About Us

Who we are

PULSE, the Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience, is an organization committed to cultivating a community of young servant leaders to transform Pittsburgh. We mentor a new generation of urban leaders who understand and appreciate the importance of the city for the world's future.

How we do it

We partner with local, Pittsburgh nonprofits to develop men and women to be the next generation of servant leaders in our city. Placement nonprofits receive a young, talented, university graduates to build capacity in their organization while participants receive valuable job training and skill development.

We cultivate community by having our participants live together. Our participants share meals, household tasks and life together. As a results, they grow and develop as individuals and as a cohort group of young people working to make change in Pittsburgh. Over a third of our alumni continue to live in Pittsburgh.

We train and equip our participants to become servant leaders in Pittsburgh. We provide regular, ongoing personal and professional development, mentoring relationships and other opportunities to give our participants the support they need to succeed.

Our Mission

PULSE cultivates a community of young servant leaders to transform Pittsburgh.

We Believe In:

• Engaging in the Possibility of the City
• The Transformative Power of Serving
• Celebrating the Creative Energy of Young Adults
• Building Strong and Enduring Relationships
• The Exploration and Development of Faith

The History of PULSE

PULSE founder, John Stahl-Wert, in the early 1990s recognized that Pittsburgh was losing its young people at a rapid rate, contributing to the need for educated, skilled workers in the city’s social service sector. At the same time, Stahl-Wert observed that recent college graduates across the nation were struggling to find creative, meaningful employment, particularly in the arts.

Since its inception in 1994, over 100 PULSE participants have contributed some 170,000 hours to more than 100 Pittsburgh nonprofit agencies, churches, arts-based businesses and schools. Over 40 alumni still live in the city, eighteen within 0.5 mile radius of the PULSE house, continuing to build and invest in the East Liberty neighborhood.

Governance

PULSE is governed by an nine member Board of Directors, which includes professionals, nonprofit leaders and program alumni who live in Pittsburgh. Under the auspices of the Board of Directors, PULSE is administered by one full-time employee. Funding comes from individuals, churches and other community organizations as well as placement stipends from nonprofit partners.

Staff

Chris Cooke is the Executive Director of PULSE. After graduating from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, the California native moved to Pittsburgh. For the past ten years, he’s worked for the CCO, a campus ministry organization headquartered in East Liberty. Initially, he worked with Carnegie Mellon students out of Shadyside Presbyterian Church. He then transitioned to the main office to oversee training and staff support raising for the 200+ staff of the CCO. Chris loves the creative energy of young adults and is excited to see young people explore the possibility of this city through PULSE. You can contact Chris by calling the PULSE office (412-361-0124) or e-mailing him at [email protected]

Pittsburgh Urban Leadership and Service Experience
5615 Stanton Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
[email protected]