Sarah Heinz House Association

To empower all youth, especially those who need us the most, to Laugh, Learn and Lead.

Sarah Heinz House is an independent Boys and Girls Club located on Pittsburgh's North Side.
For 115 years, we've been providing 1st-12th grade youth after school, weekend and summer camp programs that increase fun, fitness, learning and leadership. While growing and adapting to the times, one defining characteristic of Sarah Heinz House has remained constant: providing a safe and engaging place for youth to laugh, learn, and lead while forming friendships and interacting with caring adults who consistently serve as role models and, potentially, as lifelong mentors.

Our 75,000 sq. ft. complex and our 100+ wooded acres summer overnight camp in Ellwood City, provide the physical space to annually give 1,000 youth access to a diverse array of opportunities that develop friendships, build character, teach essential life-skills, develop individual talents and leadership, and foster a commitment to lifelong physical fitness and healthy choices.

Our youth come from diverse cultural, economic, and family experiences. They attend 90 different schools in all corners of Pittsburgh and the adjacent Allegheny County communities. But, as members, they enjoy equal access to a shared "Sarah Heinz House experience", which is accepting, inclusive, and engaging. This shared experience not only fosters individual qualities like character and leadership, but also helps members appreciate the value of different perspectives and understand their community and world through the eyes and experiences of others. As a result, Sarah Heinz House strengthens the ability of children to connect with peers and adults, increasing their capacity to value diversity, inclusion, and tolerance. These vital attributes better equip young people to move into adulthood as engaged leaders that build vibrant careers and strengthen communities.

Testimonials

Quote from Haley Lex, age 16 Sarah Heinz House 2016 Youth of the year:

" At Sarah Heinz House I was able to overcome the challenges in my life. I became a volunteer, started robotics, and joined the teen leadership, Keystone Club. I watched my mentors work hard and succeed, which motivated me to do the same. Through the club I learned how to talk to kids my own age, knew what it meant to feel safe, and most importantly found myself and who I always wanted to be.