students while supporting their families in any way possible.
The Allegheny County Policing Project
The ACPP team is made up of a subset of members from Grief to Action (G2A), a working group at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Analytical Approaches in Social Innovation (CAASI). Grief to Action started in the summer of 2020 in the wake of George Floyd's murder to use data analysis to address structural racism in Pittsburgh and beyond. The aim of the ACPP project is to bring more transparency to the police accountability process at the local level.