At the Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center, summer isn’t a break…it’s a season of opportunity.
This summer, the Center is proud to host several transformative programs that immerse students in hands-on learning and community engagement, welcoming high schoolers and college students from Pittsburgh, across Pennsylvania, and around the world.
Some students will intern with local partners tackling sustainability challenges. Others will explore the cutting-edge design of high-performance buildings. And many will discover new pathways for learning, community, and careers.
City Semester Pittsburgh: Learning and Interning for a Sustainable Future
This summer, six Penn State students are diving into urban sustainability through City Semester Pittsburgh, an immersive program that combines course work with real-world experience.
Representing majors like aerospace engineering, landscape architecture, economics and data science, and environmental resource management, these students are making meaningful contributions at some of Pittsburgh’s leading community organizations:
- Allegheny County Conservation District
- Green Building Alliance
- Pittsburgh Department of City Planning
- Riverlife
- Studio for Spatial Practice
- Tree Pittsburgh
Each week, students come together at the Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center for EARTH 412: Urban Sustainability — taught by Evaine Sing — where they explore topics like climate action, clean energy, urban design, and social equity through class discussions, guest speakers, and local field trips.
Whether these students stay in Pittsburgh post-graduation or take their talents elsewhere, they’ll leave the program with a deepened understanding of cities and a growing professional network to support their futures.
High-Performance Building Summer Program: A Global Collaboration
The High-Performance Building Summer Program is back in Pittsburgh, bringing together four Penn State students — majoring in architectural engineering, architecture, and meteorology — with nine students from South West College in Northern Ireland for a three-week, cross-cultural exploration of sustainable building design.
The program combines classroom lectures and hands-on workshops at the Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center and site tours to local green buildings to help students better understand innovative approaches to making buildings more energy-efficient, sustainable, and healthy.
Students live and learn in Pittsburgh while preparing for potential Passive House certification and gaining a global perspective on the built environment’s role in climate change solutions.
Readiness Institute Summer Discovery: Empowering High School Seniors
Also happening at the Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center this summer is year five of another Penn State Outreach program, Readiness Institute Summer Discovery.
This program welcomes 40 rising high school seniors from Pittsburgh (as well as 20 students in Central PA) for a five-week experience focused on college and career readiness. Students explore their personal interests and future pathways through hands-on projects, professional skill-building, and community engagement.
With a strong focus on equity and access, the Readiness Institute empowers students to discover their purpose and plan for their next steps.
One Center, Many Pathways
Whether its college students interning with changemakers, international students learning side by side, or high schoolers preparing for what’s next, the Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center is a hub for meaningful, student-centered experiences.
Summer starts now. And we’re just getting started.