About Catalyst

Elise Neill Founding STEM Teacher, North Pittsburgh Symphonic Band Oboe Player and Girl Scout Leader My hope is that our scholars will not be afraid to explore, discover, and sometimes make mistakes as they delve into the deeper mysteries of coding, science and engineering. I chose to teach at Catalyst because our scholars get to experience STEM in the classroom more than once a week. We explore different topics and test many engineering challenges. My desire to go into education started out in high school, but took a hiatus as I found a niche in computer programming. It was while volunteering [...]

Our education model at Catalyst is based on high expectations, academic rigor, quality teaching, strong relationships, innovation and personalization, and holistic development. We strive for this everyday we are together -- be it in-person or online. And as our scholars join our Catalyst school community they also join the online world, via our 1:1 devices and digital backpacks.  The internet is a magical place full of fun. Playful games, colorful characters and educational options abound. Plus being online provides numerous ways to keep in touch with family and friends.  But life online is also full of bullies, predators and scams. And [...]

Charter schools are public schools that excel where traditional public schools and private schools can’t. Catalyst Academy Charter School is the first new charter school in Pittsburgh in six years! We are in our founding year. It’s a very special time and we would love to share it with you and your child. Charter schools are public schools and are tuition-free Charter schools get funding from the state. A charter school's "charter" serves as a performance contract between the school and its state government. Catalyst public charter school must fulfill its mission and realize student success in order to satisfy the [...]

Every member of our Catalyst Academy Board is mission-aligned. They each have a background and history in education and equity. They’re extraordinary members of our community and they will help us to grow and thrive. Here is the superstar team we are proud to call our Board: Rachel Amankulor, President Ms. Amankulor is a long-time advocate for enabling greater high-quality educational opportunities for disadvantaged families. She is the former Director of PennCAN: The Pennsylvania Campaign for Achievement Now, a statewide advocacy organization working to enact common sense reforms to ensure that every Pennsylvania child has access to a high-quality [...]

Everything we do at Catalyst is with intention. Whether it’s our mission, our educational model or our philosophy. It’s the reason we exist as a school and the motivation for how hard we worked to get our charter – the first new charter school in Pittsburgh in six years.  It’s this intention that drives our curriculum choices. It’s why we have STEM five days a week and Art four days a week. We whole-heartedly recognize the value in our Kindergarten and first grade students experiencing art. This includes music, art, theater, and visual arts. And there’s even more.  At [...]

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we don’t know what the future holds. As a public school and community, Catalyst Academy Charter is ready to prepare our scholars for whatever the future may bring.  We’ve thoughtfully laid out our mission, philosophy and educational model so that our scholars can define and achieve their dreams. At Catalyst Academy our mission is to create a world-class K-8 school where all children are prepared for college, career, and life. Our scholars are future doctors, engineers and roboticists. Our scholars are future artists, musicians and actors. Our scholars are future lawyers, [...]

We prepare our scholars to define and achieve their dreams. How will we do this? By closing the achievement and opportunity gap. Our educational philosophy is that a child’s education should seek mastery along three dimensions: College Readiness All scholars will be prepared to attend and graduate from a four-year college or university.  Catalyst scholars will be prepared by achieving mastery of a broad, rigorous college-preparatory curriculum that both prepares and inspires. Career Readiness All scholars need to be equipped with the skills to thrive in the 21st century economy, including communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. Life Readiness [...]

At Catalyst Academy, every scholar, family, teacher, and staff member will be embraced, respected, and supported. Everyone belongs here. We are a community and we love this community.  Further, every member of our Catalyst Academy staff is committed to growth and equity inclusion. We are focused on opening doors of opportunity and preparing our scholars for college, career and life. This is also who we are as a community. We love our community.  Here’s a glimpse at two of our founding staffers:  Brian Smith Founder & CEO Brian Smith is the Founder & CEO of Catalyst Academy. Brian started [...]

We are all growing. At Catalyst, we are big believers in growth every day. In fact, we focus on growth in multiple ways:  Grow is one of our core values. (along with Belong and Achieve) Every Catalyst Academy scholar, teacher, and staff member is committed to growing every day in alignment with our mission. We are big believers in growth mindsets.  We aim to close opportunity gaps and expand achievement and access -- for every one of our scholars. This includes preparing our students for careers in the growth sectors of our economy. What do we consider ‘growth sectors’? [...]