2023 Season of Giving

All Homewood students should graduate from high school ready to succeed in college, career, and life.

All children have the right and potential to succeed if given the opportunity. Therefore, every student in Homewood should be prepared for life after high school, equipped with a roadmap for their future. Students with postsecondary plans have better job options, access to sustainable wages, and pathways to advancement. By preparing students for college and careers, we create opportunities for success!

The system is not working for our children. 

Our education and workforce development systems are falling short, leaving many children, especially those from communities like Homewood, unprepared for a rapidly evolving world. This inadequacy not only curbs their potential but also widens the wealth gap, deepening racial and economic disparities. 

Consequently, our region's future is in jeopardy. In Homewood, fewer than half of those over 16 are employed, a stark contrast to Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. This situation reflects a broader regional crisis: a skills gap and a shortage of workers in critical fields. The root cause? A failure to effectively connect our youth with opportunities and a glaring absence of clear pathways for their professional development and placement.

All Homewood children should be prepared and able to participate in the 21st century global economy. 

Recognizing the urgency for high-quality postsecondary support, HCV works with our schools and community partners to provide in-school, after-school, and summer programming for middle and high school students to promote college and career readiness, bridging the gap to create a pathway to postsecondary success. Whether students choose to attend college, trade school, launch a business, or go straight into the workforce, HCV wants students to be prepared to thrive after high school. Therefore, students participate in project-based learning, workforce readiness, job placements, college tours, field trips, job shadowing, and other activities that provide relevant experience and preparation. In addition, students receive academic support and academic enrichment that promotes learning and content mastery. The goal is for every student to create a robust postsecondary plan and to set SMART goals along the way that help them find success.

3 key initiatives of our college and career support include: 

1. College & Career Success Academy (CCSA): This program provides students with after-school programs to prepare them for work, high school, and education beyond high school graduation.

2. Learn & Earn: In partnership with the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and Partner4Work, HCV offers the Learn & Earn program that provides meaningful work opportunities for youth during the summer. Just last summer, we were able to place 176 students in summer jobs. 

3. SMART Dreams: An innovative tool that helps students in grades 6-12 plan for and get excited about life after high school, the SMART Dreams is a POP (Personal Opportunity Planner) that provides a framework to help students set goals for high school graduation and enrollment in post-secondary education.

Collectively, our college and career initiatives assist students through high school graduation, encourage goal-setting, promote a college-going culture, and empower students as agents of community change. In addition to enhancing their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities through project-based learning, students learn essential life skills like budgeting, emotion management, and self-efficacy. 

We’ve only just begun. We have a lot of work to do to ensure our students are prepared for the future. It will take dedication and dollars to reach our goal. 

This year, we hope to raise $70,000 to support our college and career readiness work. By donating to Homewood Children’s Village, you will help support the programs and initiatives that help students receive the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to thrive in college, career, and life.  

Give today to help Homewood students succeed! 

It takes a village to raise a child, support families, and transform a community.