PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Teona Ringgold
Director of Culture and Community Impact, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

In high school, Teona Ringgold received a scholarship through The Pittsburgh Promise, allowing her to attend Penn State University, where she majored in advertising. Today, she leads The Pittsburgh Promise Alumni Group.

“Just having that affordability to get through school and be able to focus on school primarily was really important, and that’s why it’s important for me to reach back and support them,” she says.

Members of the group help current Pittsburgh Promise recipients and recent college grads with mentorship, job preparation and networking. Ringgold also builds up her community through involvement with Delta Sigma Theta Inc. sorority as well as putting on professional-development workshops with several local organizations.

At the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, she’s responsible for ensuring the space is accessible for all learners.

“It is an informal learning space … but it’s a space for creativity, it’s a space for exploration and reaffirming to kids that mistakes are OK, trying things are OK, and there’s always a way to weave that creative aspect into their formal education,” she says.