Literacy Pittsburgh Student Newsletter ![]() Free Citizenship Classes Literacy Pittsburgh has free citizenship classes both online and in person. Our next classes begin July 11 and run for 12 weeks. In-person classes are offered in Shadyside and Downtown Pittsburgh. Interested? Email citizenship@literacypittsburgh.org by July 5. ![]() Student & Career Services Updates Upcoming Workshops and Events Dress for Success in the Workplace 📍Thursday, July 13, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Join Dress for Success, a local organization helping individuals with work-appropriate clothing, and learn more about self-confidence: Where does confidence begin? Can we really “lose” our self-confidence? How do we practice confidence? Then hear about how Dress for Success can help! Interested? Register here. American Workforce Culture 📍Friday, July 14, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm New to working in the US? The workshop will give you skills and knowledge about American work culture, social norms, and how to navigate working in the US job market. Register here. Bidwell Information Session 📍 Friday, June 30, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Thinking of going back to school, but nervous about the price of college? Looking for short programs so you can get to a job? Try Bidwell Training Center! Bidwell is a local free educational institution offering a certifications ranging from Culinary Arts, Horticulture, Medical Coding/Billing, Pharmacy Tech, and more. Join student services for an to introduction to the school, programs, and application process. Then join one of several in-person tours of the facility in the Northside (dates to be determined), and even begin your application. Interested? Register here. Literacy Pittsburgh Resource Fair Literacy Pittsburgh is eager to help students meet everyday needs, focus on education, and meet your goals. Last month we did that with our first ever “Career Day”—next, we have turned the focus from healthcare employers to local resources and opportunities, supporting needs such as food, employment, housing and more. Interested? Look for more information in future emails! Literacy Pittsburgh Hosts Job Fair Nearly 60 students joined us for a career fair at our Downtown Center location. One student told us, "Meeting employers in 'our environment' was less stressful. I learned about what they are looking for and the tools and training available at their business." ![]() Thanks to Allegheny Health Network, Energy Innovation Center Pittsburgh, Familylinks, Inc., and Heritage Valley Health System for talking with our students. Literacy Pittsburgh Celebrates Juneteenth Juneteenth is a day of recognition celebrated on June 19th. It is also called Freedom Day and celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. We are humbled to honor this day. Learn more at https://www.juneteenth.com/. ![]() World Refugee Day 2023 Celebration Literacy Pittsburgh celebrated World Refugee Day on Tuesday, June 20 at Schenley Plaza in Oakland. Each year, many nonprofit agencies in the Pittsburgh area come together to celebrate this important day to show the positive impact that refugees and immigrants have on our society. ![]() ![]() ![]() Literacy Pittsburgh's Free Cabinet At Literacy Pittsburgh, we understand the importance of meeting basic needs while learning and pursuing goals. That's why we're expanding the resources available in our Free Cabinet to better serve our community of learners. What is the Free Cabinet? The Free Cabinet is a dedicated space stocked with essential toiletries like toothbrushes, diapers, deodorant, and more for our students to take, completely free of charge! The cabinet is located in our Downtown office. While the Free Cabinet focuses on toiletries, we also have children's books and children's clothes available. Students can ask their teacher or program coordinator if they are interested in accessing these items. Program staff are available in the office to help students with this on Mondays and Wednesdays. ![]() ![]() Medicaid Update Information Do you have health insurance provided by the state such as Medicaid or CHIP? If so, note that starting this year, you will need to complete a renewal application each year when it is due to make sure you are still eligible. You will not immediately lose health coverage. No one will lose their health coverage without having a chance to complete a renewal or update their information. But, if you do not return your updated application when it is due, you may risk losing your coverage. Everyone's due date is different. You will start to get information about updating your information about 90 days before it is due. If you have a COMPASS account, you can check your due date and complete your application update online up to 60 days before your due date. You can also sign up for emails and texts in COMPASS. This is the fastest and easiest way to get information about your benefits. Citiparks’ Summer Food Service Program 2023Did you know that children under the age of 18 are eligible for free lunches during the summer throughout Allegheny county? The City of Pittsburgh has many free lunch sites, including libraries, parks, community centers, and more. The full list of sites can be found here. To find a lunch site outside of the city, you can use the Greater Pittsburgh Community Foodbank's "Find Food" search function. Here is a video showing how to use the "Find Food" website to find free lunch programs for children under the age of 18: Grandfamilies Project If you are (55+) and providing care for a youth or child under 18, you could be eligible for a cash payment! The DHS Area Agency on Aging is partnering with A Second Chance, Inc. to provide financial support for older adults caring for children under 18 years of age. This support is to help families with incomes under 300% of poverty guidelines. This is short-term and time-limited support. ![]() Student Success StoriesCongratulations to the following students! Shaymaa Al Duroobi is an ESL student in Susan’s class. She wrote, “It is the best gift given to a refugee or immigrant upon his arrival in the United States of America. I have been in America for seven years. I have not found a meaningful organization and works for students such as Literacy Pittsburgh, free of charge, dealing with high craftsmanship, their speed of response and having amazing solution for the student. Thank you very much to all the employees of this institution. We remain grateful to communicate with you.” ![]() Cori graduated the week of Literacy Pittsburgh’s graduation ceremony and, with a little persuasion, walked in her cap and gown! She is busy researching schools to find the right fit to learn the ins and outs of the beauty industry. A great fit for a student who has such inner beauty! Congratulations, Corie! So proud of you! ![]() “Mariana is always ready to crush the lesson, try something new and go as far as I can take her,” says her tutor Casey. "Her commitment and drive inspire me to be the best tutor I can be so that she can reach her full potential as quickly as possible.” In December, Mariana passed her first GED exam, science. She and Casey are now preparing for the social studies exam, with math and language arts to follow. ![]() Vicki and Brandon recently completed a computer basics class and scored over 90% on the test. They were so proud of themselves, and we are proud of them too! Both are continuing additional computer classes to further build their skills. ![]() ![]() Share your success story with us! You can help inspire others who are overcoming barriers and working toward their goals. Email it to Najlaa at nebrahim@literacypittsburgh.org “The wisest mind has something yet to learn." |