Ten Years of Opening Up Possibility — A Year-End Reflection

Collage of Photos with our Ten Year Open Up Logo in the Center

Dear Open Up Community,

As we come to the close of this year, we want to pause, take a breath, and reflect with gratitude on what it has meant to arrive at a milestone we once only dreamed about: Open Up’s 10th year.

This year was not an easy one. Like many community-based organizations, we felt the very real impact of a rapidly shifting funding landscape. Longstanding sources of support changed, capacity-building dollars became harder to secure, and we were forced to make difficult decisions that challenged how much we could offer, even as the need for our programs continued to grow.

And yet, this year also reminded us why Open Up exists.

In moments of uncertainty, our community showed up, with generosity, belief, creativity, and care. Together, we leaned into resilience and chose hope. Because of you, we are still here. Still moving. Still opening doors.

Here are just a few moments that defined our 10th year:

• We created new curriculum for youth ages 2–4 and their families in partnership with Fred Rogers Productions, bringing mindfulness and movement to the earliest learners in ways that honor curiosity, regulation, and joy.

• We entered our 5th year of partnership with Baldwin-Whitehall School District, expanding our collaboration to include professional development for administrators at their start-of-year retreat and their all-staff PD day in November.

• We held a full year of Out-of-School Time programming, including:

• January–March Yoga Club

• Spring Break Camp

• July programming in ESY schools

• August Summer Camp

• October–December Yoga Club
  Alongside this, we offered approximately three quarters of Saturday Yoga Minis, reaching families across seasons.

• We partnered with Carnegie Mellon University through two collaborations, where students supported us in exploring new financial and technological possibilities for sustainability and growth.

• We saw steady and meaningful growth in our free studio classes, an initiative we are deeply committed to preserving.

• We sold out 9 of our monthly Dance Parties

• Our Wednesday night Supported Yoga class remained at capacity, becoming a true community of friendship and belonging

• Emily and Colton launched into their 4th year of the beloved Improv & Yoga class

• We offered more classes than ever before, up to 8 weekly classes
  This growth affirmed what we already know. The demand is there, even when our capacity to deliver is limited.

• We reached a major milestone by celebrating the 50th episode of Sunday Safe Spaces, continuing to offer consistent, accessible moments of grounding and connection for our broader community.

• We launched a new University of Pittsburgh online course, Mindful Regulation Practices for Educators and Community, expanding access to trauma-informed tools beyond our physical spaces.

• We finalized a three-year strategic plan with the guidance of Sheila Washington and support from PACE, helping us move forward with clarity, intention, and shared vision.

• We celebrated 30 years of the ADA with a full weekend of Dance Party and classes, honoring disability culture, access, and joy.

• During a critical moment of financial strain, our community rallied, helping us recover from the loss of capacity-building funding and achieve 60% of our goal, support that made it possible for us to reach this 10-year milestone as an organization.

• Despite a challenging year for so many, we saw encouraging signs of belief in our work, achieving a grant success rate of 25%, reinforcing that partners and funders recognize the value of what Open Up brings to the community.

Ten years in, we are reminded that Open Up has never been built by one person, one program, or one funding source. It has been built, and sustained, by people who believe that everyone deserves access to tools for self-awareness, regulation, creativity, and connection.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Thank you for standing with us in hard moments and hopeful ones. As we step into our next decade, we do so with humility, determination, and deep faith in the power of community.

With gratitude and hope,

The Open Up Team