On Thursday, May 18th, Verizon and Neighborhood Allies held the grand opening of the new Verizon Community Forward Homewood-Brushton Youth Learning Center in the Homewood-Brushton Branch of the YMCA
This is the first of two centers to open in Pittsburgh as part of the Verizon Community Forward Initiative, which aims to reinvigorate community spaces in cities across the country, providing access to free resources and enhancing hands-on learning with cutting-edge technology. Pittsburgh was selected as one of four pilot cities for the program, and the second center serving adult learners is slated to open in August 2023 at the Community College of Allegheny County Homewood-Brushton Center (CCAC).
The program included remarks from:
- Senator Jay Costa
- County Executive Rich Fitzgerald
- State Representative, District 34, Abigail Salisbury
- Melvin Hubbard El, Community Advisor to the Mayor
- Dr. Diamonte Walker, CEO, Pittsburgh Scholar House and Neighborhood
Allies Board Member - Violet Graham, Controller, Neighborhood Allies
- Brittany Chambers, Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Verizon
- Bill Carnahan, Vice President, State & Local Government Affairs, Verizon
- Walter Lewis, President and CEO, Homewood Children’s Village
- Amy Kienle, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh
- Lina Dostilio, Vice Chancellor, Engagement & Community Affairs,
University of Pittsburgh - Itha Cao, Director of Digital Inclusion & Innovation, Neighborhood Allies
The event also included tours of the center and demos of equipment, as well as performances by Homewood-Brushton YMCA youth, local artists and musicians as part of the YMCA’s Future Roots concert!
We are thrilled that youth in the Homewood neighborhood will have access to new cutting-edge technology for enhanced STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) learning and career development opportunities, adding to the resources already embedded within the Homewood-Brushton YMCA!
Check out some photos from the event below!
Photography by Chelsea Contino Eicher, Neighborhood Allies
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- Itha Cao, Director of Digital Inclusion & Innovation at Neighborhood Allies opens the event.
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- Artwork by Ifeoma, commissioned for the center. Learn more at ifeoma.squarspace.com.
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- County Executive Rich Fitzgerald speaks about the importance of digital inclusion.
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- State Representative Abigail Salisbury delivers remarks.
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- Dr. Diamonte Walker, CEO, Pittsburgh Scholar House and Neighborhood Allies Board Member speaks about the process of getting to the ribbon cutting.
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- Violet Graham, Controller at Neighborhood Allies, gives remarks on behalf of the organization.
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- Brittany Chambers, Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility at Verizon speaks about growing up without access to these tools and the importance of meeting communities where they are.
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- There were STEAM activities for kids in the center after the ribbon cutting.
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- President and CEO of Homewood Children’s village, Walter Lewis, pictured with Karen Lue, Senior Program Manager for Digital Inclusion & Innovation at Neighborhood Allies, and Itha Cao, Director of Digital Inclusion and Innovation at Neighborhood Allies.
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- YMCA Homewood-Brushton staff, including Zena Ruiz, STEAM Program Director, and Ahmed Khalfani Bey, Lighthouse Project Coordinator, cut a piece of ribbon to celebrate the space’s official opening.
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- Neighborhood Allies staff pictured with two Verizon representatives.
“Neighborhood Allies is excited to bring such an advanced, tech-forward space to the Homewood-Brushton YMCA – a trusted community anchor that will now house new resources for young people exploring STEAM-related learning and career paths,” said Neighborhood Allies President and CEO Presley Gillespie. “With this generous investment from Verizon, we are able to continue working towards bridging the digital equity gap in Pittsburgh and creating healthy neighborhoods of opportunity for all.
