University of Pittsburgh Office of Engagement and Community Affairs

08/18/2026

One word to describe last week: WOW. 🤩🎉

Last Wednesday, Aug. 12 we celebrated something unforgettable. Not just the grand opening of the University of Pittsburgh Community Engagement Center in the Hill District in our new home in the historic New Granada Theater, but also the power of community and collaboration.

Thank you to the Hill Community Development Corporation for your partnership and collaboration, and congratulations for completing Phase 1 of the restoration of the extraordinary New Granada Theater. Thank you to our Pitt collaborators in residence: University of Pittsburgh Jazz Studies for bringing the outstanding Tony Campbell Quartet to perform, and to the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics for helping to make our celebration so special. Thank you to the Hill District Neighborhood Advisory Council for helping guide this work for more than five years.

And, of course, thank you to the community members, partners, University of Pittsburgh colleagues, and friends who joined us in celebrating this incredible milestone. 💙💛

Learn more about this milestone in Pittwire: https://pitt.ly/4bSVgaj

08/13/2026

Congratulations to Dara Méndez and La'Vette Wagner, recipients of Pitt Health Sciences' inaugural Community-Building Excellence Award. The honor, conferred by the Office of Health Sciences Engagement and Enrichment, recognizes their exceptional commitment to fostering connected and supportive communities on Pitt’s campus or in neighboring areas.

Learn more on the Pitt Health Sciences website: https://pitt.ly/4z3dRdJ

Dara Méndez and La’Vette Wagner are the recipients of the inaugural University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Community-Building Excellence Award

08/12/2026

Fall term, meet Be A Good Neighbor Block Party season. 🤝🎉 Join us throughout Oakland every Tuesday in September for fun, food, and community. All are welcome; parties take place rain or shine! ☀️

Save the date(s) and find more info at www.community.pitt.edu/2026blockparties

08/11/2026

Join us Aug. 29 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the William Pitt Union Ballroom for the first annual Building Bridges: Gismondi Neighborhood Education Program (GNEP) Educational Summit. 🎉Enjoy light bites, learning, and networking to celebrate a new academic year and a new year of programming for GNEP.

All are welcome: GNEP tutors past, present, and future, Pitt colleagues, programming partners, and friends. Join us in building bridges to ensure exceptional educational experiences for our Pitt students and the youth they serve.

RSVP by Aug. 19 at cec.pitt.edu/GNEPsummit

08/08/2026

Calling all Pitt community engagement professionals! Register today for a yearlong wellness initiative grounded in organizational psychology, emotional intelligence, and boundary-spanning systems theory. Sessions are hosted once per month for 12 months at the Community Engagement Centers in the Hill District and Homewood. This initiative is sponsored by Pitt's Office of Engagement and Community Affairs and facilitated by community member Julius Boatwright, LCSW.

The deadline to register is August 11, 2026. Learn more and register today by visiting www.community.pitt.edu/CEPWellness

07/30/2026

The fall term is just around the corner... for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Pitt! Age 50 or better with a passion for learning? Want to join a community of like-minded individuals just like yourself? Join us for an upcoming open house to learn more about OLLI at Pitt!

In person open house: Tuesday, Aug. 4 from 1 to 2:15 p.m., 500 Alumni Hall - Register @ https://pitt.ly/3SRQAL7

Virtual open house: Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 3 to 4 p.m. - Register @ https://pitt.ly/4b4DjoX

07/16/2026

🎉 Pitt has been selected for the inaugural cohort of Campus Compact's Campus Action Planning for Civic and Community Engagement Innovation Cohort. Pitt is one of just 22 institutions nationwide chosen for this pilot program.

Over the next seven months, a team of Pitt individuals, led by Associate Vice Chancellor Jamilah Ducar, will build a roadmap to deepen how community engagement is woven into everyday University operations. This builds directly on Pitt's 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, reflecting our sustained commitment to our communities.

Read more: https://pitt.ly/4fdG61z

07/15/2026

06/18/2026

Call for volunteers! 🥏 The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is hosting the Junior Disc Golf World Champions in Pittsburgh from July 7-11! Volunteers are needed across various locations around Pittsburgh and will be asked to help players locate thrown discs, refill water jugs/snack stations, and monitor crowds. PDGA will provide all uniforms, equipment, water refills, and a meal (if working more than a single four-hour shift) for all volunteers for each day that they volunteer. Sign up to volunteer at https://pitt.ly/4arijIH