28 28 a i d e M August Wilson Center h t l a e w

Vira I. Heinz Endowment board member and former n o m m

Pittsburgh Steelers football player Franco Harris dons o C a white hardhat and takes shovel in hand during the Oct. 19 groundbreak- ing ceremony for the August Wilson Center for African American 2006 Culture in downtown . Behind Governor’s Harris to the right, Conference Allegheny Councilman for Women Bill Robinson looks on. Scheduled to open . n o i

s in early 2008 at Liberty Avenue and 10th Street — once s i m r

e the site of a strip club, a tavern and a cluster of aging p Howard Heinz Endowment Chair Teresa Heinz, above right, confers with Marian h t i

w storefronts — the 65,000-square-foot building will

d Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, during e t n

i have a signature, ship-like sail design on its east side r

p the third annual Pennsylvania Governor’s Conference for Women on Sept. 14. e R

and a projected $35.9 million price tag. It also will . d

e Heinz and Edelman were among the speakers at the sold-out event held in v r meet the LEED— Leadership in Energy and e s e

r Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The conference attracted

s Environmental Design— standards of the U.S. Green t h g

i 5,000 people — a few men, including Gov. , could be spotted — r

l

l Building Council. a

, and had the highest attendance to date for the event, which previously had 6

0 Named after the late Pulitzer Prize–winning 0 2

, been held in Philadelphia.

e playwright, the Wilson Center will house a 500-seat t t e z In her remarks, Heinz told a luncheon audience that women, particularly a theater, 4,000 square feet of exhibition space, a café G - t s

o single women, should make their voices heard by voting. “There are so many P and education sections. The Endowments awarded a

h g r

u leaders and organizers and activists in this room today, so many causes worth

b four-year, $4 million grant in 2004 to help support s t t i

P fighting for that are represented here,” she said. “But I strongly believe that development of the facility, and has made other contri- , t h g i

r we can do nothing more important for the next six weeks than getting women

y butions totaling $666,750 for various operational and p o C programming costs. The cultural center organization we work with and advocate for to their polling places on Election Day.” has raised $27.4 million toward facility construction, Organizations can encourage single women to vote by providing them with with the bulk of the money coming from government non-judgmental information; focusing on issues that are important to women sources, the Endowments and the Richard King Mellon such as health care, economic security, education and child care; and remind- and Eden Hall foundations. It is going to the public ing them that their votes count, Heinz said. “Sometimes I’m not sure that we for the remaining amount. women truly understand how powerful a force for change we could be.” “The August Wilson Center highlights the contri- Breakout sessions at the conference covered topics such as leadership, butions of African Americans to American culture, the arts, entrepreneurship, community involvement and money management. a part of Pittsburgh’s cultural life and history that For the first time, more than $400,000 in continuing education scholarships, has not been adequately recognized in the past,” says developed in partnership with Pennsylvania colleges and universities, were Janet Sarbaugh, the Endowments’ Arts & Culture presented to women of all ages from across the state. Presented by Wachovia senior program director. “It also signals a greater Securities, the conference had a number of sponsors, including the Endowments. commitment in Pittsburgh to diversity and inclusion, and positions us as a 21st century community.” HOW WE SPENT OUR SUMMER VACATIONS 3

Heinz Endowments summer interns, from left, Sama, a home-school graduate who starts Claire Galpern, Sama Worthy and Justin Ferguson, Morgan State University next year; and Justin, meet with two local gardeners as part of their a Penn Hills High School graduate who’s now research on urban gardening programs. They a freshman at Pennsylvania State University, were among the 11 Allegheny County high school focused on urban gardening as a way to promote graduates who participated in the Endowments’ better health and nutrition. offices and then recommended grants for internship program, a nearly four-fold increase At the Forbes Funds, Sewickley Academy programs designed to meet human needs. from last year’s roster. graduate Rasheda Vereen, now an Amherst Projects that emphasized youth engagement This year, the foundation supported the College freshman; Terrel Andrews, of Shady were a priority for the interns. They researched work of interns based at the Forbes Funds and Side Academy, now at the University of North issues, reviewed proposals and made site visits. North Hills Community Outreach as well as at Carolina at Charlotte; and Matthew Kurs-Lasky, In response to the Endowments-based interns’ the Endowments. The funds available for the of Allderdice High School, now a freshman at the work, $15,000 grants were awarded to three students’ grant making also jumped significantly, University of Maryland, reviewed projects designed community projects that involved youth in urban from $100,000 to $150,000. to promote living, working and playing in Pittsburgh. gardening. The Forbes Funds team recommended And although the venues and funding targets The North Hills Community Outreach interns grants ranging from $3,500 to $14,795 for six varied, each team performed rigorous, thoughtful —Jessica Slean, of Deer Lakes, now enrolled projects that help engage youth in the community grant making. “The results of the summer were at St. Mary’s College; Mike Zerega, of Central in ways that should make them more likely to so positive that we hope to expand the program Catholic, now at Ohio State University; John stay in the Pittsburgh area long-term. The 15 further next year,” said Children, Youth & Families Bojarski, of Shaler High, now at Duquesne grants awarded as a result of the North Hills Program Officer Wayne Jones, who coordinates University; Elaine Healy, of North Allegheny High, Community Outreach interns’ efforts ranged from the internship program. now at Ohio University; and Christina Binz, of $450 to $5,000 and funded projects such as Claire, who finished Schenley High Shaler High, now at Penn State University— after-school programs and checks to help elderly School and is attending Swarthmore College; worked at the nonprofit organization’s branch or disabled homeowners pay their heating bills. s n Pennsylvania Department of inspection, with worn patches in the grass and cracks o m m i Conservation and Natural in the walkways. s z t i F Resources Secretary Michael The new look envisioned for the park includes a n e l l e DiBerardinis, shown right, unveils seating area around the fountain; a wading area for chil- u S a giant mock-up of a $25 million dren; a restored promenade along the rivers with steps check at the Oct. 11 announce- into the water; two water taxi landings and dock tie-ups ment of the state’s contribution for boats and kayaks; sculptural installations that inter- to the renovation of Pittsburgh’s pret the park’s history, indigenous cultures and natural Point State Park. Other civic resources; and pathways for cycling and rollerblading. leaders at the event included The Endowments has contributed nearly $1.3 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, left center; Esther Bush, million toward planning and design for the park POINT president and CEO of the Urban League of Pittsburgh, renovation. The amount includes $255,000 recently right center; and Heinz Endowments President Maxwell awarded to the on Community King, right background. Development for the historical interpretation plans STATE The state’s four-year investment in the $35 million needed to ensure completion in time for the activities project is in addition to the $7.1 million in contracts scheduled in 2008 for the celebration of Pittsburgh’s for general contracting, plumbing and electrical work 250th anniversary. PARK awarded in September. “With this significant commitment from the A triangular plot of land at the confluence of the state, the 36-acre park can be restored and renewed,” Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, Point State says Mary Navarro, the Endowments’ senior program Park adds a distinctive contour to the city’s dramatic officer for Arts & Culture. “It will take its place in skyline. Its fountain, green lawn and tree-lined perime- modern Pittsburgh history and mark the time that ter make an appealing picture from a distance, but the the city sought to re-establish itself with its greatest park’s need of rehabilitation is apparent on closer physical attribute, its rivers.”