Formed in response to very low rates of academic proficiency in children of some of the lower income neighborhoods in Pittsburgh and a need for children to have safe places to interact in the hours after school, the Neighborhood Learning Alliance has made leaps and bounds regarding improvement in the lives of children and families. The organization is a joint effort that involves a number of faith-based community organizations like the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, Community House Church and the Hill House Association.

Through a number of strategic partnerships and continued attention to building the capacity of community, the NLA works to improve educational opportunities for lower income and African-American families in the area. The NLA leads the Community LEARNS afterschool programs, which they staff with community partners and support through their own grant writing, curriculum development, professional development, and other related resource management. The programs work in tandem with the Pittsburgh Public Schools and provide activities beyond the traditional school day to approximately 700 students in the area, and that number is sure to climb as the programs begin to reach the charter schools in the area and branch into other districts as well.