BUILD Pittsburgh
550
Students Served
65
Teachers Trained
PROBLEM:
A student’s opportunity is too often limited by their zip code, race and class.
the build story
IN Pittsburgh.
In 2020, BUILD began exploring the feasibility of bringing our entrepreneurship education programming to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Through the support of the Richard King Mellon Foundation (RKMF), BUILD conducted a comprehensive Landscape Analysis Study (Study). The Study found a need, and opportunity, for youth entrepreneurship education in Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties. With the support of a four-year RKMF grant (2021-2025), BUILD has two full-time staff located in PA who are working with schools, community-based organizations (CBOs), out-of-school-time providers (OSTPs), and the community-at-large to establish a sustainable presence of BUILD in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.
BUILD Pennsylvania showcases that dreaming big, working hard, and persistence is in all of us. As we move forward, we will continue to inspire and empower under-resourced students across the Greater Pittsburgh Area to achieve their full potential and help build a brighter, more equitable, and interconnected society.
Feasibility Study
In 2020, BUILD began exploring the feasibility of bringing our entrepreneurship education programming to Pittsburgh. Through the support of the Richard King Mellon Foundation (RKMF), BUILD conducted a comprehensive Landscape Analysis Study (Study). The Study found that there was a need, and opportunity, for youth entrepreneurship education.BUILD Pittsburgh was launched!
In 2021, the Richard King Mellon Foundation awarded BUILD with a grant to implement BUILD in partnership with schools in Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties. BUILD Pittsburgh launched its first pilot school, McKeesport Area Senior High School.Spreading the Word
In May 2022, BUILD Pittsburgh hosted the first annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Youth Pitch Competition to for all educators and high school students to have the chance to compete in teams for prizes while experiencing Project-Based Learning in Entrepreneurship through the BUILD Design Challenge.Growth and Opportunity
Since 2022, BUILD Pittsburgh has grown to serve more than 300 students with our year-long curriculum in six full-time partner schools, as well as 150 students in our yearly Youth Pitch Competitions.Aaliyah Taylor & Sierra Fisher
Aaliyah Taylor and Sierra Fisher are both 8th graders at Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship. On Saturday Light Brigade Radio, they share their BUILD experience as the 1st Place Winners of the 2022 Southwestern PA Youth Pitch Competition.
Team Next Step Generation Representation
Team Next Step Generation Representation from McKeesport High School takes second place at the SWPA Youth Pitch Competition (2022) with their idea for a multi-media campaign for minorities in the fashion industry.
McKeesport Area High Schoolers
BUILD Students Amyca Wilson, Colin Scharritter, and Aliyah McClung are high school students from McKeesport who were featured in RK Mellon Foundation’s 2021 Annual Report. Together, the three students came up with entrepreneurial solutions to bring attention to their home city.
Thank You to Our Partners
updates & events.
BUILDFest SWPA 2024 Featured on Youth Express: Jerel Sims – SLB Radio
Youth Express: 2024 Southwestern PA Youth Pitch Competition, Jerel Sims – SLB Radio
BUILD.org Hosts Youth Entrepreneurship Competitions Nationwide to Celebrate 25 Years of Empowering Youth and Educators
As BUILD.org embarks on its 25th year, it proudly showcases the next generation of entrepreneurial changemakers through its innovative BUILDFest events in Bay Area, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Boston, and New York City over the next month. BUILD, a national nonprofit organization, is on a mission to use entrepreneurship to ignite the potential of youth from under-resourced communities, enabling them to build career success, entrepreneurial mindsets, and opportunity. BUILDFest events serve as vibrant celebrations of the transformational power of youth entrepreneurship, redefining education and creating opportunities for middle and high school students in under-resourced communities.
Remake Learning Days Feature BUILDFest SWPA 2024
Remake Learning Days is a celebration of innovative experiences and opportunities for youth to develop their sense of creativity, perseverance and curiosity. These events are designed to be hands-on, relevant […]
Announcing the 3rd Annual Southwestern PA Youth Pitch Competition
In honor of BUILD’s 25th Anniversary, schools from across the Greater Pittsburgh Area are invited to join the 3rd annual Southwestern PA Youth Pitch Competition! Launching in January 2024, the competition […]
BUILD’s Teacher Fellowship Aims to Ignite Youth Entrepreneurship
In August, BUILD launched the Southwestern PA Teacher Fellowship Pilot for middle and high school educators who are interested in developing their students’ 21st-century skills. Fellows receive professional development on critical […]
BUILD Pittsburgh Announces 2023-2024 School Partners
Classes are in full swing. We wanted to take a moment to shoutout our amazing school partners and teachers for the 2023-2024 academic year. Welcome Back! McKeesport Area High School Teacher: Jill […]the build greater Pittsburgh team.
Lamar Blackwell
Emily Donato
Pittsburgh.
MAILING
P.O. Box 3316
Redwood City, CA 94064
Contact
pittsburgh@build.org
Phone (510) 271-8244
