Who We Are

Specialized Learning Is a Team Effort with Partner Schools and Districts

A teacher and a student work together on a multiplication problem.
A man and a boy sit in a school library with a Labrador Retriever between them. The boy is reading a book to the dog.
A student reads to a visiting therapy dog in the school library.

Each morning, buses and vans pull up in front of Holy Family Specialized Learning (HFSL) from across the Greater Pittsburgh area, sporting the names of 16 different schools and districts. The students at HFSL come from their home districts for a variety of reasons, but each one receives an education tailored to address their specific needs and highlight their unique strengths.

One of the pillars of HFSL is a grounding in restorative practices – helping students understand the impact of their actions, repair relationships, and build a strong school community. School staff incorporate restorative practices into every part of the day to instill in students that the focus is on building accountability, accessing empathy, and nurturing growth, and not on punishment.

The team at HFSL collaborates closely with partner schools to ensure that each student is supported while they build the skills and behaviors necessary to transition confidently back to their home districts and thrive. Said one parent, “My son would never have graduated and found his way without Holy Family [Specialized Learning].”

For more information, or to submit a referral form, check out the Specialized Learning page.