Real Work.
Real Compassion.
Real Learning.
City of Bridges Staff
Dr. Randy Bartlett
Head of School
Humanities
Randy Bartlett has been working in education and non-profits organizations for more than two decades. He has been a public-school teacher, a principal, and a Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment. He designed and directed the Pittsburgh Urban Teaching Corp and teaches at Chatham University. He has a BA in History and Religion from Oberlin College, a M.Ed. in Integrated Learning from Antioch University New England, a certificate in Educational Leadership from Keene State College and a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University.
Contact: randy@cobhs.org
Dr. Bret Moore
Assistant Head of School
Humanities
Bret Moore holds a PhD. in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan. Her research interests include African American Literature, Material Culture Studies, Clothing Studies, Creative Nonfiction, Life Writing & Memoir Studies, Disability Studies, and Visual Culture Studies. Bret has led many lives before arriving at City of Bridges. Most recently, she taught Composition through the University of Michigan’s English Department Writing Program. Prior to that, Bret worked in gynecologic cancer care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. When she is not reading or writing, Bret can be found training for her next marathon, scouring Zillow for the perfect haunted Victorian home, cooking yummy vegan food, making jewelry, or recording songs with her partner.
Contact: bret@cobhs.org
Jess Canose
Director of Community Engagement
Food Systems/Foreign Language
Jess Canose holds a M.A. in Food Studies from Chatham University and a B.A. in Spanish & Sustainability. Her independent work as a photographer focuses on using visual media to educate & support food justice (from food waste to cultural exchange to human rights). Teaching at and collaboratively building the City of Bridges community blends her work farming, running higher-ed student support programs, and moving within Pittsburgh's dance and degrowth communities. She also freelances as a researcher, and operates a grassroots food rescue operation out of her Honda Fit (dubbed the Blueberry).
Contact: jess@cobhs.org
Tim Stapleton
Humanities
Tim has a M.A. in Teaching degree from Chatham University as well as a B.A. degree in History and Political Science from Penn State University. Prior to entering into a career in education, Tim worked in New York City in the nonprofit sector, advocating for social and political reform benefitting working class families. His practice as an educator is centered around hands-on, project-based learning experiences and socratic discussion methods designed to encourage deeper thinking in his students. He has a passion for aiding young people in arriving at their own opinions of the social and cultural realities of their communities, nation, and world as well as providing them guidance in discovering their own roles within them. When not in the classroom, Tim enjoys spending time with his family, playing with his dogs, playing guitar, and traveling.
Contact: tim@cobhs.org
.jpeg)
Blain Schiff
Mathematics
Blain has a B.A. in Mathematics from Gettysburg College. Having worked in education and community service for his whole career, he believes education should be a means to provide students with the tools needed to be agents of change in the world. In addition to his work as a teacher Blain has spent many years working with local organization City of Asylum to provide a diverse range of cultural programming to the city. Born and raised in the area, Blain is proud to be an active member of the Pittsburgh community. In his free time he can be found playing games or watching movies with his partner and their cat Kip.
Contact: blain@cobhs.org
Rachel Greene
Student Support Specialist
Rachel works as the Student Support Specialist at COBHS, in addition to working as a practitioner. Classes taught include Persepolis: The Graphic Novel as History and Literature. She is a community leader, library worker and poet. Liberatory education is integral to Rachel's experience growing up in Pittsburgh's homeschooling/unschooling community, and acting as an educator in a wide variety of settings. She holds a BA from The Evergreen State College with an emphasis in integrated social sciences.
Contact: rachel@cobhs.org
Charlie Runyan
College & School Counselor
Charlie Runyan's nearly two decades as an educator have spanned a variety of settings, including public and private schools at secondary and post-secondary levels and community-based organizations. He is a licensed professional school counselor and has worked in high school counseling and college counseling positions since 2015. Before becoming a professional school counselor and college counselor, Charlie served in various capacities related to helping students and their families navigate the higher education landscape. From 2005 to 2011, he worked in college and university administration at selective universities, including George Mason University, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, and Washington University in St. Louis. He spent nearly four years in the nonprofit sector with I Know I Can, an Ohio college access and success organization, and Learning Circle Education Services, a technology nonprofit that created academic and early warning indicator databases for school districts and other nonprofits.Charlie earned a Bachelor of Arts from The Ohio State University, a Master of Arts from Michigan State University, and a Master of Science in Education from the University of Dayton. He is currently pursuing his doctorate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership with a concentration in Diversity and Equity in Education.
Contact: charlie@cobhs.org
Current Practitioners & Courses
Sarah
Grassroots Activism
Sarah received her BA in Psychology from Boston University and then her Masters of Science in Social Administration from Case Western. Sarah is a licensed clinical social worker who provides therapy to individuals across the lifespan, specializing in Trauma. Sarah has spent years working with individuals who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assaults, sexual abuse, and child abuse and neglect. Sarah is also dedicated to supporting LGBT+ individuals. Sarah has trained with and worked alongside one of the founders of the deep canvassing method, which have been proven to be highly successful in creating change. Sarah has also lead several successful grassroots initiatives in Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Sarah partners with community organizations in Pittsburgh to train and improve their grassroots initiatives. Sarah has seen how powerful grassroots actions can be and loves training individuals, young and old, so that they too can harness the power of change!
Kate
Law and Justice
Kate Lovelace is an attorney and advocate born in Buffalo, NY, raised and educated in Pittsburgh. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University Heinz School, and University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Kate has experience in criminal, dependency, juvenile, Mental Health civil commitments, and truancy courts-- in addition to representing a number of people on the Autism Spectrum or with other hidden disabilities. Kate also serves on many boards and committees in the community. Through her work, Kate saw a wide gap in legal representation among families struggling to stay on track in CYF court while defending criminal charges. She is now Director of Locally Served, an organisation dedicated to starting to fill that gap.
Morgan
Thrill and Shiver: From Romanticism to Gothic Horror
& Drama
...
Olga
Two-Dimensional Conceptual Art
Olga Brindar has been teaching art for the last fifteen years. Her students range in age from seven to seventy-five. After attaining a BFA in Drawing and Painting from Carnegie Mellon University, Olga has shown work in solo and group shows all over Pittsburgh, as well as Ireland, Wisconsin, and the west coast. When she isn’t painting, drawing, or teaching, she writes non-fiction and takes out way too many books at the public library. She lives in Pittsburgh’s Northside with her partner, her daughter, and two spoiled-rotten Dobermans.
Past practitioners & courses include...
Vivian, Narrative Storytelling
Sabrina, Game Design
Rebecca, Theatre
Ben, Welding
Jeff, Personal Finance
Annah, Psychology
Julie, Work & Labor
Coop, Physics