By Liza Wilson - 11th Grade, Oakland Catholic High School
Can Pittsburgh become the new Hollywood? Pittsburgh's fastest growing industry is film, and recently, blockbusters such as The Avengers (2012), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) and The Fault in Our Stars (2014) were filmed in the city. Many extremely popular movies have been shot here in the last few decades, Read more [...]

By Grace Jin - 12th Grade, North Allegheny Senior High School
Think of a typical teenager. What image comes to mind? A lazy, entitled, acne-battling rebel jaded with technology? Or a compassionate, creative, service-minded and motivated leader? Before attending RYLA, my answer would probably have been the lazy bum. The teenage years can be full of confusing expectations and uncertainty Read more [...]

By Jason Earle - 12th Grade, North Allegheny High School
During the Civil War, Arsenal Park in Lawrenceville served as a manufacturing and supply center, but 200 years later on August 8, 2015,  it was the venue for the Back to School Bash and Pittsburgh Maker Party. Capping off the summer, the event had food, games, and unique learning activities for students of all ages. Read more [...]

By Malyk Johnson - 12th Grade, Allderdice High School
As students from Wilkinsburg TIGERS ran into the cafeteria on Monday morning, they crowded around a table and eagerly discussed the latest video games and TV shows.  I was reminded of my days in summer camps as a young kid, which helped me keep in touch with friends over the summer months and provided Read more [...]

By Maura Sheedy - 12th Grade, Oakland Catholic High School Teenage years are crucial to forming an identity. With increased freedom and a newfound perspective of the world, a teen's identity is constantly shifting and changing. Many find themselves questioning who they are or who they want to be, especially during a time when things are suddenly not-so-clear and the future is even more uncertain. Read more [...]

By Emma Paulini - 11th Grade, Fox Chapel Area High School "Crossing Fences" is an oral history program connecting generations of African-American boys and men as mentors within their communities, as well as teaching the teens audio creation skills and goal achievement.  The session the week of July 27 was in Braddock Read more [...]

By Tyler Baum - 12th Grade, K12 International Academy
Grow a Generation has a mission statement which reads: "Make meaningful projects possible." This simple phrase perfectly describes the goals of the organization's summer programs, which focus on innovation and real-world application through S.T.E.M. learning. During the week of July 20-24 Read more [...]

By Fiona Lubold - 11th Grade, North Hills Senior High School
30,000 high school students from every U.S. state arrived in Detroit on July 15 for the National Youth Gathering sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  About 300 of these students came from Pittsburgh, and I was one of them. Read more [...]

By Allison Spear - 11th Grade, Seneca Valley High School
Most kids dream of spending their summer relaxing by the pool, but for the participants of the Student Conservation Association (SCA) Summer Crews, summer is spent hard at work to better their community.  Since 1958, SCA has worked to protect and preserve Read more [...]

By Maura Sheedy - 12th Grade, Oakland Catholic High School
I have always thought that there should be no awards given for art.  I believe that art should speak to the viewer individually, and therefore, there really is no “best” art. Technique and talent can only go so far. I still am rooted in my beliefs, but after attending the Labsy Awards Read more [...]