ECA's Areas of Work
The Office of Engagement and Community Affairs (ECA) is Pitt’s home for people who focus on relationships, helping the University and our neighbors work side by side in ways that are welcoming, clear, and built to last.
ECA supports place-based partnerships, lifelong learning, neighborhood programs, and opportunities for the Pitt community to be good neighbors and active volunteers.
Strategic Initiatives and Community Affairs
Connecting ECA’s place-based work with the University’s broader institutional strategy and advancing Pitt’s role as a partner of choice across Oakland and the region, as well as serving as the home for the Pitt United Way campaign and employee volunteerism support.
Learning and Development
Cross-institutional efforts to produce and amplify unique resources, programming, and initiatives that support community-engaged scholarship projects and the advancement of engaged scholars at Pitt and within our broader communities.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
A dedicated, nurturing intellectual environment for older adults (age 50 and better) that offers hundreds of enriching courses, lectures, tours and other opportunities for social interaction and engagement throughout the year.
Neighborhood Commitments
Pitt’s flagship place-based community partnerships in the Homewood, Hill District, Greater Hazelwood, and Oakland neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, which provide long-term commitments of staffing, infrastructure and coordination to facilitate mutually beneficial collaborations between Pitt and the local community.
K-8 Education and Enrichment
A collection of unique education programs and services, including in-school tutoring and out-of-school time programming, provided by Pitt student tutors to K-8 students in Pitt’s Neighborhood Commitment communities.
What we focus on
Growing strong, enduring partnerships
We help turn first meetings into long‑term relationships where people stay at the table together, share decisions, and keep coming back to the work year after year.
Sharing leadership and participation
We create spaces where community partners, campus colleagues, and learners of all ages can shape priorities, co‑design programs, and see their ideas reflected in what we do.
Making connection and navigation easier
We serve as a central guide, helping community organizations, Pitt employees, and students find the right person, program, or pathway—so less time is spent knocking on doors and more time is spent getting work done.
Learning across the lifespan
Through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the Gismondi Neighborhood Education Program, we support learning that stretches from childhood through older adulthood, in classrooms, neighborhoods, and community spaces.
Being a good neighbor
We help Pitt employees engage in public service and volunteer opportunities, encouraging a culture where giving time, attention, and care to our neighbors is part of everyday life at the University.
How we show up
- As connectors, we introduce the right people at the right time and help build networks that feel welcoming and accessible.
- As consultants and coaches, we support partners in designing meetings, projects, and programs that invite broad participation and shared leadership.
- As capacity builders, we offer tools, training, and conversation so that more people at Pitt feel ready and confident to work with communities.
- As contributors, we stay involved—sharing our time, presence, and support so we are working alongside partners, not just watching from the sidelines.