It’s been 25 years since John Moore graduated from high school, and now the Sharpsburg resident is eager to complete his college degree.
He is enrolled at Community College of Allegheny County to earn a paraprofessional certification. His expected commencement date is early 2027.
Moore, 43, got some help with financing his education through the Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization and the Triboro Paid Career Training Program.
The nonprofit, in conjunction with the Triboro Ecodistrict, is doling out stipends — $100 a week, up to $1,000 — for people starting college or seeking a career training program such as the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, Bidwell Training Center and others.
“We’re excited to provide these stipends and be able to help residents of Sharpsburg, Etna and Millvale focus on the things that matter to them when getting an education,” said Jodi Klebick, executive director of the neighborhood organization.
“These are stipends, not scholarships. So instead of competing based on academics, this is a different kind of meaningful and equitable way to help give residents a leg up in advancing their education and career.”
Funded by The Neighborhood Partnership Program through the state Department of Community and Economic Development, the stipends can be used for needs such as tuition, books, computers or transportation.
Moore said he came out of high school “with no urge to go on for more education at that time.”
Instead, he spent the past two decades in the restoration trade. Injuries were a routine part of the job, however, and they took a toll.
He also has found a new passion.
An ABC Transit bus driver for special-needs students in the Fox Chapel Area School District, Moore said he wants to make a full-time career of working with life-skills classes.
The stipend from the Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization helped him buy a computer and some of the books he needs for college.
“I bought a backpack, too,” he said. “A lot of towns don’t have a place like that to help you with things as an adult, so it was really great.”
Klebick said access to meaningful, well-paying jobs remains one of the most powerful pathways out of poverty.
“However, traditional career training and higher education pathways are often out of reach for low- and moderate-income residents due to financial, familial or scheduling constraints,” she said.
The Triboro Ecodistrict, which consists of Klebick’s group, New Sun Rising in Millvale and the Etna Economic Development Corporation, is in its fourth year of dishing out the stipends. The group gets 12 a year — there are five up for grabs through July.
“This is for anybody,” she said. “Any person, any age, who is going back to school for trades, college or a certification program.”
The group plans to apply for another round of 12 stipends this fall.
“We aim to create a pipeline of skilled, community-connected professionals ready to contribute to the long-term resilience and prosperity of the Triboro Ecodistrict,” Klebick said. “By continuing to invest in people, we are building not only individual capacity, but also community resilience and shared prosperity.”