Crossroads is a member of The Pittsburgh College Access Alliance (PCAA) — a coalition of community organizations, fostering educational achievement for Black students by building networks, empowering families and advancing best practices that lead to college and career success.

 

PCAA was founded by Crossroads Foundation, Fund for the Advancement of Minorities through Education (FAME), Negro Education Emergency Drive (NEED), and The Neighborhood Academy (TNA). They want to see that ALL students and families achieve a better quality of life - across generations - through access to equitable educational opportunities and a network of support.

 

“All too often, the stories of challenging struggles of Black families attempting to navigate their journey of obtaining and affording college education are not heard." Anthony Williams, Headmaster of the Neighborhood Academy.

 

Because of this, in 2018, PCAA partnered with The University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work to research educational barriers faced by Black families in Pittsburgh. The study describes local Black parents’ opinions about what makes a high-quality education, the strategies they use to stay involved in their kids’ education, and the barriers they and their students face. Research also conducted additional interviews in order to reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

"We believe strongly that this report highlights important practices for Black families and the practitioners that serve them in schools and educational programs, and that the findings are relevant across public and private schools, as well as nonprofits and community programs." - Esther Mellinger Stief, Crossroads Executive Director

 

Click the following links for other resources regarding this report: