YWCA GP in Action - May 2026
This month at YWCA GP, we’ve been honoring the Earth, celebrating the people who make our work possible, and opening doors to new college and career pathways for students. Explore the highlights below—moments, milestones, and stories that reflect our impact across the community.
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 as a small token of our appreciation for volunteers past, present, and future. YWCA GP staff shared perspectives on the impact of volunteering, attendees assembled activity bags and inspirational cards for our upcoming Celebration of Learning, and everyone enjoyed lunch and treats.
We deeply appreciate our volunteers for their generosity in sharing their time and talents with the partner families we serve. Whether or not you were able to attend the celebration, thank you to all our volunteers for your commitment to YWCA GP.
Democracy in Progress
This month we wrapped up the 2026 Until Justice Just Is Challenge, an annual online educational initiative designed to build community and promote learning. In keeping with this year’s theme, Democracy in Progress: Voting Rights at 250, participants received a month of educational content about the history and present state of voting rights in America. Thank you to everyone who participated!
As part of the Challenge, we collaborated with La Roche University’s Ketteler Center for Peace, Justice, and Inclusion to host a networking mixer that doubled as a space to discuss everything participants learned during the month. La Roche staff and students, YWCA GP staff, and YWCA GP Board Member Dr. Sheleta Camarda-Webb were all in attendance.
We also continued to promote non-partisan voter engagement ahead of the Pennsylvania primaries. This spring, we sponsored the inaugural Allegheny Youth Vote Block Party, which attracted 300 attendees and 100 first-time votes cast during the event. As a member of the Voting is Power Pittsburgh Regional Coalition, we also sponsored three candidate forums for PA Senate District 42, PA House District 24, and PA House District 45.
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 employees from FedEx and PPG as well as students from the University of Pittsburgh’s Community Alliance Program. We deeply appreciate the willingness of these interviewees to share their knowledge and experience with our students.
Exploring Career in Welding, Water, and More
Our PATHmakers recently visited two CCAC campuses and the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown to explore what each had 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. During the visit to Pitt Johnstown, students attended an admissions session, an academic fair, and a campus tour.
High School 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. Several 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 students to W&J’s summer programs for high schoolers, creating the potential for exciting opportunities for continued learning.