News From Your Neighbor - Spring 2023

NEWS

from your SPRING 2023

NEIGHBOR

Pitt student and staff volunteers pose for a photo at an Oakland community cleanup event in February 2023.

NEW INVESTMENTS. NEW ENERGY. Tackling trash and litter. Improving connections with the community. Supporting positive and respectful relationships.

These are just some of the solutions, co-developed with our neighbors, launched this year to ensure Pitt aligns the needs of a vibrant campus with enhanced quality of life in the neighborhoods that surround us.

Pitt’s Oakland commitment is evident and continues to grow. New monthly cleanups hosted by Pitt’s Office of Engagement and Community Affairs provided opportunities for 103 students to be leaders in this work as volunteers.

Funding provided by the Office of the Chancellor has allowed us to invest in more direct ways to reduce litter. A new supplemental contract adds curbside trash pick-ups throughout Central and South Oakland on select CONTINUED >>

What is News From Your Neighbor?

A

rriving to your mailbox throughout the year, this newsletter is just one of many ways for Pitt’s Office of Engagement and Community Affairs (ECA) to be more transparent, accountable, and accessible with the Oakland community.

ECA, and all of Pitt, is committed to being a good neighbor that contributes to Oakland’s shared success.

This newsletter highlights the programs, initiatives, collaborations, and relationships built in, with, and around our community that support our belief that Pitt is a partner in our region’s progress—progress that belongs to everyone. Want to learn more? Visit community.pitt.edu.

<< CONTINUED FROM FRONT

NEW INVESTMENTS. NEW ENERGY. Fridays between April and September, when offcampus turnover is highest. Plus, 100 Be A Good Neighbor Program Toter garbage bins will be offered at no-cost to off-campus students.

This work cannot be done alone. A network of collaborators works to ensure that Pitt is responsive to neighbor feedback. Pitt’s Division of Student Affairs has launched an Office of OffCampus Living tasked with creating a cleaner, safer, healthier, better-connected community.

A new associate director within the office will join Trisha Margiotti, Property Manager Liaison, in these efforts.

These strategies, amidst many others, support the advancement of Pitt’s Institutional Master Plan, which will help guide the development of the Pittsburgh campus over the next decade.

Top: Volunteers walk throughout South Oakland picking up trash on a Sunday morning in February 2023. Middle: Volunteers are equipped with trash bags, gloves, and a map to assist with the cleanup. Bottom: A Republic Service truck; Pitt is providing supplemental trash pickup services through Republic Service.

Left: The Oakland Community Ambassadors pose for a photo in front of the Cathedral of Learning during the Spring Fling event. Center: Ambassadors create art on an Oakland sidewalk during a Chalk the Walk event. Right: A student reports out during the Oakland Ambassadors end-of-year celebration.

BUILDING CONNECTION THROUGH CONVERSATION Co-created with the Division of Student Affairs, ECA launched the first cohort of the Oakland Community Ambassadors in the spring 2023 term.

The Ambassadors are student leaders that actively engage with Pitt and Oakland community members through volunteer projects, resident outreach, and peer-to-peer initiatives—developing and fostering more meaningful connections between Pitt’s campus and the Oakland community.

activities, including neighborhood educational programs, social events—like the “Spring Fling” in Schenley Plaza and a “Chalk to Walk”, neighborhood or other committee meetings, and more.

The Ambassadors wrapped up the academic year with an end-of-year celebration in April where they discussed what was learned and provided recommendations on how to build more community engagement and connections for future cohorts.

Throughout the spring term, Ambassadors hosted or participated in a variety of community-building

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION:

THE OAKLAND PLAN

After years of collaboration, the Oakland Plan and associated zoning changes are official and have been accepted by Pittsburgh City Council. Pitt was one of the many organizations involved as the Department of City Planning facilitated the process with community, development, and infrastructure “action teams.”

The Oakland Plan, which can be found in an interactive online format at engage.pittsburghpa.gov/oakland, is an ambitious document with dozens of opportunities to invest in Oakland’s future. The Oakland Task Force will be a key part of implementating the Plan.

How can you participate? The next step is identifying key projects that can be funded and completed in five years or less as the highest priority for investment. Our neighbors— you!—are invited to join project teams responsible for making these projects a reality.

Contact our neighborhood planner, Christian Umbach (Christian.Umbach@pittsburghpa.gov), or your Oakland Task Force representative for more information.

CLEANING AND GREENING OUR COMMUNITY Trash is a part of life, but it doesn’t need to be all over our streets. Throughout the academic year, a variety of cleanup events took place throughout Oakland, starting with the Garbage Olympics in September and wrapping up with an Earth Day cleanup hosted by City Park Rangers in Schenley Park. Pitt Engagement and Community Affairs also led monthly cleanups throughout the Oakland neighborhood.

Adding a little greenery and scenery, students and staff also supported the expansion of trees throughout Oakland, cosponsoring a tree adoption event with Tree Pittsburgh and volunteering with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for a tree planting event. Pitt currently has 78 students, faculty, and staff members who have received Tree Tender training with Tree Pittsburgh and assist with planting events.

On April 1, as part of Be A Good Neighbor Day, Pitt students and ECA staff participated in a project with Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, cleaning out a South Oakland Community Land Trust home and property.

275 350+ HOURS

BAGS OF TRASH REMOVED FROM OAKLAND STREETS

Volunteer students and ECA, PittServes, and Pitt Sustainability staff plant trees throughout Oakland in April 2023.

DE-CLUTTER YOUR SPACE

SUMMER CLUTTER FOR A CAUSE, JULY 2023 Too much stuff? Moving out and not able to take everything with you? Reduce your clutter and donate it to a good cause! Since 2013, Pitt has encouraged a greener, zero-waste student move-in and move-out process with Clutter for a Cause.

Off-campus collections take place July 20 and July 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Zulema Parklet. All donated items are either resold at Thriftsburgh (on-campus thrift store), Pitt Surplus, or donated to local thrift stores and nonprofit partners. In Spring 2022, Pitt diverted over 10 tons (21,689 pounds!) of materials from landfills.

CONTRIBUTED BY VOLUNTEERS

GET TO KNOW: PITT SUSTAINABILITY Pitt Sustainability focuses on “balancing equity, environment, and economics so current and future generations can thrive.”

Their website, sustainable.pitt.edu, has a wealth of information that showcases the various ways Pitt works to create a robust, data-informed culture around sustainability.

One of those ways is Pitt’s specialty recycling program, which offers several publicly accessible locations for batteries, textiles, compostables, expired medications, Keurig K-Pods, and more.

Want to learn more? Visit “Campus & Culture” on the Pitt Sustainability website or email zerowaste@pitt.edu.

GET CONNECTED & GET INVOLVED There are five easy ways to connect with Pitt’s community engagement team.

FRESH FACES ON CAMPUS AND IN OUR COMMUNITY Join us in welcoming these new community engaged staff to the Pitt community:

1

Learn about our community engagement efforts by visiting community.pitt.edu.

2

Visit us at our Oakland office: 4227 Fifth Avenue 710 Alumni Hall Pittsburgh, PA 15260

3

Contact us directly: » Lina Dostilio

Vice Chancellor for Engagement and Community Affairs

Gina Bleck

Vice Chancellor for Planning, Development, and Construction

ldd20@pitt.edu 412-624-7719

» Jamilah Ducar

Tiffany Claiborne

Executive Director of the Engaged Campus

jamieducar@pitt.edu 412-624-7709

Outreach Coordinator, PittServes

» Justin Dandoy

Director of Community Affairs

Gabrielle DeMarchi

justin.dandoy@pitt.edu 412-624-6531

Assistant Director of Community Affairs, Engagement and Community Affairs

» Gabrielle DeMarchi

Assistant Director of Community Affairs

Celiwe Jones

gabrielle.demarchi@pitt.edu 412-624-3868

Workforce Development Career Counselor, Human Resources

Lisa Sharfstein

Director of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Pitt, Engagement and Community Affairs

Maddy Weiss

Student Sustainability Engagement Manager, PittServes

4

Sign up for our email newsletters for info on community outreach, available volunteer opportunities, news from our CECs, and more at community.pitt.edu/sign-up.

5

Say hello! Our team attends every Oakland neighborhood association meeting that is open to the public.

We are excited to meet you if we have not already.

4227 Fifth Avenue 710 Alumni Hall Pittsburgh, PA 15260 412-383-5600 communityinfo@pitt.edu community.pitt.edu

MARK YOUR

CALENDAR

JULY 20

Summer Clutter for a Cause (open to residents)

AUG 28

Fall Term Classes Begin

JULY 21

Supplemental trash pick-up

AUG 29

Block Party: Oakland Square

JULY 27

Summer Clutter for a Cause (open to residents)

SEPT 1

Supplemental trash pick-up

JULY 28

Supplemental trash pick-up

SEPT 5

Block Party: West Oakland

AUG 4

Supplemental trash pick-up

SEPT 12

Block Party: North Oakland

AUG 11

Supplemental trash pick-up

SEPT 19

Block Party: Oakcliffe

AUG 25

Supplemental trash pick-up

SEPT 26

Block Party: South Oakland