YWCA GP in Action - May 2026
We’ve been celebrating the Earth and our volunteers while introducing students to exciting new career pathways. Take a look at what’s been happening across YWCA GP: check out the latest moments, milestones, and stories shaping our work.
Learning to Care for Our Environment
During our Earth Month-themed Family Fun Night, Early Learning students, staff, and partner families enjoyed educational activities that helped students learn to care for the natural environment. Students in our toddler room have been learning about springtime and plants by watering and germinating seeds for several weeks, and during Family Fun Night they had the opportunity to plant those seedlings in soil. Meanwhile, our Pre-K students learned how to distinguish trash from recycling and how to sort recycling into subcategories such as glass, metal, paper, or plastic. We are grateful to our volunteers who provided support to help make this event a success.
Celebrating Our Volunteers
For National Volunteer Month, we were pleased to hold a volunteer celebration to show our appreciation for volunteers past, present, and future. Attendees enjoyed lunch and treats, heard from YWCA GP staff about the positive impact volunteering has on the partner families we serve, and prepared activity bags and inspirational cards for our upcoming Celebration of Learning, an annual event held by Opportunity Pathways Programs to celebrate students.
We loved spending time with our volunteers and showing our gratitude for their generosity, which we deeply appreciate all year round. Thank you to all of our volunteers for the time, care, and commitment you give throughout the year—including those who could not be with us at the celebration but whose impact is felt every day.
Sharing College and Career Experiences
This program year, our Opportunity Pathways Programs have been working with Point Park University to film interviews with college students and professionals that will be used in our curriculum this fall. Adding to interviews we conducted earlier in the year with employees from UPMC and the Industrial Arts Workshop, this spring we spoke with Peggy Carrera, Vice President of YWCA GP’s Board of Directors and Managing Director of Hub and Outbound Engineering for Federal Express Corporation; Emily Stock, Communications Partner at PPG; and medical students Samyuktha Arukumar, Eniloa Ayo-Gbenjo, and Rachel Cruz from University of Pittsburgh’s Community Action Program. We deeply appreciate the willingness of these interviewees to share their knowledge and experience with our students.
Welding, Water, and W&J
Our Middle School (MS) and High School (HS) PATHmakers recently visited CCAC Allegheny and West Hills to explore what both campuses have to offer. At CCAC Allegheny, students completed labs including DNA extraction. At CCAC West Hills, students got an up-close experience with welding and automotive programs.
HS PATHmakers also recently visited Pittsburgh Water and Washington and Jefferson College (W&J). At Pittsburgh Water, students met with employees, asked questions about careers in water and sewage, and toured the facilities. Many of our students expressed interest in working for Pittsburgh Water after high school. At W&J, students toured campus and engaged with professors at an academic fair. This visit introduced our students to W&J’s summer programs for high school students, leading to exciting opportunities for further education.