Fwd: July Executive Director Update

Update from the Executive Director "Look what I made, Mom! All by myself!"   Those six words have stayed with me, since Marcus proudly walked out of The Pittsburgh Project holding a cardboard puppet he had created in the DreamLab. He had named his creation "Rex." Made from cardboard, markers, glue, and a whole lot of imagination - it may have looked like a simple summer project to most people, but to his parents it meant something much more.   A few days later, his mom shared with us that Marcus has often struggled with art and fine motor skills and works with an occupational therapist during the school year. Creative projects haven't always come easily for him, and they have often left him feeling discouraged. But on this day, everything was different.   He couldn't wait to show her what he had made. He wasn't just proud of the puppet - he was proud of himself. She told us she was moved to tears. As a parent myself, I could picture exactly what that moment must have felt like. As I reflected on her note, I realized that those six words captured something much bigger than one project.   "Look what I made... all by myself."   That's what discovering confidence sounds like. As I think back on this summer, I realize that Marcus' story wasn't an isolated moment. It was a theme woven throughout our classrooms, electives, playgrounds, and hallways.   A few days ago, I asked one of our middle school students, I'll call her Sarah, how summer camp had been going. Her answer wasn't polished or rehearsed. She simply started telling me about everything she had experienced.   "I enjoyed painting in art, playing Connect Four with friends, and learning how to change a tire, replace spark plugs, and change the oil in our Megatronics elective. We created a water balloon launcher in science class with Dr. Fox, and we also tried miracle berries that made sour foods taste sweet."   As she talked, I couldn't help but smile. She wasn't giving me a report about summer camp. She was remembering a summer filled with curiosity, laughter, friendships, and opportunities to try something she had never done before.   That same spirit showed up in one of our newest electives this summer: fencing. After the program ended, the instructor shared how impressed she was by the focus, discipline, teamwork, and determination she saw in the young men she worked with. She wrote about Jalen, who began the class hesitant and unsure of himself but gradually embraced the challenge and approached each lesson with growing confidence. She also highlighted Malik, whose steady focus and encouragement naturally made him a leader among his peers.   Reading her reflection reminded me that every student who walks through our doors brings different gifts, experiences, personalities, and challenges.   Our job is to foster a community where young people can discover the gifts God has already placed within them.   When I think about these stories together, I don't really think they're about the DreamLab, fencing, science experiments, or learning to change a tire. They're about creating the kind of place where young people feel safe enough to try something new, make mistakes without fear of failure, discover abilities they didn't know they had, and simply have the freedom to be kids. In other words, they're about building community.   Our mission at The Pittsburgh Project is Sharing Hope, Empowering Youth, and Building Community. This summer reminded me that those aren't three separate ideas. We share hope when a child begins to believe, "Maybe I really can do this." We empower youth by creating opportunities to learn, create, lead, serve, and grow. We build community by creating a place where every young person is known, valued, encouraged, and loved.   I often find myself wondering what Pittsburgh will look like twenty years from now. Some of the children who filled our building with laughter this summer will become teachers, business owners, parents, pastors, nonprofit leaders, and neighbors. Some may even return to The Pittsburgh Project as many already have. We don't know exactly where their journeys will lead. But we do know this. Strong neighborhoods are built by young people who know they matter. Communities flourish when children grow up believing they have gifts to offer and people who believe in them.   That's why a cardboard puppet named Rex matters. That's why learning to fence matters. That's why changing a tire, painting a mural, or launching a water balloon matters. Because those activities are never the destination. They are opportunities for young people to discover who God created them to be.   As another summer comes to a close, my heart is full of gratitude. I'm grateful to the families who entrusted us with their children. I'm grateful to our staff and elective instructors who poured their creativity, patience, encouragement, and love into every day of this summer. And I'm grateful for each of you. Whether you volunteer, pray, give financially, or simply believe in this work, you are helping create a community where young people experience hope, discover confidence, and build relationships that can shape the rest of their lives.   Thank you for partnering with us in this mission.   Together, we are helping create a place where children have the freedom to be kids, the courage to make mistakes, the confidence to discover their gifts, and the opportunity to grow into the neighbors, leaders, and community builders our city will need for generations to come. Blessings, Rick Mason Executive Director Sent by The Pittsburgh Project