Unique opportunity to research the impacts of racial and economic segregation in Pittsburgh's public schools
The Ambassadors for Civic Engagement (ACE) Fellowship provides an opportunity for graduate students to apply their education and skills to contribute to and improve the quality of life of people living in the Pittsburgh region through a long-term experiential fellowship with a community partner that works in public policy, governance, community organizing and activism, or philanthropy.
Pittsburgh Public Schools is facing a projected enrollment decline of over 6,000 students over the next 10 years. Its current enrollment of 18,652 K-12 students is over 4,000 students less than in 2016-17. Yet, the current functional capacity of existing school buildings is 39,655 (over twice the capacity needed for the current number of students).
The current concentration of school children to economic disadvantage and race impacts student learning and outcomes for various reasons. Two graduate-level ACE Fellows worked as a team with this year's community partner to conduct qualitative research on the impacts of racial and economic segregation in Pittsburgh's public schools and leverage a human-centered design approach to discern what families, community leaders, neighborhood development organizations, and students across racial and economic lines want from their schools to create a school system that is diverse by design.
2023-2024 Community Partner
The Institute of Politics, Elsie Hillman Civic Forum has partnered with A+ Schools this year.
Project Mentor
Graham Mulqueen
Outreach Manager and Special Assistant to the Executive Director
A+ Schools
Project Deliverables
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Investigate and conduct qualitative research (empathy interviews)
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Develop a white paper that will allow policymakers, funders, and parents to understand potential pitfalls for redesigning the choice patterns and feeder patterns in PPS (and potential Allegheny County) towards a more just distribution of resources and opportunities.
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Provide updates on the A+ Schools website
When was this fellowship offered?
Meet the 2023-2024 ACE Fellows
Noah Manalo is a life-long resident of the South Hills of Pittsburgh. After graduating Upper St. Clair High School, Noah earned a B.A. in Religious Studies and Spanish from the University of Pittsburgh in April of 2019. For about three years before starting law school, Noah worked at Holy Family Institute on Ohio River Boulevard, first as a Youth Care Worker in its Journey of Hope program and then as a teacher for its school Nazareth Prep. Noah is currently a joint J.D.-M.P.A. student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law of Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Noah has also completed an M.Ed. in Teaching and Leadership at Point Park University. Noah is passionate about the law and education policy, and he hopes to use his education and work experience to affect education policy in the Greater Pittsburgh Area and beyond.
Noah enjoys spending times of fellowship with his wife, family, and friends. He serves as a worship music leader for two churches in Pennsylvania. He enjoys playing and writing music, reading, studying languages, and playing tennis, hockey, and golf. However, his greatest joy comes from worshipping God with gratitude in his heart (Col. 3:16)!
China McEachron is a third-year law student at the University of Pittsburgh. She received her B.A. in Strategic Communication from Temple University. Prior to law school, she worked for the Law Offices of Berney & Sang, and the MaST Community Charter School II in Philadelphia. She came to law school with an interest in equity in public school funding, youth advocacy, and exclusionary discipline practices.
This past summer, she interned with the Education Law Center, conducting research for their exclusionary discipline team and Black Girls Education Justice Initiative previously worked as a law clerk in the City Law Department and as a graduate intern at Highmark Health. During the 2022-23 school year, she worked with high school students to prepare them for the Marshall Brennan Moot Court Competition and Conference. China also served as the vice president of the Black Law Students Association, as a member of the Christian Legal Society, and a teaching fellow for the Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project.
China hopes to learn more from students and families about the issues public school students face and how attorneys can assist their needs. In her spare time, she is a volunteer for Moms on the Mount, and a children's ministry volunteer for Steel City Church.