Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship

What a weekend! On Sunday, PHCSE staff, scholars, and their families laced up for the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community walking proud in support of the Advancing Youth Initiative, the philanthropic arm of .

All morning, community members stopped by our table to learn about our free adult workshops, educational resources, and our citywide Youth Pitch Competition for 7th and 8th grade scholars.

The energy was everything. We connected with neighbors, raised awareness, and showcased how Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship is advancing youth, strengthening families, and creating real pathways to the future.

The walk may be over, but the work isn't. Donations are still open through June 30: https://bit.ly/4fUy521

Every dollar fuels programs that empower youth, strengthen families, and expand educational and entrepreneurial opportunities right here in our community.

To everyone who walked, donated, stopped by, or shared the word: THANK YOU!

Please join us in congratulating the newly elected student leaders of the Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship National Junior Honor Society for the 2026–2027 school year!

Selected by their NJHS peers, these outstanding students have demonstrated the core pillars of NJHS: scholarship, , service, character, and citizenship.

✨ President: Ryanne Moriarty
✨ Vice President: Redah Badru
✨ Secretary: K’Ron Manigault
✨ Treasurer: Jaxen Cullens

We are proud to celebrate these young leaders and excited to see the positive impact they will bring to our school community in the year ahead.

Congratulations to all of our newly elected NJHS officers!

As we close out the 2025–2026 school year, this month’s newsletter celebrates the growth, resilience, creativity, and community that carried our scholars, families, and staff through an incredible year.

Inside this issue, families can find:

✨ A special year-end message from Dr. Leeper
📚 Updates on teaching, learning, and student growth
💡 Highlights from our young entrepreneurs and real-world learning experiences
📅 Important end-of-year dates, promotions, Field Day, and Kennywood Day details
🌱 Health, wellness, sustainability, and school community updates

Thank you to our families for walking alongside us this year. We are proud of how much our scholars have grown and excited to celebrate these final moments of the school year together.

Read the May Newsletter here:
https://sites.google.com/phcharter.org/may2026?usp=sharing

Our National Junior Honor Society students recently took learning beyond the classroom with a hands-on entrepreneurship and sustainability experience hosted by Terroir Designs.

The day began with lunch at Mohan’s Restaurant, where students helped contribute food waste for our ZEUS Digester, the system that transforms waste into PHCSE’s very own “Soil Sauce.”

From there, students put their entrepreneurial skills to work by pitching local florist Lauren Marzullo, owner of Roots To Petals Studio, on the benefits of offering PHCSE “Soil Sauce” to her Oakmont customers. Students also had the opportunity to create their own flower arrangements using locally grown cut flowers. 🌸

The learning continued at Riverview High School, where students are experimenting with PHCSE “Soil Sauce” in their hydroponics system. This partnership gives our students a real-world look at research, product development, , and future sales opportunities.

This experience was a powerful example of circular learning, systems thinking, and in action, all beginning with a simple but meaningful idea: transforming waste into resources.

Thank you to Terroir Designs, Mohan’s Restaurant, Roots to Petals, Riverview High School, and the PHCSE National Junior Honor Society for helping make this meaningful experience possible. 💙💛

Our young entrepreneurs showed up ready to pitch, present, and shine! On May 16th, three talented 8th grade scholars represented PHCSE at the Startable Pittsburgh Pitch Competition at Dave & Buster's, where local middle and high school entrepreneurs showcased their business ideas and competed for cash prizes to invest back into their ventures.

✨ Ella Anderson pitched Bag It, a product designed to help people, especially individuals with hand or lower arm disabilities, carry shopping bags with greater ease and comfort.

✨ Rosemary Torres presented Delightful Headbands, a business focused on creating comfortable, affordable, handmade headbands for all.

✨ Joy Dent showcased Works by Joyy. J., a mobile hairstyling studio specializing in affordable braiding services that travel directly to clients.

All three scholars delivered outstanding presentations and represented PHCSE with professionalism, creativity, and confidence.

We are especially proud to celebrate Joy Dent for earning 1st Place in the Design Category 🥇 and 2nd Place in the Presentation Category 🥈!

Congratulations to Ella, Rosemary, and Joy. The future of is already in motion. 👏🏽

Drop a 💙, 💛, or 👏🏽 in the comments to celebrate our young entrepreneurs!

During a recent visit to The Bloop Museum our NJHS scholars stepped into the past to imagine the future. 💻🎮📺

They explored the fascinating history of , seeing computers dating back to the 1960s, original versions of classic video games, and a collection of international technology that helped shape the devices and innovations we use today.

The experience gave students a hands-on look at how technology has evolved over time and sparked great conversations about the future of tech and innovation.

A special thank you to curator Brendan for welcoming our scholars and answering their thoughtful questions throughout the visit.

We appreciate opportunities like this that bring learning to life beyond the classroom.

How do you spell pride? P-H-C-S-E. 🦅💙💛 On Monday scholars from our third grade classrooms represented PHCSE at the Rotary Club of Penn Hills Spelling Bee, and we could not be prouder of their confidence, courage, and hard work.

A special congratulations to Kai’Lin for earning 2nd place! 🥈

Let’s fill the comments with love for Kai’Lin and all of our third graders who stepped up to compete! Drop a comment or emoji🦅, 💙, or 👏🏽 to help us celebrate!

Mark your calendars! One of our very own Mrs. Dena Rivers will be serving up deliciousness at the Greater Pittsburgh Food Truck Festival https://pghfoodtruckfest.com/ with her food truck, R-n-D Curbside Kitchen

📅May 22–24, 2026
📍Hollywood Casino at The Meadows (Washington, PA)
🎫Admission is FREE & Open to ALL ages

Live music, 50+ food trucks, family fun and best of all, a chance to show up for someone who shows up for our scholars every day. Let's pack the place with PHCSE pride! Snap a pic 📸 when you visit and tag us.