One Big Table is Coming!
Join the Celebration on April 3^rd

Join us on April 3 at Nova Place for an unforgettable night of food, culture, and community. Enjoy delicious international food and live entertainment with friends and family.

Special Student Discount! Students can purchase tickets for just $50 (plus service fees) by using the promo code STUDENT75. Get your tickets now—select General Admission Tickets at checkout.

Win up to $5,000 with our all-new cash raffle with prizes of $500, $1,000, and $5,000! Only 1,000 tickets will be sold! You don’t need to be present to win. Get your raffle ticket here for just $20 before they’re gone:

Don’t miss out on getting your tickets today! We look forward to seeing you there.

March Digital Skills Calendar

Put some spring in your step – sign up for digital skills classes this March!
Please check out our virtual classes and in-person offerings at Literacy Pittsburgh Downtown, PA CareerLink^® Downtown, PA CareerLink^® Allegheny East, CCAC Homewood-Brushton, Penn Hills Library, Human Services Center Mon Valley in Turtle Creek, and EARN Wilkinsburg. We’re also hosting Digital Skills Orientations and Intro to Zoom to help new students get started with our classes.

Literacy Pittsburgh Downtown:

Beginner English Computer Class
Digital Skills Orientation
Intro to Zoom
Open Lab / Typing Club

EARN Wilkinsburg:

Open Lab / Typing Club

Human Services Center Mon Valley (HSCMV):

Email in the Workplace (4 sessions)

New Location: Penn Hills Library

Smartphones for Beginners

Virtual Classes:

Using Outlook
Google for Beginners Series (4 sessions)
Smartphones for Beginners
Job-Search Series (4 sessions)
Intro to Windows (6 sessions)

PA CareerLink^® Downtown:

Job-Search Series
Open Lab / Typing Club

CCAC Homewood-Brushton:

Computer Basics (6 sessions)
Internet Basics (8 sessions)

PA CareerLink^® Allegheny East:

Intro to Word (5 sessions)
Open Lab / Typing Club

Open Lab Schedule (except as noted on calendar):
Please note the new Open Lab listing.

Mondays: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (Literacy Pittsburgh; EARN Wilkinsburg)
Tuesdays: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm (Literacy Pittsburgh)
Wednesdays: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (PA CareerLink^® Allegheny East)
Wednesdays: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (PA CareerLink^® Downtown)
Thursdays: 12:00 pm – 3:00 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 March calendar will be updated soon.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day on March 17!

Service Coordination Events

Service Coordination Office Hours
📍Monday, March 3 & Tuesday, March 4, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Literacy Pittsburgh's Downtown Center OR Online on Zoom

Do you need assistance with your electricity bill? We will help students apply for the Customer Assistance Program (CAP). If you would like to attend virtually, please sign up here. The Zoom link will be emailed to you on the morning of the event.

Student and Career Services Classes and Workshops

Upcoming Workshops and Events

NEW! Career Services Drop-in Hours
📍See Calendar for Availability
Literacy Pittsburgh's Downtown Center or Online on Zoom

Career Services is excited to announce a new student opportunity. Do you prefer an individual meeting, but you need flexibility to attend? Do you need to meet with someone sooner than the waitlist for an appointment allows? Career Services Drop-in Hours can assist you with a job search, college application, or even career exploration without the need for an appointment! Drop-in hours are a first-come, first-served opportunity. They are a great way to get quick answers and assistance. See the Career Services Calendar for more details, or email Dru at dpelter@literacypittsburgh.org with any questions.

Urgent Job Seekers Crash Course Classes
📍Tuesdays at 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Online on Zoom

Career Services AmeriCorps member Israel Centeno has been putting his expertise to the test in developing a new workshop series designed to help students find their job survival skills. The series will consist of 4 weekly workshops.

Tuesday, March 4 at 10:00 am: Job Search Basics
How to search for and apply for jobs, introducing local and national job boards for the fastest application submission rate
Tuesday, March 11 at 10:00 am: Job Search Toolbox, Part 1
Resume and cover letter basics, when you need them, and where you can get help
Tuesday, March 18 at 10:00 am: Job Search Toolbox, Part 2
Interview and networking advice and surviving your job search (stress management, mindfulness, realistic expectations)
Tuesday, March 25 at 10:00 am: Job Search Mindset
Agency resources to help students manage the stress of un-, under-, or unsatisfying employment

Interested? Register Here. Questions? Email icenteno@literacypittsburgh.org.

CCAC Information Session
📍Thursday, March 20, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Online on Zoom

Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) will join Literacy Pittsburgh to present information about programs, financial aid, and their application process. The event is open to all current and former Literacy Pittsburgh students. Interested? Register here.

Career Workshops for Waiting Students
📍Wednesdays at 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Online on Zoom

This is a series of 3 workshops available to all students – even before you start classes. These workshops are designed to get you started thinking about your goals, and to ease you into learning with us. This month's workshops are:   

Wednesday, March 5, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Career Exploration (Interest Surveys)    
Wednesday, March 12, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Resume Basics    
Wednesday, March 19, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: What is Career Services?

Classes are open to all Literacy Pittsburgh students but will prioritize waiting students. Interested? Register here.

Join Our Team as a Service Coordinator

Literacy Pittsburgh is seeking an empathetic problem solver to support our amazing students. The service coordinator works one-on-one with Literacy Pittsburgh students to understand their non-academic barriers to learning, facilitate the development of a plan to reduce those barriers, and coordinate services to overcome barriers. The service coordinator is a resourceful connector, a strong administrator, and a trustworthy ally to Literacy Pittsburgh students. To learn more and apply visit: https://www.literacypittsburgh.org/service-coordinator/

Student Success Stories

Congratulations to the following students!

Kiran came to the U.S. in 2023 and started cosmetology school soon after arriving. "It was quite a challenge learning the concepts in English at the same time that I was learning the language," she shares. "Fortunately, I had a great teacher, Dr. Heidi, through Literacy Pittsburgh, who taught me and helped me overcome so many language-related obstacles I faced every day. I am grateful for the help and support I received from Literacy Pittsburgh!"

The week of November 24th, Volodymyr told his instructor Ms. Amanda that he would miss class because he needed to go to Cambridge, MA, for the week. His original novel about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had been adapted into a play. Volodymyr shared the following link for more information about his book: https://books.huri.harvard.edu/books/signals-of-being

Congratulations on all of your success with Signals of Being! It’s an honor having such a creative and brilliant mind in class!

Elham has been accepted to Heritage Valley Health System Hospital/La Roche University School of Radiography for Fall 2025. She currently works as a caregiver and was a certified radiologist in Yemen. Elham’s goal was to improve her English skills and improve her reading and writing. Congratulations, Elham! We are so proud of you!

Zahra Chaam, a student in Ms. Amanda's class, has successfully passed the first two of three required dentistry licensing exams in the U.S.! In addition to completing the final exam, she also needs to score at least 100 on the TOEFL to achieve her goal.
Keep up the great work, Zahra! You’ve already come so far, just one more exam and the TOEFL to go. You’ve got this!

In October, Marie accepted a part-time position as a receptionist at UPMC. She had worked with Callie, Literacy Pittsburgh Career Advisor, to apply for a doula services position, hoping to use her experience as a midwife in her home country of Senegal. While the doula role required a nursing degree, UPMC recognized her skills and offered her the receptionist position instead.
Congratulations on your new job, Marie!

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 great aim of education is not knowledge but action.”
— Herbert Spencer

“That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you’ve understood all your life, but in a new way.”
— Doris Lessing