Established in 1998 and now located in the Cultural District, Urban Pathways Charter Schools are rigorous academic academies where high standards produce high achievers in a safe, nurturing environment. Faculty and staff recognize that it doesn’t matter where you’re coming from, but it does matter where you’re going. Through a combination of individualized practice and basic skills, theme-based courses, small group projects, and community-based shadowing, UPCS students participate in an engaging learning experience.
UPCS students have the opportunity to expand their knowledge both inside and outside of a classroom setting on a regular basis. Here are just a few of the exciting goings-on at UPCS this Fall:
•Pastor Thomas from South Sudan recently spoke to an English class about genocide and the unrest in Darfur, Khartoum and South Sudan. Ninth grade student Kya Starver said that this special guest speaker discussed the churches he leads in these areas to help those in need.
•Students enrolled in Physics classes at UPCS visited Point State Park to experience the larger-than-life The Rubber Duck Project during the month of October. Their teacher led them in a discussion about different forces and the concept of buoyancy as they related to the famous Rubber Duck.
•Students in grades 6-12 also enjoyed a special performance from international singing sensation, Hagit Yaso, at a school assembly held in a ballroom at the Omni William Penn Hotel. The winner of the Israeli singing competition “A Star is Born” in 2011, Hagit showed a short video to showcase life in Israel, sang several songs, and answered questions to introduce students to her culture and describe life in a foreign country.
•Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) partnered with UPCS to hold its first workplace mentoring session on Oct. 16 at BNY Mellon headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh. This meeting between 15 sixth grade students and BNY Mellon employees was the first of the two hour-long sessions that will take place each month through May 2014. When visiting headquarters, these students will have the opportunity to build mutually beneficial relationships with their employee mentors to gain direct insight into a variety of careers available in an investments company and learn the educational requirements necessary for pursuing a career in financial services.
•The UPCS steel pan band Sounds of Steel was recently invited to perform in Akron, Ohio, at Pan Rocks, a rock concert featuring 100 pan players from various states. Soon, these talented students will perform alongside four Pitt world music ensembles at the annual World Music Festival on Saturday, Dec. 7, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh.
These learning experiences and ongoing programs are just a sampling of the exciting opportunities that UPCS students take part in regularly. Celebrating its fifteenth anniversary in 2013, UPCS remains committed to creating an engaging school environment and finding a successful pathway that helps students achieve their full potential. To learn more, visit www.upcs.net.
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