The SCA has teamed up with City Charter High School to complement City High's "Science and Sustainability" curriculum. The program, led by a full-time SCA Americorps volunteer and a 10th grade science teacher at City High, provides high school students with a unique opportunity to truly understand their local environment by combining in-class lessons with out-of-class experience. Together the SCA and City Charter High coordinate dynamic activities such as service projects and field trips in the immediate Pittsburgh community that are relevant to the students' learning.

Community Challenge: Vacant Lots

Since WWII, half of Pittsburgh's population has moved away due to factors such as job loss as the steel industry declined. This decrease in population resulted in the creation of thousands of empty lots which have been accumulating weeds and litter for the past half a century. Nearly 15,000 empty lots lay unused in the city, playing an unfortunate role in decreasing property values for the neighborhood and promoting crime. The SCA, along with many other organizations throughout Pittsburgh, have been working with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who has stressed that the transformation of these properties into beneficial spaces is a priority for his administration. With the help of dedicated community members, many vacant lots have been transformed into beautiful community parks and gardens.

City High students, with the help of a non-profit called PA Cleanways, adopted a lot on Pittsburgh's Northside in 2004. The SCA service-learning and environmental education intern organized repeated cleanups in the lot, removing invasive species, trash, and even rusted cars! Eventually, a nearby community organization decided to start a food-producing garden on the site. City High students worked the staff of the Pittsburgh Project to put in raised beds, fencing, and a stone walkway through the garden. Students are now looking to adopt another lot in the beleaguered Hill District. By combining hands on service learning with an innovative approach exploring Pittsburgh's unique history and culture, students are able to better understand dynamics that have shaped their city in the past, present and future.

A Cycle of Knowledge

Students, with the help of talented community members, are making deep connections with the community in other ways. Last year students worked with members from the Conservation Consultants, Inc. and Earth Force to learn about LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the green building rating system, and the construction and characteristics of green buildings. To see how green building plays a role in Pittsburgh, which is a leading city in the green building movement, students toured the convention center (the largest green building in the country!) and various other sites throughout the city. Students then applied their knowledge and created a research project which they presented to peers.

Students also worked with GASP (Group Against Smog and Pollution) to evaluate the air quality in various locations throughout the city. Groups of 10th graders collected particulate concentrations data and presented their data and the factors that influenced the air quality in their recorded location. With the help of community members, students have been able to gain new knowledge, apply that knowledge to their community, and in turn, pass their knowledge on to other students.

The City High program allows youth to have frequent interactions with lessons and service projects that strengthen the students' ties to Pittsburgh by making them aware of the many forces affecting their city. By creating this awareness, the SCA and City High hope that students will become passionate about taking an active role in shaping Pittsburgh's future.

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