400 NORTH LEXINGTON AVE
PITTSBURGH, PA 15208
(412) 371-3689 (P)
(412) 371-0792 (F)

Programs & Initiatives Overview

The following section provides a listing of the current major CEA intervention programs and initiatives:

African American Leadership Institute

Vision of the African American Leadership Institute
The African-American Leadership Institute seeks to assist Black boys in developing dreams that can transform themselves and communities. We believe saving Black boys lives requires loving mentorship from elders, adults, and skilled professionals in the Black community and Pittsburgh community at large. The African-American Leadership Institute believes that this mentorship has to be targeted with three life contexts: life purpose, life mission, and life-work. First life context seeks to assist the student in developing a life purpose. The development of a life purpose requires students engage in an autobiographical reflection process to understand the following: who they were, who they are, and who they want to be. Reflecting on the aforementioned questions allows students to identify their talents and construct a communal and individual dream. In the second life context, students will begin to develop a plan for their life. The development of a life plan requires the African-American Institute provide students with educative experiences in that allows participation to pursue career fields of their choice and other information that will enrich their career interests. The desired outcome is for students envision what life would be like within the career field. In the last life context, life-work, students will participate in job shadowing exercises and service learning activities. These activities will provide students with the chance to understand requirements of their career fields and how they can enact societal change through their career field. The African-American Leadership Institute will provide students with the aforementioned activities through weekly workshops, conferences, servant leader activities.

Mission Statement
The African-American Leadership Institute is in the struggle to assist in the development of strong Black males. Students will participate in an educational experience that allows students to develop a life plan within three core areas—life purpose, life mission, and life work. In addition, students will be provided with mentors that will assist them in developing their life plan. At the end of the program, students will be able to articulate and enact life-plan on a short-term and long-term basis.

Goals of the African-American Leadership Institute

  • Life Purpose
    • To assist students in understanding their talents
    • To assist students in developing a vision based on their talents.

  • Life Mission
    • To provide students with learning opportunities to develop skills and experiences to advance their personal vision.
    • To provide students with learning opportunities to develop skills and experience to assist them in serving their communities, city, state, nation, and world.

  • Lifework
    • To create opportunities where students are able to engage in community service activities.
    • To provide students with the opportunity to participate in job-shadowing activities.

Students Aimed for Excellence (SAFE)

The major CEA paradigm for truancy prevention/intervention is through our program called Students Aimed for Excellence (SAFE) includes: (1) provision of comprehensive, flexible, responsive, and preservation focused intervention; (2) viewing of our young participants in the context of their families; (3) dealing with families as parts of neighborhoods and communities; (4) provision of services by competent and committed staff members; and (5) based on mutual trust and respect, building strong relationships with participants, families and schools. The goals of the SAFE program are to:

  • Reduce tardiness,
  • Increase, improve school attendance,
  • Improve behavior and attitude towards school,
  • Increase family/caregiver involvement,
  • Reconnect youth to school, family and community, and
  • Improve parenting skills.

Safe Passage (An Afterschool Diversion Program)

The major goal of Safe Passage program is to strengthen protective factors for keeping children healthy and well by working with youth, parents and families. More specifically, CEA's Safe Passage program provides: (a) a safe, educational, and culturally appropriate program for children and youth; (b) therapeutic support, and life skills training to help children cope with complex issues define values, and develop strong self-esteem; and (c) community enhancement services to alleviate environmental factors that can effect social, cognitive, and emotional behaviors of our school age participants.

Community Wellness Initiative

CEA's Community Wellness Initiative is a holistic therapeutic program to support the wellness of children, adults and families in comfortable and natural community settings.　The goal of this culturally specific initiative is to foster an environment of empowerment for youth and their families to determine and advocate for their needs, improve their health and pursue their aspirations.　In an effort to provide more comprehensive services CEA's Community Wellness Initiative is designed first and foremost as a community-based collaborative system that includes health care providers, community and faith based organizations, schools, and other community leadership. It also incorporates a family-centered partnership -- trusting, collaborative, working partnership with families, respecting their diversity and recognizing their special needs in a culturally and appropriate manner.

The objectives of this initiative are to:

  1. Assess the physical and mental wellness in community members
  2. Reduce psychological distress
  3. Increase the knowledge of socially acceptable norms
  4. Provide an immediate level of intervention in the broader community
  5. Build trust
  6. Address family needs
  7. Facilitate recovery and interdependence

CEA's ability to address these chronic complex issues are greatly enhanced by its organizational mission, sensitivity to the needs of lower-income households, and understanding of the ways that culture influences an individual's connections to his/her community, i.e., common heritage, common experiences, common culture, and shared emotional bonds.

The overall commitment of this invaluable initiative is to strengthen the social functioning and resiliency of youth and family members who are currently underserved and/or hesitant to use traditional social service treatment services.

Brother to Brother Leadership Forum

Major goals of the Brother to Brother Leadership Forum are to enhance community and neighborhood safety, improve quality education in our communities, develop political and legal expertise, improve community wellness including mental, physical, and behavioral wellness, and economic development and economic self-sufficiency. This project shares breakfast every month to provide an opportunity for men and young males to talk and plan activities that will provide mentoring opportunities for the youth.

Brother-to-Brother is also actively engaged in conducting community-wide initiatives. Selected examples of such initiatives are as follows:

  1. The Day of Black Male Solidarity - occurs annually since 2007 - over 600 Black men and youth gathered to renew their vow to unite and address community needs.

  2. The All Guns Down - kickoff weekends within targets neighborhoods where there is widespread violence - spent in engaging youth in a midnight basketball tournament/dialogue, bike ride for peace rally, bike & car show competition, and community forums to encourage black youth to put "all guns down" and join in promoting "jobs not jail". This on-going campaign is directly initiated in neighborhoods suffering from violence. This campaign has occurred in two Allegheny County Neighborhoods and has attracted over 600 youth and adults.

  3. Jobs Not Jail Campaign - campaign which encourages service providers & businesses to attend our events to recruit Black youth for jobs. The numbers of Black youth currently incarcerated in Western Pennsylvania are severely disproportionate. One solution to this dire situation is to create opportunities for gainful employment for youth versus the illicit activities that ensnare many young people. Youth are encouraged to contact their local and state officials asking them to support living wages, jobs for youth, anti-gun legislation and to address disparities in sentencing and incarceration rates.

  4. Youth Fishing Trip - a mentoring opportunity for youth and adults, encouraging communication and dialogue.

  5. Baltimore Black Wax Museum Trip - a historical and cultural awareness mentoring activity. Families who have lost loved ones through urban violence are specifically invited to the above initiatives so that the community can understand the depth and nature of this scourge that plagues many of our communities. Additionally, all community members, elected officials and school officials are invited so that they can tackle this formidable issue as a unified community determined to stop the senseless killing that has affected so many families across the Greater Pittsburgh region.

Sister to Sister Leadership Forum

Parallel to The Brother to Brother leadership Forum, the Sister to Sister Leadership Forum's goals are also to enhance community and neighbor safety, improve quality education in our communities, develop political and legal expertise, improve community wellness including mental, physical, and behavioral wellness, and economic development and economic self-sufficiency. The mission of the Sister to Sister Leadership Forum is to empower and motivate women to effect and create changes that will improve the quality of life for themselves, their families and their communities.

The Black Family Reunion Festival

Since 2003, CEA has been sponsoring the Black Family Reunion as an opportunity for Allegheny County residents to come together for two days to celebrate the Black Family. It has been extremely well attended over the years and there have been no incidents of violence reported. It serves as a testimony to the fact that African Americans from many different walks of life can come together and enjoy each other without violence. The festival of 2011 themed "Promoting Urban Peace, Justice and Empowerment," took place August 5th, 6th and 7th at Schenley Park where concerts, keynote speakers, and open dialogues for both youth and adults took place. Workshops took place focusing on political action, credit restoration, homeownership, health, reading readiness, social responsibility, violence prevention, community leadership, and self-sufficiency. Over 10,000 people from many communities throughout Allegheny County came together, without incidence, to enjoy 3 days of recreation, entertainment, relaxation, education, & networking.

Annual Community Kwanzaa Celebration

The visions and values of Kwanzaa revolve around the practice of five fundamental activities which celebrate and reinforce family, community, and culture. Kwanzaa historically has always been a time to reflect, socialize, share information, and celebrate accomplishments collectively. Each year CEA honors outstanding community residents who are committed to working towards the positive transformation of African Americans and the betterment of our communities. As noted previously, Kwanza which has been held annually since 1996 and is continually participated by over 500 community residents, key leaders, public service officials, and local media.

CEA Maintenance Group

A business initiative created for the empowerment of qualified community residents for hire in maintaining residential and commercial properties through landscaping, painting, cleaning, snow removal and hauling. Emphasis is placed on hiring and training community residents that have a difficult time obtaining gainful employment due to qualifications, prison records, etc.

Pre-Apprentice Training in Construction & Property Maintenance

A newly formed workforce development initiative in collaboration with Ma'at Construction Group to prepare youth between the ages of 15 and 21 for apprenticeships in construction and property maintenance which entails greenspace development, environmental improvement and weatherization. The 12-week curriculum includes construction theory, blueprint reading, computer training, math, tools, greenspace development, weatherization, communication skills, workplace safety, career planning, mentoring and lifeskills. The initiative targets disadvantaged youth in low-income communities plagued by drugs and gun violence, and is designed to: (1) Increase employment opportunities in the construction and property maintenance fields, as well as (2) Serve as a deterrent to selling drugs and committing violent acts.

Hip-Hop Academy

The Hip-Hop Academy (HHA) is a twenty week program hosted by CEA at the Community Empowerment Recording Studio. The HHA consists of workshops held every Monday and Wednesday, focusing on the subjects of Hip-Hop music production, song writing, recording, and the components of the music business. Each week, students participate in interactive activities that introduce them to specific areas of expertise that they are encouraged to study and master. The HHA also incorporates community outreach and volunteering activities to give students a well rounded education related to the utilization of skills learned in the Hip-Hop music genre to better their lives and the communities where they reside. Students who complete these educational workshops and introductory training sessions will develop practical skills and strategies for making a living in the local and international music industry.

Saturday Academy

The purpose of the Academy is to provide extra educational support as well as personal growth and development activities necessary for youth to maximize their opportunities and rise to their full potential. Participants receive assistance in math and reading and then participate in creative writing, media production, entrepreneurship, jewelry making, and hip-hop seminars. Participants also attend CEA forums that may be in progress.

Presidential Pledge

The Presidential Pledge Initiative is a campaign sponsored by CEA to raise the expectation of youth's social development. It calls for youth to be mindful of their social and civic responsibility to themselves, their peers, neighbors, senior citizens and those that face a larger disadvantage. It also calls on them to assume more positive ways of life and working towards becoming more positive citizens in school, at home, and within their social environments. Youth accumulate points by attending leadership development forums and presidential pledge activities as well as conducting community and volunteering services. Accumulated points can be redeemed for college or vocational school scholarships, local concert tickets, studio time and gift cards. The goal of this program is for youth to claim an active part in making a positive difference in our region, the United States and the world.