Debbie Pixton

With an increase in applications during the past several years, Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center (CWCTC) came up with a novel way to expand programming without expanding its own campus. Instead, it’s launching satellites on campuses of its sending districts. It’s also collaborating with the Westmoreland County Forum for Workforce Development, the Economic Growth […]

This September, leaders from seven school districts and one local nonprofit embarked on a professional learning experience to address challenges they face in supporting students. Through two professional development options – one 25-hour virtual course and one 50-hour in-person course – school and nonprofit leaders identify challenges and work with stakeholders in their own communities to […]

While the Consortium began as a nonprofit focused exclusively in the Mon Valley in Western Pennsylvania, our project-based learning (PBL) training and support continues to expand our reach beyond the Commonwealth.  In September, our PBL training team, Aaron Altemus and Christy Kuehn, kicked off a hybrid training series with a cohort of alternative education teachers, […]

What if educators invited students to co-design the career-ready learning experiences in their schools?   That question launched the Consortium’s Future Ready Leaders (FRL) program back in 2021. Over the next four years, hundreds of FRL students collaborated alongside teachers, counselors, and administrators to create meaningful, personalized learning experiences for kids K-12. The program is back […]

While many of the Consortium’s partner organizations have long and distinguished histories serving the region’s business community, we are fortunate that they are also interested in sharing their expertise with schools.  We are especially excited when these partners have programs and resources that meet the needs of both educators and students, providing valuable training and [...]

When Alexis Schutzman agreed to participate in the Consortium’s Partners in Learning (PIL) program as a way to fulfill her placement requirements for her degree in Early Childhood Education PreK-4 at Carlow University, she had no idea it would change her career trajectory so completely.  The PIL program connects college students with a high-needs school […]

The Student Sustainability Design Challenge (SSDC) is back again this year, with not one, but two regional programs in Western Pennsylvania.   The SSDC is a 5-month-long program for both middle and high school students, exposing them to careers in sustainability as they use project-based learning to develop solutions to local challenges in their communities. The […]

Starting in September, the Consortium is offering both of its design thinking Act 45 courses for school leaders. Each course focuses on the use of human-centered design to find and develop ways to strengthen student growth and achievement.  The two courses are also similar in that they encourage participants – as individuals or in district […]

As schools everywhere open for the fall and businesses find their employees back from vacations, now is the time to think about potential partnerships for the 2025-2026 school year. Offerings range from the highly curated to the very flexible and everything in between.  Take a look and see how you might find a partnership that […]

In February, members of East Allegheny School District’s administrative team met at the Consortium to launch their comprehensive planning. Superintendent Joe DiLucente, having invested in his team to learn human-centered design (HCD) through our courses, knew that he wanted to leverage those new tools in the way that they approached their planning process. To kick [...]