Program areas at FAME
Fame scholarship/educational program - Fame provided scholarship and educational support for 79 bright and talented african american students to attend participating college preparatory independent schools. In addition to the scholarships provided, Fame also provides tutoring free of charge to Fame scholars and subsidizes the cost of books and a variety of other educational expenses as necessary.
Internship/enrichment program and leadership skill building opportunities - Fame's internship program connects high school upperclassmen and college level alumni with summer internships at local area corporations, businesses, healthcare facilities, banks, law firms, and foundations - building the connection between these future leaders and the pittsburgh workforce. The internship program is designed to assure Fame scholars see all that the pittsburgh workforce has to offer. Enrichment programs allow scholars to enhance their educational experiences beyond the classroom. It is Fame's goal to ensure that each scholar is actively involved in some form of summer enrichment program each year to keep their minds stimulated. This past summer, several of our scholars were enrolled in summer school classes, participated in local summer camps or had a summer internship. In addition to summer programs, Fame provides several other forms of academic enrichment throughout the year. Such programs include, but are not limited to, a sat prep course with the princeton review, a saturday tutorial program, a study skills workshop, and math/writing enrichment programs. These activities are designed for Fame scholars to receive academic support and supplemental education that will further their academic success. Such programs are not only open to Fame scholars, but to african american students attending partner independent schools. Three leadership symposiums are held each year to provide students with the opportunity to build leadership skills and broaden their career and personal awareness. Students also receive advice and mentoring from young african american pittsburgh professionals during the leadership symposiums that proves to be quite inspirational. The leadership symposiums will help prepare scholars for life after graduation and fulfill Fame's vision of increasing the number of scholars who return to live and take on leadership positions in pittsburgh upon graduation from college. In addition, biannually, Fame takes high school scholars on a leadershift tour. The trip alternates yearly with the Fame college tour, focused on visiting colleges (ivy league, hbcu, small liberal arts colleges, and large state schools) during spring break.
Fame academy - Fame academy was instituted to provide public middle school students seeking a higher quality education within the greater pittsburgh area the academic foundation necessary to be competitive in the independent school application process, increasing the number of african american students with financial need that receive a rigorous education. The Fame academy helps students to excel within their public school community and exposes them to colleges and a variety of career choices. Within the Fame academy, students also travel 3 times a year, twice to cities outside of pittsburgh and once to a partner boarding school for an overnight, one-week stay. Students attend academic courses on saturdays throughout the school year and for six and a half weeks during the summer.
Teachers' academy - the teacher's academy is a new program by Fame which seeks to address the lack of african american educators in the independent school space. The teachers' academy will give aspiring teachers the opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience and professional development at the Fame academy. Fame fellows will benefit from an intense curriculum and 3-year career mentorship designed by a cohort of educational advisors to address the lack of black educators in independent school education.
Stem program - year round stem (science, technology, engineering and math) programming in which Fame scholars and Fame academy students participate in hand-on activities and compete in regional and national competitions. The stem program also provides mentoring from area college students majoring in engineering and other stem majors.