EDUCATION
Using an iPad app, Colton Vazquez, a senior at Allderdice High School, works on a lesson in managing money with school paraprofessional Daryl Anderson. (Photo by Ryan Loew/PublicSource)

Meet Colton, a student with Down syndrome, who plans to take part in the wave of inclusive higher ed programs.

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This fall, Colton Vazquez, who has Down syndrome, will be one of a few thousand high school graduates attending college in a non-traditional yet quite regular way. These students will commute to their campuses or live in dorms, audit classes or take them for credit, become more independent and self-reliant, explore career interests and make new friends. In other words, they’ll be doing exactly what their fellow college students are doing.

Let's talk about RACE
Dr. Thomas Parran Jr. is a public health icon with a legacy marred by unethical behavior. The University of Pittsburgh is considering if Parran Hall should be renamed. (Photo by Mila Sanina/PublicSource)

Pitt leadership hears from experts, community on removing “racist, ugly” legacy from campus building

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Barely a half-mile from the controversial monument to Pittsburgh-born Stephen Foster — set for removal after being criticized for honoring racism — stands Parran Hall.

The University of Pittsburgh building is named after Dr. Thomas Parran Jr., a public health icon whose legacy is irrevocably tied to racist, unethical medical experiments.

food policy
James Dreher, a 25-year-old student from Carrick, pours marinara sauce into separate containers at Community Kitchen Pittsburgh on Feb. 13, 2018. (Photo by John Hamilton/PublicSource)

‘Doing food different’ connects elementary students with a Pittsburgh program training people with barriers to employment

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The Community Kitchen caters, cooks for people experiencing homelessness and has contracts to provide food to five Pittsburgh-area schools. The tension between training its cooks and providing high-quality meals can create challenges, especially as the organization grows. But the Community Kitchen’s success doesn’t only depend on its ability to deliver lunches on time. The food is healthier than typical school lunches, and it has to find schools that can get kids to eat it.

food policy
Cafeteria worker Linda Buck prepares to check out students eating breakfast at North Hills Middle School in Ross Township. (Photo by Katie Blackley/90.5 WESA)

From ‘Grab and Go’ to ‘Second Chance,’ school districts are getting creative with their breakfast options

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Compared to the rest of the United States, Pennsylvania’s school breakfast participation is low. A recent Food Research and Action Center report ranked the state 41st in the country for accessing free and reduced-price breakfast. But with grants and creativity, districts in the region can eventually reach their breakfast goals, says Chris West, Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank Child Nutrition Outreach Coordinator.