Better Lives Through Learning

“Literacy Pittsburgh helped me deal with others linguistically. It helped me prepare for speaking in interviews and working with my colleagues in the hospital. I love Literacy Pittsburgh and I owe them a lot.” —Mohameden

Henry Wilde has a mission: take math students from “I’ll never understand this” to graduation. After a decade of doing just that, for Henry it never gets old. “After 10 years, I still tell my wife I really enjoy tutoring,” Henry says. He loves getting that hard earned message saying someone passed their test. That love shows in his work. Henry has helped many students pass the GED exams, including Sylvia, pictured with Henry at our spring GED Graduation Celebration.

Troy sought a career that would provide financial security and offer potential for growth. He found this opportunity in Introduction to Construction Trades, a pre-apprenticeship training program, offered by Pittsburgh Gateways. Troy studied the coursework and completed a math class taught by Literacy Pittsburgh teacher Tina Burns. He earned one of the highest scores in his cohort and delivered the commencement address at the conclusion of the program. Troy was hired by the Laborers’ Union Local 1058 in Pittsburgh. His ability to listen and work hard impresses many.

“In my language learning journey, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by people who wanted to help me learn,” Laura said. “I wanted to give some of that back.” Her current student is from Japan, and while she had formal education in English, day-to-day conversation with native English speakers can still be challenging. Listening ability and speaking fluency are the focus of their sessions.

“I am grateful for the help and support I received from Literacy Pittsburgh! I enjoy the many kind people who helped me to learn about the culture and language. It has certainly not been easy, but with hard work and the help of Literacy Pittsburgh, it was possible.” —Kiran

“I didn’t tell anyone I was going for my GED until after I passed the test. I was ashamed of it, so I kept it to myself. I was ecstatic; I sat in the car and cried because this part of my journey was over. Literacy Pittsburgh was the light in the midst of the storm. We set goals, met them, crossed them off, and planned the next move. Carey has built an amazing team.” —Janel