(Photo Courtesy of Imani Christian Academy)

Imani Christian Academy began in 1993 as a faith-based school serving low-income communities. The school serves about 150 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 in Pittsburgh’s East Hills. Most students are African-American, and many come from single-parent households or are being raised by a grandparent or guardian. Individualized attention, high-quality academic experience, and everyday exposure to positive role models create a learning environment tailored to the unique needs of African American students. We sat down with CEO and Head of School, Paulo Nzambi, to learn more about Imani’s approach to empowering students to be their best selves.

When students come from a place of comfort and confidence, that helps them grow. How does Imani Christian Academy create a nurturing environment?

One of the things that we do intentionally at Imani is make sure that every child is seen, and it really begins at the start of our school day. Our students get off either buses, vans, or cars, and they enter the building. The first person they encounter is usually Mr. Miller, who welcomes them into school. Once they're inside the building, it will be Mr. Neely and myself.

We greet them and then send them off to breakfast, or to their classrooms if they are in elementary. Shaking every student's hand as they come into the building, looking them in the eye, and welcoming them is one of the ways we make sure that every student is noticed and seen.

It also helps us because we are a small student population, and if we don't see you on a certain day, the day you do come in, we're able to say, “hey, where were you yesterday? Is everything okay?” That, I think, surprises our students, because I don't know that they're necessarily aware that we miss them when they're not here. Again, it goes to establishing a meaningful relationship with our students.

At Imani, we have a commitment to excellence in giving them the best possible education that we can, providing students with meaningful emotional supports and grounding ourselves in faith. A faith that tells us that every student's life is valuable, and that everybody has something to contribute. That each person has a purpose in this world of which they were imbued at the moment of their creation. This really does change the way you view and interact with people when you consider that you have been given the privilege of stewarding someone on that journey to finding their purpose.

What is new for your students this school year?

We’ve accomplished something unprecedented in recent years. Over a 90-day period this summer, we renovated the front of our building. We completely changed the appearance of the school. Now, we have a brand-new parking lot and asphalt driveway; we have brand-new concrete in the front of the building, and warm, welcoming, bright doors. We have new flooring in the lobby and new lighting in our upper and lower lobbies.

This is the beginning of a real transformation. The physical changes to the building are emblematic of the pursuit of excellence that we have always had. Now, we look like the school that we internally think of ourselves as being. As opposed to having cognitive dissonance, where we're saying we're a school of excellence, but we don't quite look that way.

The next phase of that is continuing the renovations in the building. We plan to build out an art gallery and decorative features within the lobby and lower lobby. We want to be able to feature the artwork of our really creative and talented students, and we want a place that is appropriate to do that. We want a dedicated space where their work can be featured in a way that's appropriate for the level of talent that they are demonstrating.

We also want to be able to bring people into the building to share that experience and to take advantage of the rich artwork and art community that exists within Pittsburgh, and perhaps get some of those folks interested in exhibiting their work and doing artist talks right here in Imani Christian Academy.

AE&E Fund is a proud supporter of Imani Christian Academy’s scholarship program. Learn more about the school and ways you can support their students and mission at their website

Our Fall Critical Support Cycle moved high-priority requests into action. We are delighted to have added and extended grants with several partners in need of ongoing support. Thank you to all 2025 applicants for sharing your plans and perspectives during this tumultuous year in arts and education funding.

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Partner Events

BREW HOUSE ARTS

Our Appalachia: Community & Visions of the Solar Ant Arts Collective, Curated by Griffin Nordstrom

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 20 (6-8:30 pm)

Based in the heart of the Monongahela National Forest in Elkins, West Virginia, the Solar Ant Arts Collective is gaining recognition as a model for creating change in their communities. Members join from across the region, working in a variety of mediums, from professional artists to hobbyists. Eleven artists from the collective are highlighted to negotiate various themes in their work, including environmental issues, identity, placemaking, and what it means to be Appalachian.

November 20, 2025 – January 17, 2026

Resonance Works presents the regional premiere of Kamala Sankaram and Kelley Rourke’s The Jungle Book! This opera for all ages reinterprets the classic Rudyard Kipling story with an emphasis on themes of community, empathy, and inclusion, sending a powerful message about embracing those who are different, and recognizing “the heart that beats in all of us.”

Sankaram creates a powerful sense of place in the score by weaving elements of classical Indian music including ragas and vocal percussion.

Friday, November 21, 2025, 7:30 pm

Saturday, November 22, 2025, 3:00 pm

Sunday, November 23, 2025, 3:00 pm

Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Carnegie, PA

Please visit our website for more partner events.

Arts, Equity, & Education Fund™ strives for a better reflection of the real world in arts and education.