News

August 4, 2026

Reading Ready Pittsburgh Working to Expand Regional Participation in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Reading Ready Pittsburgh and the city of Pittsburgh are working together to expand participation in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL), a book-gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age 5.

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The program sends the free, age-appropriate books to children who live in the city as well as those living in 20 additional ZIP codes.

Each DPIL subscription begins with a copy of the classic children’s story, “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper. There are no household income requirements to take part in the program, and enrollment only takes a few minutes.

Those interested in taking part in the program can check eligibility and register online on Reading Ready Pittsburgh’s website.

“This is a great program,” said Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor in an Instagram post about DPIL. “Reading is very important, especially at a very young age – and we want to provide free books to as many kids across the city as we possibly can. It’s very simple to sign up. I just did it in a couple of minutes.”

Caregivers interested in enrolling their child in the program should:

Submit an official registration form, completely filled out by the authorized adult.
Notify Reading Ready Pittsburgh any time your address changes.
Read the book selections with your child.

Books will begin arriving about eight to 10 weeks after the registration form has been received. Households will continue to receive one book per month until the registered child turns age 5.

News

August 3, 2026

Allegheny County Organizations Hold Back to School Giveaways and Activities

Allegheny County caregivers with children who are starting school later this month can choose from several upcoming back-to-school events that include backpack giveaways and fun activities.

Sto-Rox Back-to-School Event

A back-to-school event will be held on Friday, August 14 at the Sto-Rox Football Field in Mckees Rocks.

The event will run from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will include performances by the Little Viking Cheerleaders and Father Ryans Arts Center Dancing Soldiers. It will also include community kick ball, a potato bag race, a Bounce house, face painting, hair cuts, nails, free book bags, produce, hot dogs and hamburgers, games, prizes, and entertainment.

Free book bags will be available. The football field is located at 1105 Valley Street in McKees Rocks.

Kindergarten Here I Come

Rising kindergartners and their families can explore arts activities and gather educational resources during this event, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, August 15, at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.

Kindergarten Here I Come is free for fall 2026 kindergarten students and one accompanying caregiver.

Some of the activities at the event include:

Climbing aboard a real school bus and meeting a cross guard
Trying readiness skills activities such as shoelace tying and zippering
Getting resources on everything from vaccinations and library assets to healthy lunches
Seeing “Rhea the Great Detective and the Case of the Mrs. Bearington,” an interactive children’s play that will perform at 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 12:15 p.m. in the Art Studio
Making backpack key chains and friendship bracelets
Exploring the Children’s Museum

Pittsburgh Friends

Pittsburgh Friends will hold a back-to-school event that features free backpacks and school supplies on Sunday, August 17 from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Monroeville Community Park – Pavilion #2.

The event will include free backpacks and school supplies, games, food, giveaways, encouragement for families and students, and support from more than 15 community churches and partners.

Wilkinsburg Borough School District Block Party and Luau

The Wilkinsburg Borough School District will hold its Community Back to School Block Party and Summer Luau on Thursday, August 20. The event, which runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Turner Intermediate (1833 Laketon Road), is a community celebration designed to bring students, families, staff, and community partners together to kick off the new school year.

With a vibrant Hawaiian luau theme, the event will feature music, games, food, educational resources, giveaways, and interactive activities that promote school pride, strengthen family engagement, and build positive relationships before the first day of school.

The goal of the event is to create an atmosphere where every child feels excited, supported, and connected to their school community while providing families with access to valuable community resources.

Those interested in attending can RSVP now.

News

Child Mind Institute Resources Focus on How to Calm Squabbling Siblings

Siblings can often be each other’s best friend, but a lot of time spent together over the summer can occasionally feel like too much. Squabbling can then become commonplace during long car rides or activities in which siblings are spending too much time together.

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The Child Mind Institute has put together a series of resources on what to do when siblings won’t stop fighting. The first step is to figure out if there is a pattern to the arguments, and then to set ground rules to help avoid conflict.

If one child keeps running to an adult to tattle, they should establish rules on when to tell an adult and when to resolve things on their own. Noticing when children are getting along and praising them for it helps to reinforce the desired behavior.

There are also tips for when there’s a new baby on the way or if a sibling has a mental health challenge. When a child is struggling, a sibling might often be the first to notice and can sound the alarm so that their brother or sister can get help.

Below are the Child Mind Institute’s resources:

News

Team of Fellows Design Tools to Strengthen Communication at Allegheny County School

A team of Learning Sciences Exchange (LSX) fellows have designed new tools to strengthen communication and relationships between families and an Allegheny County school.

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This past year, a team of fellows from LSX – a problem-solving platform focused on transforming education by applying the science of learning to help children thrive – took part in listening and feedback sessions with parents to design the tools. The fellows included two principals, a researcher, a journalist, an assistant superintendent, a social entrepreneur, and a children’s book author.

At Duquesne Elementary School, caregivers had been seeking support for a variety of needs, from housing and transportation to child care. In response, the LSX fellows team designed an interactive map of community resources that was translated into Spanish, Arabic, and Pashto, which are the most commonly spoken languages by English learners at the school.

The map includes a QR code that families can scan to access the community resource links, phone numbers, and directions.

A 2025 blog post titled “Designing Tools to Strengthen Communication and Relationships Between Families and Schools” described the fellows’ process in designing the map. It discusses how the project brought together individuals from typically siloed fields to build education solutions, and how the project was grounded in ideas raised by caregivers who had critiques and suggestions for improving communication.

The completed project can be accessed on the Duquesne Community Support Maps website.