June 23, 2025 Public Source Survey Seeks Responses on Federal Cuts to Summer Programs Public Source is calling on Pittsburgh residents to respond to a survey regarding how they are handling federal cuts that are affecting summer and out-of-school time programs. Learn More Public Source says it’s seeking input from area residents to gain insight on how they are handling the summer with federal cuts affecting everything from summer out-of-school programs to parks. The survey asks how the cuts are affecting residents’ summer plans, and the publication notes that responses could be used in future articles. For further context, read Public Source’s recent article, “Pittsburgh After-School Programs Left Scrambling as Federal Funding Cuts Hit the Region.” Public Source’s survey on the matter is available online.
March 4, 2025 Public Source: Tutoring Program Makes Reading Fun to Bridge Literacy Gap An initiative of the Learning Disabilities Association of Pennsylvania (LDA) is incorporating everything from movement to sandboxes and balls to make reading fun and, in the process, bridge the literacy gap for low-income students, Public Source wrote in a recent report. Learn More The LDA’s reading intervention initiative is divided into two programs: Early literacy tutoring, which offers group learning for children who need help reading between kindergarten and second grade One-on-one reading intervention for students of any age State and city statistics show that the LDA initiative is needed. Pennsylvania fourth graders who were kindergarteners at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic scored lower in reading than fourth graders in 2019, Public Source reported. And third-grade reading proficiency is at 46.2% – which is 1.6% lower than last year – in Pittsburgh Public Schools’ largest school district. A Multi-sensory Approach LDA’s reading programs use a multi-sensory approach that incorporates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses to aid reading, Public Source reported. Students in Taylor Erickson’s class at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Hill District branch take part in “sky-writing.” They are encouraged to stand up, wiggle their bodies, and use their arms like pencils to trace letters. For more information on the LDA initiative, which provides free tutoring for both reading programs, read Public Source’s story.
September 22, 2021 Free or Reduced-Cost Lead Testing Individuals who have concerns about lead levels in their water supply may be eligible to receive free or reduced-cost assessments of paint, dust, soil, and water. Obtaining an Assessment As part of the local “Get the Lead Out, Pittsburgh” initiative, coordinated by the nonprofit Women for a Healthy Environment, individuals may be eligible for a free or reduced-cost lead risk assessment. Fill out this form to register. The Allegheny County Health Department also provides some free resources to qualifying households. These resources include blood lead level testing for children who are uninsured or underinsured and free full home lead assessments for households with children whose blood lead levels are elevated by the Center for Disease Control’s standards (above 5 ppb). The ACHD’s “Get Ahead of Lead” resource list contains more information and instructions for who to contact. Additional Information Individuals who are not able to qualify for free or reduced-cost can access a list of water authorities that said they offer or help to facilitate residential drinking water tests. Public Source Pittsburgh has information on how to read these findings and private companies who perform lead tests.
