Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and NEED President & CEO Sylvester Pace announced that $1 million in scholarships is being awarded to deserving students thanks to the early success of the 2010 fundraising campaign launched in March. NEED is the oldest minority community-based financial assistance program in Pennsylvania. It offers financial aid, counseling and internships to help young African-Americans overcome class, social, academic and cultural barriers to postsecondary education.

United Youth Ministries presented the second annual "Bring Your Gift to Christ Night" on Dec. 19 at Morning Star Baptist Church in Clairton.

The United Youth Ministries is a group of Clairton-based churches that is dedicated to unifying the city by way of uniting its young people.

As a participant in the Entrepreneuring Youth program, high school student Licercia Crawley already knows she has what it takes to be a successful business owner. Her company, Le De La Mosaic Limited allows Crawley to share her artistic mosaic creations with others while also earning a profit.

“I always liked to make mosaics. When I got into the class they showed me I could do something I love and make money from it,” Crawley said. “I made actually quite a lot from it.”

Crawley is one of many Pittsburgh students benefiting from E Youth, an educational and entrepreneurial experience program that recently received a portion of a $50,000 grant given to the Education Management Corp. by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. E Youth programs immerse young people in the real-life experience of business creation, ownership and earning money so they can acquire the knowledge, skills and entrepreneurial attributes that help them achieve in school and in life.