A barrier is anything that challenges or prevents a student from attending or focusing on their educational goals. At Literacy Pittsburgh, the Student Services Team is responsible for helping students address and overcome these challenges with the help of external programs and partnerships. Student Services consists of three teams: Service Coordination, Career Services, and Immigrant Services and Connections (ISAC), all of which work interdependently to serve our students across varying areas of need. Service Coordination is responsible for addressing barriers related to housing, food, utilities, childcare, and other essential needs. This article outlines our most frequently used programs and how you can support them!
Service Coordination’s most popular programs are Traveler’s Aid, Free Cabinet, and our bi-annual Resource Fair. The Traveler’s Aid program allocates daily bus tickets to Literacy Pittsburgh, providing our students with temporary assistance in getting to and from class and home/work. Over the past quarter, the program’s popularity has peaked with an average of 110 tickets being distributed weekly!
The Free Cabinet is located in the student hallway of the Downtown Center. The cabinet provides students with hygiene products, diapers, clothing, and other essentials. The inventory for our cabinets comes from partners like United Way, Global Links, and staff connections. A registry is maintained so that students can confidently and confidentially take what they need. We always welcome donations for the Free Cabinet. Please check out our Amazon wish list!
Lastly, our bi-annual Resource Fair allows our external partners and programs to join our students at the Downtown Center to promote their services. On October 29, we will be hosting five local vendors, ranging from childcare to transportation, to help our students become more connected to their community and the Greater Pittsburgh area, offering ways to engage and receive support services. These fairs are hosted in our conference room in the spring and fall seasons. If you are interested in participating in these events, please contact Manique Braziel at mbraziel@literacypittsburgh.org so we can add you to the partner list.
The Service Coordination team is proud to support our students through these programs that address vital needs. Students can learn more about our services through a self-referral to our team or by contacting their teacher to submit a referral on their behalf.
Literacy Pittsburgh (formerly Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council) helps create better lives through learning. Recognized as a national leader in adult and family literacy, Literacy Pittsburgh is the largest provider of adult basic education in Allegheny and Beaver Counties. Last year, Literacy Pittsburgh helped more than 4,000 individuals acquire the skills needed to reach their fullest potential in life and participate productively in their communities. Literacy Pittsburgh provides free, personalized instruction in workforce readiness, high school diploma test preparation, digital literacy, English language learning, math, reading, and family literacy through one-to-one and small class instruction. Founded in 1982, it serves local adults through numerous neighborhood locations and its Downtown Pittsburgh Learning Center.
