In the earliest days of The Pittsburgh Promise in 2008, our mission was met with great excitement and palpable hope. Simultaneously, students, families, and community members often asked “how long will the scholarship fund last?” But because we had not yet granted any scholarships, we could only answer with “we hope to fund an entire generation of students.” In 2016, we had served nine classes of graduates and had access to scholarship utilization and performance data. At that time, we were able to announce specifically which class of graduates from Pittsburgh Public Schools would be the last to receive a Promise scholarship: the high school class of 2028. They were in kindergarten then, and they would be our 21st class of Promise Scholars. To ensure their inclusion, we also announced that we would have to raise $265 million.

Our endeavor to serve a generation of students through scholarships holds significant meaning to us personally, but it is the transformative ripple effects among families, neighborhoods and our regional workforce that continue to humble us. More than 730 Pittsburgh companies have already hired Promise alums. They are industry leaders and community stewards. They are homeowners and parents whose children now energize the hallways of many schools in Pittsburgh.

We always knew that we were investing in the future leadership of Pittsburgh – in Pittsburgh’s promise. We are approaching the tipping point of the realization of that vision. The lasting impact of funding a generation of young people will live within the individuals we’ve served. They will carry it forward into their families, their communities, and their workplaces. We hope you will enjoy reading a few of their stories throughout this report.

School children getting on buses at the end of a school day

Over the last 16 years, we have learned critical lessons about what it takes to improve access to post-secondary education for underrepresented students. While scholarships remain an essential piece of our work, we know that for many students, a scholarship is not enough to support their post-secondary enrollment, or success. Our direct outreach and public policy initiatives continue to be critically needed.

To help students navigate a complicated and expensive higher education system, and work to alleviate persistent opportunity gaps within Pittsburgh schools, the pilot of Promise Coaches was launched in 2020. Promise Coaches provide critical post-secondary planning, career exploration, and future visioning for students in under-resourced communities. This vital direct outreach has been a lifeline for students and families.

Pennsylvania is one of the most expensive states in the nation to obtain a post-secondary degree. We are actively engaged in advocating for sustainable policy solutions for funding post-secondary education in Pennsylvania. Public policy solutions are necessary to realize a just and thriving state-wide economy.

None of our work is possible without more than 4,000 donors who have demonstrated their commitment to Pittsburgh’s kids and provided astronomical financial investment in their education.
We are beyond grateful.

Sincerely,

Saleem Ghubril, Executive Director and Anne Lewis, Chair