Customer Service for Healthcare Class

Our first cohort of Customer Service for Healthcare Class, held at partner site UPMC Health Plan Neighborhood Center recently finished.  Participants earned "Communicating with Success" certification through PA Women Work, had on-site job fairs, visits from PA CareerLink, UPMC Physician Services Human Resources and UPMC Pathways to Work programs. Skills developed include Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Word and Excel, Communication skills, HIPAA Compliance, Medical Terminology, and more.                                           
The next cohort begins in September. Contact Vince at vdestefano@literacypittsburgh.org for more information. 

2024 World Refugee Day Celebration

July Digital Skills Calendar

Literacy Pittsburgh is excited to introduce more Open Lab times and new intermediate level classes in Microsoft Excel! There is also our new Typing Club, a spin-off of Typing 101. This is an opportunity to come back and practice your typing at a scheduled time. Please check out the virtual and in-person offerings at Literacy Pittsburgh Downtown Center, CCAC-Homewood Brushton, PA CareerLink^® Downtown, and Human Services Center Mon Valley.

Updated Open Lab schedule:

• Mondays: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (Literacy Pittsburgh; Wilkinsburg EARN)
• Tuesdays: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm (Literacy Pittsburgh)
• Wednesdays: 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm (PA CareerLink^® downtown)
• Thursdays: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm (Literacy Pittsburgh)

We hope we have some classes that interest you! As always, please email us at DigitalPGH@LiteracyPittsburgh.org and please specify which class(es) and dates you are interested in.

Finally, don’t forget our calendars are also available at www.LPStudent.com/calendar. The July classes will be updated this week.

Service Coordination Updates

Service Coordination Office Hours 
📍Monday, July 8 & Tuesday, July 9 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Literacy Pittsburgh's Downtown Center  OR Online on Zoom

Do you need access to reduced-price bus passes? If you have been receiving SNAP benefits for at least 3 months you can now access Allegheny GO. We will help students apply for Allegheny GO. If you cannot attend but would still like help with this, please email Lindsey at lcrumley@literacypittsburgh.org to register for a time for her to assist you.

Student & Career Services Updates 

Upcoming Workshops and Events

Career Services Office Hours  
📍 Mondays 10:45 am – 12:45 pm  
Literacy Pittsburgh's Downtown Center 

Join Career Services during their office hours for quick career help, such as asking a question, getting feedback on a resume, or any other career-oriented questions you may have. Sessions will occur on a walk-in basis – no need to schedule in advance. Questions or concerns? Email epetrick@literacypittsburgh.org   

Career Workshops for Waitlist Students!       
📍Wednesdays 1:00 – 2:30 pm    
Online on Zoom or Literacy Pittsburgh's Downtown Center - Classroom 2

This is a series of 3 workshops available to all students — even before you start classes. These workshops will help you start thinking about your goals and get ready to start learning with us. This month's offerings are:      

• Wednesday, July 3: Career Exploration (Interest Surveys) (Zoom or DTC)
• Wednesday, July 10: Resume Basics (Zoom or DTC)
• Wednesday, July 17: What Is Career Services? (Zoom only) 

Classes are open to all Literacy Pittsburgh Students but will prioritize waitlist students. Students may attend the first two sessions online or in person. Interested? Register here. 

American Workforce Culture 
📍Friday, July 12, 12:30 – 2:00 pm
Online on Zoom 

In this workshop, Maggie Lizzi from JFCS will teach you the essential practice of networking, how to find and approach contacts, and techniques for presenting yourself effectively. Interested? Register here. 

Bidwell Training Center Information Session 
📍Thursday, July 18, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Online on Zoom or Literacy Pittsburgh's Downtown Center 

Thinking of school but not sure where to start? Looking for an affordable (free!) education that will start you on a new career? Bidwell Training Center is a great choice, offering several program options such as Medical Billing/Coding, Horticulture, Culinary Arts, and more. All programs are finished in 1 year or less. Want to know more? Register here. 

CareerLink^® Job Search and Resume Workshop  
📍Thursday, July 25 from 10:30 am – 11:30 am 
Literacy Pittsburgh's Downtown Center 

Searching for a job? Need a Resume? PA CareerLink^® can help! PA CareerLink^® offers resources to assist in finding employment, developing professional skills, and much more. Join Literacy Pittsburgh and Megan Grabowski of PA CareerLink^® for a hands-on workshop creating your PACL account, making your resume on the site, and learning how PA CareerLink^® can help you get your next job. Interested?  Register here. 

Personal Consultation with PA CareerLink^® Advisor 
📍Thursday, July 25, afternoon only 
Literacy Pittsburgh's Downtown Center   

PA CareerLink is an organization dedicated to helping Pennsylvanians get jobs and build job skills. The PA CareerLink representative can meet with students 1:1 to evaluate your job goals, connect you with resources, review your resume, and give advice. Want to schedule a meeting? Questions? Email cangelo@literacypittsburgh.org.

Reminder: All Career Services information can be found on the student portal. The Calendar page includes all information about upcoming workshops and events and the Jobs page holds resources for training programs and job search.  

Student Spark Award Recognition         

We are excited to recognize the following students for our Student Spark Award! Students are nominated by their teacher or tutor and this list represents nominations received from April through June 30, 2024. Congratulations to all! 

• Angela - Accruing 65 hours of digital skills instruction since March and earning Northstar Digital Literacy Certificates in Windows, Microsoft Excel, and Internet Basics (nominated by Nicole Mannino Johnson)
• Bridget  - Consistent words of praise and support for other students (nominated by Susan Mansuetti)
• Mashkura - Completing required training for job certification (nominated by Joanne Wright)
• Flora - Mastering a difficult lesson (nominated by Laura Combemale)
• Monica - Starting a new job (nominated by Amanda Kmetz)
• Nataliia - English improvements and sharing effective feedback (nominated by Terra Teets)
• Nelly - Becoming a U.S. citizen; Mastering a difficult lesson (nominated by Laura Combemale)
• Rachel - Mastering a difficult lesson (nominated by Laura Combemale)
• Sayuri - Mastering a difficult lesson (nominated by Laura Combemale)
• Portia -  Earning 3 Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications, Excel, Word and PPT.  Earning all three also awarded her Microsoft Office Specialist - Associate Certification (nominated by Nicole Johnson)

Support Our Students (SOS) Fund

The Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) and the Educate and Elevate Foundation are offering emergency grant funds for adult learners. These grants help remove barriers to continuing education at local programs like Literacy Pittsburgh. 

Who can apply? Students who are currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a local adult education program like Literacy Pittsburgh. For the purpose of this fund, an emergency is defined as a financial hardship within the academic school year, such as a medical issue, childcare, transportation issue, or an emergency such as fire, flood, unexpected death, victim of a crime, etc.

Requirements:
1) You must have a current adult learner membership with COABE (no cost).
2) You must be currently attending an adult education program (12+ hours).
3) You must provide a letter of support from your local program or teacher.
Deadline to apply: July 31, 2024

If you are interested in applying for this fund, please talk with your teacher and/or program coordinator. For more information about this fund, visit: https://www.educateandelevatefoundation.org/

Pittsburgh Public Schools Enrollment and Registration

Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) has transitioned their enrollment application to an online-only format. Applicants can complete the process directly from their phones. PPS provides a checklist of all the required documents needed before beginning the online form. To learn more check their website.

July Events

JCC Summer Food Service Program
The JCC is offering free kosher meals for all kids ages 18 and younger. This is open to everyone and no registration is required.

June 17 – August 16, 2024 (Monday through Friday, excluding July 4)
Darlington Patio at The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh
5738 Darlington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

• Milk and Crafts: 10:00 am – 11:00 am
• Lunch: 11:00 am –1:00 pm
• Snack: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Student Success Stories

Congratulations to the following students!

Safiya is interested in finding a remote job that would be flexible with hours to accommodate her time with her children at home. She and her career advisor discussed options for her to begin training programs in data analysis, administrative assistant work, and quality assurance. They discussed a number of options and Safiya decided she was interested in doing her training through Alison, a free online certificate program, and registered for multiple classes! She also started applying for positions that fit her needs through UpWork. Each Literacy Pittsburgh student has access to career advising and many opportunities are available even while students are waiting to start classes.

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

“We will fail when we fail to try.”
— Rosa Parks

"Success is a learnable skill.”
— T. Harv Eker