Community-School Involvement
Throughout our history, the Community House's intent has been to raise the level of learning in school and out. Using digital tools for production and reflection, we provide project-based learning opportunities for students in which they have a say in their own learning. Moreover, we offer hands-on problem-solving support for teachers who are seeking professional development and more creative uses of technology in the classroom.

Following from our research tradition, we aim to foster and inform learning practices that are grounded in mutuality and intercultural competence. We focus our energies on helping to build problem-solving and choice-making capacities within Pittsburgh's children and teenagers. The challenge is always to help children and young adults build strong personal identities, problem-solving strategies and deep connections to their community.

The Community House Learning Center and Carnegie Mellon University have worked together to provide Pittsburgh's teenagers with urban sanctuary for inspired learning and community action. Out of this collaboration emerged a nationally known approach to community education called Community Literacy™.

Community Literacy™ continues to contribute to a national network of activists and educators committed to renewing urban communities through demonstrating the power of learning to our children.
Visit the Community Literacy Center archives at Carnegie Mellon

Our next chapter in community-school involvement has begun with our support of the Pittsburgh Public Schools Accelerated Learning Academies and Pittsburgh’s charter schools to bring our digital curriculum to students and continuing education programs. Recently we worked with school age children in an afterschool program that focused on the issue of bullying in the schools and the War in Iraq. The students produced videos, artwork and written work reflecting their research and thoughts on the topics.
For more information on Community Literacy™, contact Dr. Wayne Peck at [email protected].

Telling our Stories - Digital Storytelling
Adolescents need to tell their stories and to craft a narrative that is a compelling and focused account of who they are and the self they plan to become. Telling Our Stories is a community literacy practice supporting young adults telling their life stories and communicating these life plans through digital media.

Conversations for Common Wealth
Conversations for Common Wealth is a Community House/Community program for adults that provides an enjoyable, intercultural setting in which to reflect on the contributions we each can make in the world beyond our doorstep. These seven facilitated conversations offer a chance we rarely get to to talk with others about the things that really matter and take steps toward meaning and change.

In Our Neighborhood
Community House fosters and supports a number of initiatives along with the Central Northside Neighborhood Council and other North Side agencies. Our intent is to serve neighborhood residents in activities such as an annual block party to celebrate our solidarity with our neighbors.

Other community initiatives include joining with other North Side churches to provide shelter meals for homeless men in Pittsburgh and organizing and supporting neighborhood revitalization efforts.                                                    > return to top of page

COMMUNITY HOUSE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH & LEARNING CENTER
120 Parkhurst Street • Pittsburgh, PA 15212 • 412.321.3900
Email: [email protected]

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