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Who is PUMP?
PUMP is a community-based organization in Pittsburgh. We've been doing a bunch of things in the community for almost 30 years now. We mainly serve young people and young professionals. Our largest program, Pittsburgh Sports League, is an adult recreational league with all kinds of different sports. We also do big signature events each year like Pittsburgh 40 under 40 with Pittsburgh Magazine and Kickball for a Cause. We're a civic engagement organization so we do things like non-partisan civic forums and get out to vote media. We engage with local officials and introduce them to community members and vice versa. We're kind of like a menu of fun activities throughout the year and throughout the region in different ways.
How does being a Community Ambassador help your organization achieve its goals?
We're always trying to provide opportunities for people to get out, meet new people, explore the city in interesting and unique ways, build connections, and kind of build their awareness about what's happening in Pittsburgh and the city itself.
POGOH's Community Ambassador program is a perfect example of how to do that. We go on co-design rides on different routes throughout the city, in different parts of the city. We're highlighting different amenities. We're having a bite to eat or drinks at different restaurants after the rides. We're seeing different parks and bike infrastructure, neighborhoods in the region, so it's perfect. It's usually a beautiful Saturday morning and we just have a great time kind of chit-chatting as we roll about. These rides are the kind of thing we'd like to highlight at PUMP; unique adventures and ways to have fun.
How do you think the Community Ambassadors can help break down barriers to bicycling in Pittsburgh?
I think it's a perfect example of breaking down barriers, but more importantly, building a better future, a better tomorrow. The way that we have these rides designed, we go to great lengths to make sure that they're well-designed, safe, and accessible. We try to spend time in community for each ride. The rides are ongoing opportunities for people that may not be familiar with biking to see the bikes in practice and to understand the intention behind the Community Ambassador Program. It's also getting people involved and to show them that bike infrastructure is improving and changing throughout the city. It's teaching different ways for people to navigate their communities or to get to different places throughout the city.
It's a lot of fun because bike share and biking in general is actually getting better in the city of Pittsburgh in a lot of ways. The city is responding and it's making itself more accessible and safer for different modes of transportation, including biking, and POGOH is the bike share organization. It's recently upgraded. They have a growing percentage of e-assist bikes, and more and more people using them. Ridership is up. Ridership in Justice 40 communities is up. People seem to like the brand and what they're doing in the community, and it's really exciting. It's good to break down barriers, but honestly, I think things getting better in Pittsburgh in general has people doing more things like this together. I think it's also related to a brighter future that we can build in fellowship.
What is PUMP's Passport Program?
The Pittsburgh Passport is PUMP's newest program. It's a collaborative effort with the Allegheny Conference as a regional talent initiative. At its core, it's a series of fun, compelling, free events around the City and region designed to encourage young people to explore, meet new people, and be connected to opportunities in their chosen field. Offer to hire ratios and retention numbers have risen according to the data shared by Pittsburgh Passport partners and the program has been a good augment to internship programs throughout the summer. The participants can choose to go kayaking, attend a Pirates game, visit a museum, and check out special events in unique locations like Robotics Row. Historically, 8000 participants have taken part in the Passport. 40% of them come from diverse backgrounds and there's an interesting mix of local, national, and international participants. PUMP took the lead on the program this summer in partnership with the Allegheny Conference and higher education community and added its own community events to the list. We were pleased to invite Pittsburgh Passporters to some of POGOH's Community Rides. 76 in total signed up to join our rides in July, August, and the ride held at the July OpenStreets. We hope to build on these efforts in years to come. The vision for the program is to make it year-round and to plug it in with fun community partnerships like the POGOH Community Ambassador program, so it's been a great first year.
Follow along and learn more about Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP) at the links below!
Ruach Bicycle Club is a STEM based bicycle organization that teaches students how STEM relates to biking through hands-on experience and workshops. Our students learn how to ride and race BMX and Mountain Bikes, and attend STEM based programming.
This summer Ruach hosted a classroom series with the University of Pittsburgh's Rehab Neural Engineering Labs (RNEL) at Pitt Community Engagement Center in Homewood. RNEL conducts research in neuroscience and biomedical engineering. Together we provided students with an introduction to research and science with hands-on activities.
Students were introduced to Phillip McKenzie at the Brain-Computer Interfaces workshops. Philip, a C-4 quadriplegic, is part of a research program in which he has several electrodes implanted into his brain. When Phillip's brain is connected to a computer, he is able to complete tasks, control robots, and play games only using brain power. It's truly remarkable technology and was a great experience for the students.
Phillip moves the red dot on the screen by thinking about using his right arm.
Being a part of the Community Ambassador programs helps us to get more people on bikes and spread the word about the club and bike riding in general.
We would like to see more people practicing safe riding, using proper signals, and more protected bike lanes.
Community Ambassadors can break down barriers to biking by being visible in the community and encouraging others to get out and ride.
Follow along and learn more about Ruach Bicycle Club at the links below!
The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh is guided by our vision of a globally minded and globally connected world that is equitable and just for all. We work to convene and connect people around global issues to build a competitive, thriving, and inclusive Pittsburgh.
Established in 1931, our programming is designed to foster global-mindedness and global connectivity in Pittsburgh. Our approach centers on creating inclusive and accessible experiences that generate transformed leadership for youth, business and community leaders, educators and a greater sense of belonging for all.
To make this vision of the future a reality, the Council creates and executes diverse, bold, and engaging programming throughout the Western Pennsylvania region. We work hard to ensure that meaningful, action-oriented global learning opportunities are at the heart of our work and that our programs reflect the great diversity of our world across generations.
Our Public programs include speaker series with subject matter experts and the Global Citizenship Fellowship, an initiative aimed to train and inspire leaders from diverse sectors and backgrounds to become ready to connect our region to the broader world.
Youth programming has been a cornerstone of our community work. We work alongside young people, empowering them to take action on global issues. Since 2020, our Youth Programs have embraced a path of genuine youth leadership, with initiatives designed by youth for youth. These programs empower young Pittsburghers to acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and mindsets necessary to address global issues. We strive to collaborate with and amplify the voices of young people, empowering them to be today's leaders. Our programs include Global Minds, Global Travel Scholars, and the Youth Fellow or Board Member Programs.
Our annual Soiree is a culmination of our efforts, bringing our mission to life in a true celebration. It is a vibrant event dedicated to our caring community, appreciating and recognizing our connections to the world around us.
We began our partnership with the Pittsburgh Bike Share program in 2021 during our 90th anniversary celebration. Since then, we have been selected to participate in the Ambassador program in 2022, and we are pleased to continue as Community Ambassadors this year. We have hosted community bike rides with global stop talks focusing on music, climate action and air quality to name a few.
This spring, we hosted a Youth Voice Community Bike Ride, during which members of our Youth Board and Fellows spoke to riders about the importance of youth leadership.
We believe our work is only possible with the support of our community partners. If we want to see and create a more equitable world, we need partners, just like with POGOH, to reach even more people in our community.
Through organizing Community Bike Rides, we have connected with the public in a new way. These bike rides offer a fun opportunity to deepen our community’s engagement with global issues and unite neighbors as they explore our shared city.
In 2023, we hosted two themed rides: the Hispanic & Latin Heritage Month Community Bike Ride and the Climate Action Community Bike Ride. Most recently, we hosted a Youth Voice Community Bike Ride, where members from our youth board and fellows spoke to riders about the importance of Youth Leadership.
Bike rides deepen our community’s connections to global issues and unite neighbors to explore our shared city.
We love being Community Ambassadors for POGOH! We’re thrilled that the program has grown, allowing the ambassadors to organize their own rides. This enables us to delve deeper into our work and community building. Riding through the streets helps us connect with communities and introduce people to neighborhoods they might not have explored otherwise.
We want to see a greater connection and visibility to our multicultural history and roots so Pittsburghers can see the world represented in their daily lives.
Our city's global representation could be better reflected. We aim to connect people's daily lives locally with the broader world locally.
Community Bike Rides give us the opportunity to explore Pittsburgh's unique, historic, and culturally rich neighborhoods while bringing visibility to POGOH. During a Ride this season in Homewood, a woman in her car saw us and said, 'I’d be riding with you if I had a bike!' We responded, 'You don't need to own a bike! You can get a bike from a POGOH bike station just like us!"
Our Community Bike Rides allow us to raise awareness of POGOH resources like bike stations around the city and the Mobility Justice Membership.
Re-engaging folx who have stopped cycling is important to maintaining and growing a healthy, engaged Pittsburgh biking community. Many people learn to ride a bike when they are young but may not ride as adults living in a hilly, urban environment like Pittsburgh for reasons such as unfamiliarity with trails, fear of safety, or inaccessible routes between point A and point B.
It is important to have an inclusive and welcoming community ready with resources to encourage and assist people in getting back on their bikes casually and confidently on our city’s streets.
All of us at the Council are grateful to be part of the positive changes POGOH is fostering!
Follow along and learn more about World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh at the links below!
Who is Women of Visions, Inc and how long have they been involved with POGOH?
My name is Cynthia Kenderson. I go by the art name #IamCynt, and I am the president of Women of Visions. We are the largest and oldest women's black collective of visual artists in the United States. We've existed for over 40 years. The organization supports the community through exhibitions, educations, mentorship, and profession development.
This is our first year as POGOH Community Ambassadors and it's been awesome.
How does being a Community Ambassador help your organization achieve its goals?
As an artist, you express yourself in various mediums from film to canvas to fiber. One of our goals is to be expressive, to have our voice. POGOH Bikes, for me, is a way of creating, a way of expressing ourselves through how we transport. And so our goal is to be expressive, to be part of the community. So that's helping us express our goal.
How do you think the Community Ambassadors can help break down barriers to bicycling in Pittsburgh?
Being a community ambassador is helping break down barriers, especially as an African American. Being able to see other African American artists active in the community, at OpenStreetsPGH, and seeing us on bikes is how we can bring visibility to biking in Pittsburgh.
What do you think the Pittsburgh bicycling community has been missing?
I think the Pittsburgh bike community has been missing communication. And when I say that I mean a lot of people, even though they pass these stations, they don't know how to be a part of it. A lot of people see me on the bikes. I ride all through Pittsburgh. It is my number one mode of transportation, second is Uber, and by choice. People see me on the bike and they start asking me questions. "Hey, how can I be a part of that?" And so I tell them about the various ways, like the Mobility Justice Membership program or even the the full package. I let them know how economical for me and for them.
Follow along and learn more about Women of Visions at the links below!
The goal of the Community Ambassador Program is to break down barriers to biking in BIPOC communities by offering bike safety education, promoting safe bicycling infrastructure, and encouraging community members to come out and ride together.
The theme of this year’s 2024 Community Ambassador Program is ”Ride, Connect, Inspire” with a focus centered around education, cycling confidence, and youth in the community.
Our team of Community Ambassadors is made up of non-profit groups who possess a passion for their community, and are willing to gain the skills necessary to educate community members on city bike infrastructure and riding safety in efforts to build the most equitable, accessible, and joyful bikeshare program for all city residents.
Click on the images below to connect with POGOH's Community Ambassadors.
World Affairs Council's mission is to convene and connect people around global issues to build a competitive, thriving, and inclusive Pittsburgh.
Ruach Bicycle Club focuses on the importance of science, technology, engineering, art, math, and bikes. Club members learn bike science, health, mechanics and how to disassemble and reassemble bikes, building confidence and helping to nurture problem solving skills along with making science and math relevant for today’s youth.
The mission of Women of Visions is to promote the arts, culture, and history of women of African descent, by helping each other to excel as artists and to grow professionally through exhibitions, community collaboration, educational programming, and other progressive opportunities.
PUMP’s mission is to make Pittsburgh the most dynamic and diverse place by engaging, educating, and mobilizing all young people to create change in our community. Each year, we serve nearly 30,000 individuals, primarily under the age of 40, through our advocacy, civic, social, and recreational programming.
POGOH's annual Community Ambassador Program connects diverse communities across Pittsburgh to biking in general and the bikeshare program in particular. The goal of the program is to build the most equitable and inclusive bikeshare program for Pittsburgh, support communities and organizations who are already doing awesome work, and create fun, engaging bike rides and events that offer low-barrier ways for people to get on bikes in their communities.
Community Ambassadors plan, recruit, and host community bike rides as well as attend and support community bike rides in collaboration with local schools or youth serving organizations. Community Ambassadors also plan, organize, and implement a Community Event at the end of Summer.
Community Ambassadors serve as the POGOH voice for their community.
2025 Community Ambassadors
POGOH's 2024 Community Ambassadors
Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project | Ruach Bicycle Club | Women of Visions, Inc | World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh
2023 Cohort:
9 Community Ambassador Rides
End of Summer Roll Up Community Event
Presented by Duquesne Light Company
