International Newcomers in Pittsburgh Urged to Sign Up for Mayor Peduto's Free Evening Civic Leadership Academy

Fall class designed to bring together 
U.S. born residents and new Americans

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is urging international newcomers and business owners living in the city to participate in the Fall 2014 Civic Leadership Academy (CLA), a free 10-week evening course to learn about city government and its departments. This season, the CLA will designate half of its available slots for new Americans and recent immigrants as part of the City’s Welcoming Pittsburgh initiative.

"The Civic Leadership Academy has empowered countless Pittsburgh residents to improve their communities and play an active role in local government," Peduto said. "By aligning with Welcoming Pittsburgh, we are opening the halls of government to all who contribute to the fabric of our community and fuel our economy.'

The Academy gives participants an opportunity to interact one-on-one with city department directors and staff members through tours, interactive presentations, and hands-on demonstrations. Program topics include city planning, urban redevelopment, public works, park services, protection of our waterways and rivers, public safety and more. To date, the City has held 11 classes with nearly 200 graduates.

The Academy will meet every Wednesday evening from September 10 to November 12; sessions run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Applications are available online at http://www.pittsburghpa.gov/cla and must be submitted by July 11th.  Applicants must be at least 18 years old, live within city limits or be a business owner who operates within city limits.

To apply to the Civic Leadership Academy, go to http://pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh/cla/application

For more information on the Civic Leadership Academy, go to http://pittsburghpa.gov/mayor/release?id=3198

For more information on Welcoming Pittsburgh, go to http://pittsburghpa.gov/mayor/release?id=3112

Since 2011, servePGH has led the Civic Leadership Academy. This year, servePGH is excited to announce a partnership with the Office of Community Affairs which will take a leading role for this initiative. Please call Community Affairs at 412-255-4773 or email sally.stadelman@pittsburghpa.gov for more information about the Civic Leadership Academy.

ABOUT WELCOMING PITTSBURGH
Welcoming Pittsburgh is a citywide initiative to celebrate the city’s immigrant past and build a more welcoming future. Through heightened inclusivity, the city strives to boost the quality of life and economic prosperity for all. Welcoming Pittsburgh is part of Welcoming America, a national and grassroots-driven collaborative that promotes cooperation between foreign-born and U.S.-born Americans.

ABOUT COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
In an effort to respond to the needs of all of our 90 neighborhoods, Mayor Peduto created the Office of Community Affairs. The Community Affairs team has visited dozens of neighborhoods already, attending community meetings, responding to constituent needs, and assisting City Council in addressing ongoing challenges. The Office of Community Affairs is another example of Mayor Peduto’s commitment to serving all of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods.

ABOUT SERVEPGH
The Civic Leadership Academy is one of eight volunteer-fueled initiatives of the city’s servePGH initiative. Through these eight initiatives, citizens have been engaged in service to revitalize City blocks, restore homes of vulnerable residents, help middle-school youth navigate life’s challenges and more. To date, over 9,000 volunteers have committed over 57,000 hours of service through servePGH. Additional information is available at pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh.