Third Civic Leadership Academy

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced that applications are available for the City’s third Civic Leadership Academy (CLA), a free 10-week course designed to educate residents about local government in the City of Pittsburgh.

Beginning September 14, and ending November 16, participants will attend weekly sessions focusing on different City departments and the services they provide to make for a safer, more livable City. City directors will develop their sessions with tours, hands-on demonstrations, and fun activities to provide an up-close and personal view of how their department helps to operate the City.

The program consists of 10 consecutive sessions on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Session topics include city organization and vision; budgeting processes; city planning and economic development; public works and parks services; the protection of water and rivers; public safety efforts, and more. At the conclusion of the course, the Mayor will lead a graduation ceremony where participants will be awarded certificates.

Students are expected to participate in a group, participant-led service project at the conclusion of the course. This project will build on the knowledge gained in the sessions, address a need in the City of Pittsburgh, and be completed within six months of the graduation ceremony. Past service projects have included planting native plants at the Larimer Community Garden and launching a recycling awareness campaign at community festivals across the City.

Applicants to the program must be at least 18-years-old and live within Pittsburgh City limits and/or be a business owner who operates a business within Pittsburgh City limits. Applications are due by 5 p.m., August 3. For more information and to apply for the Civic Leadership Academy visit www.pittsburghpa.gov/servepgh/cla/.

Mayor's Neighborhood Newsletter

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Mayor Attends Career Fair

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl presented a proclamation to Rick Flanagan, director of youth development for the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation and manager of the Eastside Neighborhood Employment Center, at yesterday's "Medical Career Exploration Fair" at the Kingsley Association in Larimer. At the fair, hundreds of young people and adults attended workshops on medical careers and met with representatives of schools and hospitals. They were also able to use a mobile computer lab to search online for available positions with UPMC.

Groundbreaking in Garfield Tomorrow!

You are invited to a groundbreaking by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation for the third phase of the Garfield Homeownership Choice housing development. This is the $2.2 million, third phase of Garfield Homeownership Choice, a 50-unit, multi-phase, single family for-sale housing development in Garfield. Real estate agents will be on hand to discuss housing opportunities in this development.

When: 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Where: 4918 Broad Street, Garfield, 15224
Speakers: Luke Ravenstahl: Mayor, City of Pittsburgh; Aggie Brose: Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation; Rob Stephany: Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.

Summit on Economic Stimulus Package Draws Crowd

On March 23, local officials and organizations met to discuss where President Obama's stimulus money will be distributed in Pittsburgh. More than 200 people attended the event, which included an appearance by Mayor Ravenstahl. The economic stimulus package "summit" was convened by the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation (BGC's Youth Development Director Rick Flanagan is pictured at the podium) and took place at West Penn Hospital in Friendship.

The Mayor Comes to Penn Avenue

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl toured Penn Avenue in Garfield, Bloomfield, and Friendship this morning as part of his "Taking Care of Business" initiative. The tour is designed to identify how the city can help revitalize different neighborhoods with signage, trees, and other improvements. With the mayor was Bloomfield-Garfield Corp. executive director Rick Swartz (with camera).