Category: News

We made an exciting announcement to share with you to see the unlimited (almost!) WPSD photos online right now. We have thousands of archival photos of our preservation, historical and education at our Alumni room in WPSD. Many people like you are asking that they want to see the photos that never seen before. We…

In the photo, first row: Mark Tarno, Thomas Hattaway, John Noschese, Rosemary (Rolewitz) Noschese. Second row: Robin Shay, Andrew Friday, Catherine (Stauffer) Friday, Robert Andrascik, Mary Ann (Hines) Carter, Susan (Eash) Laino, Barbara (Frank) Kite, Joan (Schellman) Cody. Third row: Raymond Gwizdak, John Stahl, Mark Kite, Merrill Cargo, Wes Hawkins. Fourth row: Jay McLaughlin, David…

There’s one thing you need to understand about Cranberry volunteer firefighter Jocelyn Demme: It’s that she does NOT consider herself to be hearing impaired. Nor does she identify as being hard of hearing. She is deaf. She can’t hear you, and that, in turn, has limited her own ability to speak. Deafness from birth has…

WPSD Alumni Auction & Gala met their goal to reach $5,000 and it was successful! All of those donation will go to the expansion will offer additional space for new classroom, new opportunities for creative learning, and gather the WPSD Children’s Center’s programs and staff under one roof, creating a comprehensive, early education resource for…

Dozens of students from the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf got some hands-on baseball and softball training Monday during the eighth-annual “It’s Your Perfect Pitch” event at PNC Park. Students from grades 7-12 visited the Pittsburgh Pirates’ ballpark for warmups and hitting, pitching and fielding instruction from volunteers, college coaches and players and former…

Sierra Green and Emily Ruby of the Heinz History Center recently met with Aaron and Chris Noschese at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf to discuss preservation. Green, Ruby, and Chris Noschese are members of the Consortium steering committee. The school has an extensive collection of original items that reflects its history, including photographs, yearbooks, correspondence, newsletters, film, athletic uniforms, desks, and…

In 1868, young Henry Bell came to Third United Presbyterian Church’s Mission Academy School. Henry was African American and deaf. The pastor solicited Pittsburgher William Drum, who was also deaf and a graduate of the Pennsylvania Institution in Philadelphia, to teach him. This effort quickly expanded, and a school opened in September 1869.It was the first day…