PITTSBURGH, November 14, 2018 – Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University, founding college partners of The Pittsburgh Promise, are extending their support of Promise scholarship recipients to graduate school offerings. Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy is offering scholarships equal to 30% of tuition per semester to Pittsburgh Promise Alumni who apply and enroll in one of its professional master’s programs, which prepare students to solve societal challenges in areas converging at the intersection of people, policy, and technology. These include nationally-ranked programs in public policy, information technology, health care, cybersecurity, and arts & entertainment. “We are committed to our local community, and we want to do all that we can to help contribute in every way – including financially – to what will ultimately be one of the most valuable investments our students will ever make,” said David Eber, Heinz College Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. “Through our partnership with The Pittsburgh Promise, we hope to shape young minds, train local students to be future leaders in the Pittsburgh region, and remove any financial barriers that may prevent them from considering earning their master’s degree.” Duquesne University is offering a 30% tuition scholarship per semester to Promise alumni to pursue graduate degrees in more than 25 graduate programs in business, education, liberal arts and environmental sciences. Duquesne is nationally ranked and recognized for high-quality academic and research opportunities. Additional information can be found at http://duq.edu/pghpromisealum. “The Pittsburgh Promise has had an incredibly positive impact in supporting Pittsburgh Public School students, and we’re proud to be a founding preferred college partner,” said Duquesne University President Ken Gormley. “As part of our mission and our strategic plan, we continue to identify ways to support the region; and expanding our Pittsburgh Promise partnership to graduate programs is a wonderful way to do that.” The graduate school awards are in addition to the schools’ commitment to Promise Scholars who pursue undergraduate degrees at their institutions. As founding Preferred College Partners, Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne have committed to providing grants for room and board to Promise-eligible undergraduate students who are accepted to the institutions and targeted transition and academic support services to ensure student retention and success. “We are incredibly grateful to our partners Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University for extending their support to Promise Alumni. The commitments of these institutions to advance the success of Pittsburgh’s students is clear. These graduate school offerings will provide even more incentive to our young people to stay in the region and contribute to our workforce,” said Pittsburgh Promise Executive Director, Saleem Ghubril. About Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy is home to two internationally recognized graduate-level institutions at Carnegie Mellon University: the School of Information Systems and Management and the School of Public Policy and Management. This unique colocation combined with its expertise in analytics set Heinz College apart in the areas of cybersecurity, health care, the future of work, smart cities, and arts & entertainment. In 2016, INFORMS named Heinz College the #1 academic program for Analytics Education. For more information, please visit www.heinz.cmu.edu. About Duquesne University Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation’s top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and tradition of academic excellence. Duquesne, a campus of nearly 9,500 graduate and undergraduate students, has been nationally recognized for its academic programs, community service and commitment to sustainability. Follow Duquesne University on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more information visit www.duq.edu. About The Pittsburgh Promise The Pittsburgh Promise promotes high educational aspirations among urban youth, funds scholarships for post-secondary access, and fuels a prepared and diverse regional workforce. To date, The Promise has invested more than $120 million in scholarships to send more than 8,400 urban youth to a post-secondary institution. Nearly 3,000 Promise Scholars have graduated, and many are now working, and giving back, in the Pittsburgh region. Pittsburgh has the largest Promise program in the United States. For more information visit The Promise impact dashboard. # # # #
Upon hearing the news of the dreadful attack on Jewish worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue on Saturday, October 27, we joined Pittsburghers, and perhaps all Americans, in reaching out to friends who belonged to that faith community, checking on other Squirrel Hill residents, and seeking ways to support and be helpful. Some of us attended the Saturday evening vigil that was organized by students at Taylor Allderdice high school. Others joined the Sunday afternoon event hosted by religious, governmental, and other community leaders. Both events brought comfort, healing, inspiration, and a call to action. Each was attended by some 3,000 people. The Pittsburgh Promise’s mantra is, “we will not rest until the promise that lives within all of Pittsburgh’s children can be brought to full life.” That promise was made visible at Saturday’s student-led vigil in the words and actions, tears and songs, and anger and resolve that was displayed by our young people. In their grief, they brought a message of healing. Despite their anger and fear, they called us to work for a loving and courageous justice. Our students are impressive today, and they are full of even greater promise for tomorrow. We agree with our young leaders when they call for good policy, laws, and enforcement. In addition, we hope for a change in minds, habits, and hearts. We believe that education is critical to that kind of transformation. We are glad to play a small part in making higher education accessible to thousands of Pittsburgh’s youth. We will also lock arms with those who nurture emotional and spiritual intelligence so that anti-Semitic, racist, sexist, supremacist, ageist, homophobic, or any other oppressive behavior can not only be regulated, but also rebutted and transformed. The Pittsburgh Promise grieves and stands in solidarity with our city’s Jewish community as they heal and restore. We also stand with our young people as they wrestle with their feelings and vision, as they seek the place where they can make a difference in this world, and as they work to build what Dr. King called “the beloved community.”
Hosted by Promise Legacy: The Alumni Group of The Pittsburgh Promise On November 29th at 7 pm, enjoy a fun night as we celebrate 10 years of Promise Scholars. Anyone 21 or over who has received a Pittsburgh Promise Scholarship is invited to attend and bring a guest. How: Register ahead of time for a discounted price of $25 per person ($30 At the Door). Click here to register for this event. Please be sure to type “Reunion” into the memo line. Attire: Business Casual – Feel free to rep your high school colors. All registrants will receive a raffle ticket toward fabulous prizes to be awarded at the event. Also included: Drinks and Appetizers Games and Prizes DJ Digibooths will be providing a gif booth for you to snap a few fun pics and post to your feeds. So make sure you come to hang out in our photo booth thanks to Digibooths! In conjunction with this event, Promise Legacy will launch a fundraising initiative to fund one Promise Scholarship so we can “pay forward” the generosity that was shared with us.
