Below: COS members from CAPA collect donations for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Top Center: An online tutoring session focuses on English-language skills. Top Right: Children of Steel volunteers from Allderdice prepare food with Community Kitchen Pittsburgh. Lower Right: Jennifer and Angela Lin share their love of reading.
CHILDREN
OF STEEL
By Jennifer Lin and Eli Half, rising seniors at Pittsburgh Allderdice High School
Like the teamwork that defines their organization,
To combat this difficult scenario, I founded the student-
Jennifer and Eli worked together to write this account of
led initiative Children of Steel (COS) in June of 2020.
Children of Steel’s history and accomplishments. In this
The goal of COS was to promote and support education
first part, Jennifer tells us why she founded this student-
by implementing a free online tutoring program for
led volunteer organization.
grades K–5, staffed by high school students. It became clear that some low-income families lacked supportive
COVID-19 has had a destructive effect on the education
education. In response, the COS team and I designed a
field. As a student at Taylor Allderdice High School,
program that was accessible and flexible for all families
I experienced firsthand some of the obstacles many
anywhere. Parents and teachers can sign up their
students had to face, including online learning. On the
children and students on our website. The tutoring
first day of virtual school in March of 2020, I noticed my
program consists of one-on-one tutoring after school on
8-year-old little sister struggling to join class meetings
weekdays in subjects like Math, English, and Science.
and learn elementary math. I thought to myself, “If my little sister and friends were falling behind, how many
We began as a team of four: me (Founder & Executive
other students were experiencing the same?”
Director), Arina Sokolova (Assistant Director), Eli Half
42 | shuc.org
