There have been famous bells, Alexander Graham Bell, for one, surprisingly quiet bells, the Liberty Bell comes to mind, fashionable bells (love those bell bottoms, and of course, Southern belles, bell curves and bell peppers. But now, Urban Pathways has added school bells to the downtown soundscape.
This year Urban Pathways officially opened its new K-5 College Charter School building right in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Downtown Cultural District and right across the street from its 6-12 school.
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With nearly 500 students, 60 full-time and adjunct teachers and 20 other staff, UPCS offers a well rounded, comprehensive curriculum emphasizing college readiness, Core Knowledge (K-5) and an entrepreneurship cohort.
In addition, all UPCS classrooms are equipped with Smartboards, LCD projectors and computers; and every high school student is given a laptop computer that’s theirs to keep after graduation.
And speaking of graduation, UPCS boasts a 100 percent graduation rate and 100 percent college acceptance rate for the past two years.
“Our goal,” says UPCS’s CEO Linda Clautti, PhD, “is to help every one of our students find a pathway to a successful adult life.”
Founded in 1998, Urban Pathways is a free public charter school serving youth in various Allegheny County districts.