Through funding from The Heinz Endowments, Communities
of Excellence works in collaboration with multiple community partners to align
and focus energy, activities, and programs on supporting the transition into
kindergarten. Built upon the lessons learned from the Family Centers of
Excellence project, an earlier grant to enhance kindergarten readiness, this
project expands efforts to all children in the Hill and Northview communities,
and works in collaboration with Pittsburgh Public Schools, neighborhood and
school leaders, community parents and other residents. The purpose is to
facilitate and integrate community wide school readiness, transition to school,
and parent involvement strategies to establish a strong foundation for school
success.