Greater Pittsburgh

YOUTH GUIDANCE IN GREATER PITTSBURGH, PA

History/Background

Youth Guidance Greater Pittsburgh equips youth with the confidence, tools, and experiences they need to thrive in school and life. Our school-based counseling and mentoring programs, Becoming A Man (BAM) and Working On Womanhood (WOW), place highly skilled and caring Youth Specialists in the lives of students in grades 6-12.

BAM & WOW foster healthy relationships, social-emotional skill development, and a positive future orientation, which increase students’ mental health, academic attainment, and utilization of healthy behaviors.

“I appreciate the opportunity to slow down and breathe. I am thankful for this space because it gives me an opportunity to express and communicate my feelings, which is something that I struggle with sometimes.” – BAM Student at Clairton High School

“BAM has given my son a chance to heal from his past while also helping him to shape his future” – BAM parent.

A Commitment to Reducing Violence

“We are extremely fortunate in this region to have so many different organizations and entities that engage and active when there is a need and addressing violence in our community is certainly no exception,” said Fitzgerald.

Becoming A Man® program (BAM®) is a school-based group counseling program that guides young men in 6th-12th grades to learn, internalize and practice social cognitive skills, make responsible decisions for their future and become positive members of their school and community.

BAM integrates clinical theory and practice, men’s rites of passage work, and a dynamic approach to youth engagement.

Working On Womanhood (WOW) is a multifaceted, school year-long group counseling and clinical mentoring program.

WOW works to improve social-emotional competencies for girls in 6th-12th grade exposed to traumatic stressors in high-risk and under-resourced communities.

Using a trauma-Informed approach, WOW targets young women with significant risk factors for dropout or delinquency, such as: teenage pregnancy, trauma, drug or alcohol abuse, self-harm, gang involvement, fighting, academic failure, and discipline referrals.

BAM is delivered by highly skilled and dynamic youth specialists, working full-time in schools to guide students as they learn, practice, and internalize social-emotional skills that correlate to positive long-term life outcomes. Students meet in weekly group counseling and mentoring sessions, called BAM Circles, that facilitate positive relationships and guide students through an exploration of six core values:

BAM Core Values

Integrity

Accountability

Self-Determination

Positive Anger Expression

Respect for Womanhood

Visionary Goal Setting

Click the following links to learn more about BAM and Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services Community Violence Reduction Initiative.

BAM PROGRAM IMPACT

Students enrolled in the BAM Program are:

50%

less likely to be
arrested for violent crime

25%

more engaged
in school

19%

more likely to graduate
high school on time

$ 30

in societal gains for
every $1 invested in BAM

WOW PROGRAM IMPACT

62%

of WOW students
experienced fewer
PTSD symptoms*

71%

of WOW students
experienced fewer
depression symptoms*

*of those starting in the clinical range

96%

of WOW students reported
that the program has helped them
make better decisions for themselves

Schools & Communities served:

Greater Wilkinsburg Community – Westinghouse High School
Mon-Valley Community – Clairton High School
Penn Hills Community – Penn Hills High School
Sto-Rox Community – Sto-Rox High School
South Hilltop Community – Carrick High School and Brashear High School

MEET OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Andrew Johnson

Executive Director | Greater Pittsburgh

Andrew Johnson is an education and non-profit professional bringing more than 15 years of experience working in schools and communities to his role at Youth Guidance as the Executive Director – Greater Pittsburgh. His work focuses on educating, servicing, and supporting individuals from marginalized backgrounds through teaching, mentorship, modeling, program oversight, and creating strategic partnerships.

Prior to Youth Guidance, Andrew served in a number of roles ranging from classroom teacher, coach, tutor, director, and executive director in the K-12, post-secondary, non-profit, and foundation sectors. Additionally, he has held leadership roles in coalitions focused on strengthening Allegheny County’s reentry ecosystem and improving health equity for the Black community across the state. Through his work, he has gained the aptitude and skills to bring about transformational change at the individual and systems levels.

Andrew earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from California University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s degree in Health & Physical Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a Doctorate degree in Instructional Management & Leadership from Robert Morris University. He is a native of Southwestern Pennsylvania that enjoys spending time with family, adventuring in the outdoors, and improving his mental and physical health.

Additional Information

Program Fact Sheet

2022-23 Program Information (English)

2022-23 Información del programa (Spanish)