Racial Equity

Matching Fund Opportunity

Nazareth Prep high school has the opportunity to raise $1 million in scholarships through the generosity of an anonymous donor who will match every $5,000 contribution up to $500,000. Please consider becoming one of the 100 donors needed to reach our 2021 goal by contributing $5,000.

As an independent Catholic high school, and Pittsburgh’s largest private high school serving Black students, we are committed to racial equity and social justice. Using culturally relevant curriculum with a focus on rigor and supportive relationships, we prepare students for their choice of post-secondary pathways: 2- or 4-year college, trades, apprenticeships or direct to work.

The Partnership for Racial Equity in Pittsburgh (PREP) supports Nazareth Prep high school and its efforts to advance racial equity in local corporations through its internship program.

A weekly professional internship is part of our real-world curriculum. The internship experience for Black students can provide the opportunities needed to close the employment gap and to give them access to meaningful careers. According to the City of Pittsburgh’s 2019 Gender Equity Commission^[1] report Pittsburgh’s Inequality Across Race and Gender, “…the White-Black gap in employment is higher in Pittsburgh than 85% of similar cities. This reinforces that Pittsburgh's strikingly low Black employment is likely not due to the city's economy, but the failure of employers to hire Black workers.”

Nazareth Prep’s students benefit from internships where they can apply their classroom learning in professional environments, gain exposure to careers, gain work experience, and establish critical networking connections. Corporations can intensify their diversity initiatives by hosting interns and build a future-ready pipeline of diverse, highly skilled talent.

A sustained infusion of resources will help Nazareth Prep take a giant leap forward by enrolling more students and engaging more corporations that will build a Pittsburgh where everyone can contribute their talents and passions. While this high school focuses on the urgent needs of our Black students, we know it will also benefit students of all races, along with local corporations and the entire Pittsburgh community. Just as racial stratification and segregation harm people of all races, the benefits that accrue to Black Pittsburghers will benefit all.