About Catalyst

Catalyst Academy is one of twenty organizations celebrated for stepping up for underserved students during the pandemic Pittsburgh, Penn. - (December 1, 2021) - Catalyst Academy, a public charter school in Pittsburgh, was selected by the Center for Education Reform and its media partner, Forbes, as one of 20 semifinalists for the $1 Million STOP Award to recognize education providers who persevered through the pandemic and delivered for underserved students. The first-of-its-kind STOP Award highlights education providers that strive to offer education that is Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless. Catalyst Academy is the only semi-finalist from Pennsylvania, and was selected out [...]

At Catalyst Academy, we believe that strong communities are made by people who show up, who celebrate achievements, and who look for opportunities to support each other. Just such a community is the Inclusive Learning team at Catalyst. Teachers and families work together to promote scholar independence so that every child is prepared for college, career, and life. As is true for every part of life, it’s our people that make all the difference. We care deeply for our Pittsburgh community, we show up and celebrate each other every day, and together, we create a world-class K-8 school where all children [...]

Catalyst Academy Charter School is a college-preparatory K-8 public charter school in Pittsburgh, focused on serving families and communities that are looking for a great school and ultimately, a great education. A great education cultivates confident, compassionate scholars ready to define and achieve their dreams. Our mission is to create a world-class K-8 school where all children are prepared for college, career, and life. We opened in the fall of 2020, and we are growing a grade each year until we serve kindergarten through 8th grade. We have science and engineering, including computer science, 5 days a week, as well as [...]

At Catalyst Academy, we prepare our scholars to define, reach for, and achieve their dreams. How do 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 [...]

How Catalyst Academy prepares children for college, career, and life If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we don’t know what the future holds. As a public school and supportive community, Catalyst Academy 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, [...]

All scholars at Catalyst Academy thrive with the support and connections they form with our teachers and staff. Getting to know each other is such a treat and an important part of building connections that we decided to interview our Catalyst Principal Darren Gray. Keep reading to learn all about this excellent leader and what makes him such a good match for our Catalyst community. Darren Gray - Catalyst Academy Founding Principal When did you know you wanted to work in education? My journey into education was heavily informed by my experiences in school as a child. Growing up in the [...]

We are excited to meet our new incoming scholars and parents in preparation for the 2021-2022 school year at Catalyst Academy Charter School! Each year in these Meet and Greet events, we assess new scholars in order to design an individualized plan for each child. If you are still deciding which school is best for your child, this is the perfect place to get all your questions answered and meet some of our incredible staff.  Catalyst is a free college-preparatory K-8 public charter school in Pittsburgh, focused on serving families in the Hill District, Garfield, East Liberty, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington, Homewood, and [...]

The start of school is right around the corner, so with a summer full of fun under our belts, we are gathering our teachers at Catalyst to prepare for the new academic year. In order to achieve our mission of creating a world-class K-8 school where all children are prepared for college, career, and life, we start with our teachers.  Every year, we train our teachers rigorously in methods of instruction, inclusive learning, and living our core values in a 4 week long teacher training camp before school starts. Life is all about learning, growing, and becoming a little better at [...]

“We connect our Catalyst families to resources that will better their lives forever.” Myra Powell has been working in community development for over 35 years. She had never thought of working at a school until she learned about Catalyst Academy Charter School and our focus on building community. Her heartfelt support and joy in life are so contagious that we decided to interview her so she could share her story with us in her own words.  What was it about Catalyst that inspired you to choose to work here? The leadership team here at Catalyst is outstanding and their work ethic [...]

The sun is out and so are we! At Catalyst Academy, we are having fun while school is out by preparing our next year’s programs and learning adventures.  Summer is a time filled with fun activities for all ages, and to inspire your family’s summer plans, we gathered a list of kid-centric resource hubs to give you great ideas of what to do with your little ones this month.  Kids Out and About Check out this great website with a bunch of ideas for your family, and start with their blog “Top 20 Places to Take Kids in and around Pittsburgh”. [...]