Success

The Pittsburgh Community rallied around the #UcanB Career Education Program. A vast array of organizations and individuals contributed to help educate youth.   More than 50 guest speakers from more than 50 local organizations and businesses visited #UcanB classrooms, participated in #UcanB events and hosted #UcanB students for tours. This allowed #UcanB the opportunity to expose students to a multitude of career paths and job opportunities. Students met with a diverse group of businesses representing government, retail, IT, entrepreneurship, military, media, advanced manufacturing and more! Some of the programs at Propel Braddock over the years are described below. Erik Ross of Bitcore and Scott Albert from #UcanB led a STEM seminar at Propel Braddock. Students in the Media and Technology Courses at Propel Braddock participated in the program. This included 10th-12th grade students who are preparing for and learning skills needed to compete in the IT, Media and/or Gaming Industries. Topics for the seminar included Careers in IT, Careers in Media, IT Skills Needed to Succeed, Video Game Design and Entrepreneurship. The #UcanB Program at Propel Braddock ended with one of the year’s most unique presentations. Drew Cady, Sound Engineer for Seismic Island Labs in Seattle, concluded the 5-week IT seminar with a Skype presentation for students. The accomplished sound engineer, whose experiences include sound design for Pirates of the Caribbean and Finding Nemo, shared with students the creativity process he now applies to the video game series Guild Wars 1 & Guild Wars 2. Mr. Cady shared videos of his team creating sound effects out of everyday items such as cardboard boxes, musical instruments, animal calls, and even scrap metal turned to fireballs! Every student in the class had the opportunity to ask specific questions. Mr. Cady was very gracious with the time he spent with each student. In addition to the presentations, every student at Propel Braddock received a FREE online career portal accounts. This most recent UcanB program at Propel Braddock was made possible through the generous support of the Verizon Foundation. Previous to that, the program was made possible through the suport of the Education Foundation. Classes in 2018, focused on careers in entrepreneurship, the entertainment industry, softskills and networking, and careers in criminal justice. Recent speakers included: Aaron Aldrich – Bridgeway Capital Lee Davis – Presidental Award Winner, Braddock Native, and Entrepreneur Julius Boatwright – Julius Boatwright, MSW, LSW – Person-Centered Community Servant – Will Allen Foundation Jessica Albert – US Probation – Careers in Criminal...

As another successful UcanB school year comes to a close, I would like to take a minute to thank the people who make our Career Education Program possible. Our guest speakers share invaluable, real-life experiences with local 6-12th grade students to help our kids better understand the realities and expectations of future careers. The following individuals helped educate thousands of Western Pennsylvania students throughout the 2017-18 school year…   Rocco Cozza – The Cozza Company Shannon Krohe – UPMC Health Plan Domenic Mantella – I Got a Guy Solutions Gino Palmosina – Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith’s Office Joe Martelli – BOSS Labor Group Joe Ellis – UPMC Magee Dan Deasy – PA State Representative Jessica Albert – US Probation & Pretrial Services David Holzer – Pittsburgh Combat Club Erik Ross – Bitcore Jessica Lee – Jazz Vocalist/Vive Venture Jim Gabriel – Sevan Multi-Site Solutions Traci York – Career Training Academy Walt Bentley – Local 5 Electricians Union Dan Quigley – Quigley Photography Paul Sheldon – Dreamosophy Patrick Sullivan – Civil Environmental Consultants Erin Long – Omni William Penn Ross Acuri – Brightwood Career Institute Breanna Logan – Student @ Penn State University Anita Williams – Penn State University Greg Hojdila – Local 712 Electricians Union Julius Boatwright – Steel Smiling Lee Davis – Lee Davis & Associates Earl Lamar – Mon Valley Initiative Aaron Aldrich – Bridgeway Capital Amy LaSota – Bidwell Training Center Anjali Martin – Partner4Work/Learn n Earn Cheyenne Lamar – Partner4Work/Learn n Earn James Protin – Mackin Engineering/Author & Speaker Patrick Stefano – PA State Senator Alexander Nichols – Omega Business Consulting Camera Chatham Bartolotta – PA State Senator Corey O’Connor – Pittsburgh City Councilman Students from dozens of local school districts participated in guest presentations. These included Pittsburgh Public Schools, Sto-Rox, Springdale, Carlynton, Hopewell, Propel Schools, Clayton Academy, Belle Vernon, Laurel Highlands and more! Pictured below are some highlights from guest presentations. Jessica Albert of US Probation & Pretrial Services of Western Pennsylvania discussed Careers in Criminal Justice with students at Hopewell Junior High. Mrs. Albert visited Hopewell School District twice this school year. She also spoke with students at Sto-Rox High School, Springdale High School, Carlynton High School, Westinghouse Summer School and Propel Braddock High School. Chief US Probation Officer Belinda Ashley spoke with students at Pittsburgh Classical Academy. US Probation and #UcanB were solid partners throughout the year. Our two organizations also partnered to organize and host a community career fair on behalf of State Representative Dan Deasy and PA Senator Wayne Fontana. Julius Boatwright of Steel Smiling visits students at Propel Braddock High School. Mr. Boatwright also visited Clayton Academy Middle School students. His presentations included a career overview and a message to give back to the community. Julius Boatwright was both informative and inspiring for our #UcanB students. We look forward to having him back as a partner for the 2018-19 school year. State Representative Dan Deasy has been a regular guest speaker for the #UcanB Career Education Program for three years now. Mr. Deasy visited Sto-Rox for the second year in a row to discuss Careers in Government & Politics. He has also visited Pittsburgh Classical Academy. In addition, our organization and Rep. Deasy have partnered to host a number of career fairs and hiring events for adults in Pittsburgh’s West End Communities. The examples go on and on. It truly was a great school year. And, much of the thanks goes to our fantastic list of guest speakers. The #UcanB Program looks forward to summer and next year…and a continued partnership with all of our wonderful speakers. Thanks again for all that you...

Pittsburgh’s own Alcoa is a proud partner of our U can B program. Alcoa is a longtime supporter of education and diversity in the world marketplace – through the Alcoa Foundation, thousands of nonprofits, schools, and organizations have been able spearhead sustainable, educational, and career-building initiatives. Alcoa’s partnership with Building Bridges expands the U can B program into more schools in the Pittsburgh region, most recently being Freeport Area School District. For over 60 years, Alcoa Foundation has been a champion of supporting nonprofit organizations worldwide. Alcoa Foundation attentively supports sustainability, STEM, innovation, communities, and students on a daily basis. Funding provided by Alcoa Foundation supports leading nonprofit education and environmental organizations, building strong long-term partnerships that produce meaningful and impactful results. Recognizing the ever-growing challenges of tomorrow, Alcoa Foundation directly supports initiatives that produce an innovative and competitive workforce. At the end of the day, all of the funding decisions that Alcoa Foundation makes are driven by two imperatives: environment and education. The Alcoa Foundation has a vibrant history of supporting STEM education programs, helping thousands of students every year. Our global economy and marketplace is constantly evolving. To prepare the communities where Alcoa operates for the world to come, the Alcoa Foundation focuses on projects that increase the number of students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies. Seeking to promote a more diverse workforce, Alcoa Foundation places emphasis on engaging girls, women, and other underrepresented groups to enter into science and technology fields. Some of Alcoa Foundation’s several STEM initiatives include Junior Achievement, Academy of Model Aeronautics, Society for Science and the Public, and US 2020. US2020 and Alcoa Foundation aim to bolster the STEM movement by working together to create an online mentoring program to reach 20,000 students and professionals. In line with Alcoa Foundation’s spirit of promoting innovation and education is their current support of U can B. By partnering with nonprofits like Building Bridges, Alcoa Foundation continues to contribute to economic success, environmental excellent and social responsibility worldwide. See the positive change that Alcoa Foundation enables by looking at their website....

  U can B @ Clayton High School will conclude in May with ‘Career Days at Clayton High’! Career Days will begin with an Interview Competition on May 1th. This will be followed by an in-school Career Fair on May 20th. The Building Bridges for Business U can B Program, a series of career awareness classes aimed at high school and middle school students, launched its first classes at Clayton Academy in Pittsburgh’s North Side on March 2, 2016. U can B classes at Clayton were provided through support of the Verizon Foundation. Topics for middle and high school students ranged from Career Interests to STEM-related Careers to Job Readiness Classes. Students in the middle school were registered for FREE online career profiles via STEM Premier. Students in the high school at Clayton focused specifically on topics such as Work Readiness, Job Search, Interview Skills, and Networking in preparation for Career Days. May 11th Interview Day Students are currently working on resumes and cover letters as a class project. These will be completed and reviewed by Clayton teachers prior to the Interview Day. On May 11th, students will participate in a panel style interview. U can B teachers, Clayton staff, and volunteers from the community will make up three panels. Students will cycle through for individual interviews. A scoring rubric will be used by the panelists to assess students’ interview performance. Three Awards will be selected: Best Interview, Best Resume, Best Cover Letter. Certificates and prizes will be presented to the winners. Certificates of Participation are to be presented to all students who completed the U can B Program. Winners to be announced at the May 20th Career Fair. May 20th Career Fair The U can B team has organized a Career Fair which will take place at Clayton on May 20th between 10:00-12:00. The Fair will be followed by a cookout and celebration. Students, teachers, U can B staff, employers, and volunteers are invited to attend the cookout. Approximately 65 students are expected. Awards will be presented during the cookout and celebration. The Career Fair and Cookout will be a wonderful way to conclude the school year. Students have put a lot of time and effort into the U can B Program at Clayton, and the May 20th event is their reward for that hard work. In addition to the celebration, students will have the opportunity to discuss jobs and careers with representatives from several Pittsburgh-area businesses including but not limited to United States Probation & Pretrial Services of Western PA, Allegheny Health Network, IBEX Global, Career Talk on KDKA, Legal Shield, and Arias Agencies. Arias Agencies, a division of American Income Life, has agreed to participate and present certificates of completion to the students. Title sponsor of Career Talk on KDKA, Arias Agencies has been an on-going supporter and hiring partner of the...

There are so many social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr, just to name a few. They are always changing, growing, updating, expanding. And there are always new channels to learn. How can your company keep up with the ever changing landscape that is social media? Here are a few social media tips to get you started. • First of all, don’t try to post on every single one of them. Pick two or three that your company would benefit from the most and hit them hard. Post as often as you can so you get the most views from the largest amount of people. • Time is critical. If you have an in-house employee handling your accounts, make sure he/she has the time to do the job properly. If they have other responsibilities, they might not always get to their social media activities in a timely manner. • Social media marketing demands constant attention. If someone comments negatively on one of your posts, you need to react instantly. You want to take care of the problem as fast as possible to insure your customer relations reputation. • Your business has its own personality and you want to make sure your social media marketing reflects that. Make sure the person who is handling your accounts knows your firm and can post in a tone that conveys that personality. • Social media is always changing. Make sure you keep up with the times. Take training classes and refresher courses so you know what it new and relevant to the platforms you are working on. • Consider the benefits of outsourcing your social media. Make sure you hire someone who has marketing experience. Remember that social media is not really about being social. It is entirely about marketing your business. You do want to be social and build relationships, but you need to do that in a marketing atmosphere. • When looking for a marketing firm, make sure you check out other clients they have worked for. Do you think their marketing reflects their business? Are you happy with the amount of posts you are seeing? Social Media marketing is an ever changing technology. In order to get the most out of it you need to plan your actions. Take the time to do it right, get the best person for the job, know what is new and relevant, and make those connections that...

6. Connect with People Connecting with people is a critical marketing strategy done with minimal expense. Connect with coaches, mentors, and experienced entrepreneurs in your industry. 7. Find Your Natural Talent Examine yourself and look for a natural talent that you may possess— then develop it. It may be speaking, networking, or a hobby right under your nose. 8. Become an Expert Learn all you can about your chosen craft. Know the ins and outs and be able to answer questions or inquiries about what you do and how you do it. 9. Provide Distinctive Service Provide excellent service to your clients; service they can’t receive anywhere else. Set yourself apart from the competition. 10. Define Your Vision Know your vision and define it. Be able to visualize who you are and what you want. Keep these 5 additional Business keys to staying on track in mind...