CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
Men of Faith
Men of Scholarship
Mission
Central Catholic High School, a college preparatory school
for boys, is guided by the educational principles of
St. John Baptist de La Salle.
The school strives to provide a challenging, relevant,
and diverse program of studies and extracurricular
activities in an environment that fosters a life of faith and
learning and develops leaders rooted in the Gospel values of
Men of Faith, Men of Scholarship, Men of Service
CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
A Tradition of Excellence
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
CE NTR AL CA THOLIC HIGH SCH O O L
Pro Deo et Patria
Welcome to Central Catholic High School, Pittsburgh’s outstanding secondary school for boys. Central Catholic’s mission is to educate young men spiritually, academically, physically, and socially. As the only all-male Catholic high school in the region, Central Catholic has been fulfilling its mission of graduating well-rounded young men committed to the values of faith,
scholarship, and service since 1927.
The Christian Brothers’ educational experience combines with Central’s traditions to make Central Catholic the region’s premier secondary school for boys. A demanding and enjoyable academic program, enthusiastic and dedicated teachers, a brotherhood of young men, a castle-like campus in the heart of Pittsburgh’s vibrant Oakland neighborhood, Gospel-based service opportunities, rich extracurricular activities, and championship teams all prepare the students to be compassionate, responsible, and successful participants in Church and society.
Today, Central Catholic is changing, adapting, and moving ahead to ensure that we continue to form men who will
make a difference. The faculty at Central understands that students are being prepared for a changing world. As a
result, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) initiatives have become a critical component of our curriculum. Students at all academic levels have the opportunity to be exposed to STEM concepts and will gain an understanding of careers in these fields. As part of Central’s ongoing commitment to contemporary learning, ground will soon be broken on our newest building, a state-of-the-art STEM facility. This is an exciting time in the growth of our campus. Over the next several years Central Catholic will continue to enhance and strengthen the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math curriculum and maintain the excellent humanities curriculum, while stressing the importance of faith and service.
Central Catholic believes that single gender schools are places where students go primarily to learn, and that the all-male environment allows for easy and effective implementation of teaching strategies geared for teenage boys. Central Catholic focuses on the educational needs of young men and creates expectations that allow them to reach their potential. Such an approach works! Central Catholic students consistently earn standardized test scores above the overall and the all-male average on both the state and national level and they receive scholarships to many prestigious colleges and universities. For more information about the benefits of all boys education, please visit: www.centralcatholichs.com/allboyseducation.
All of us at Central Catholic – the boys, Brothers, faculty, and staff – would be delighted to welcome you to our wonderful Catholic Lasallian school.
Rendering of the proposed STEM facility Central Catholic High School in 1927
From its beginning, two things have distinguished
Central Catholic High School:
the influence of the De La Salle Christian Brothers
and the strength of its academic programs.
In 1680, John Baptist de La Salle,
a young French priest, organized a
group of educators into a
religious community that
eventually became the Brothers of
the Christian Schools. The
Brothers committed themselves to
the ministry of teaching and to the
students entrusted to their care.
De La Salle was canonized in 1900
and was named the Patron Saint
of Teachers of the Youth in 1950.
In 1927, the Christian Brothers
founded Central Catholic High
School in the Lasallian tradition.
Today, Central Catholic remains
rooted in its values and traditions,
while providing innovative and
relevant academic programs and
extracurricular activities.
HISTORY
CHALLENGING ACADEMICS
Cultivate Young Scholars
Central Catholic High School provides a challenging, multi-level, college preparatory curriculum that recognizes the uniqueness of each student.
The academic offerings at Central Catholic include a traditional liberal arts catalogue that embraces the ever-changing landscape of the 21st century. Students can choose from an array of advanced electives,
including courses in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math (STEM), Film, History, Arts, and Athletic Training.
Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered in nearly all subject areas, and students can earn college credit through the College in High School Program. More than 65% of Central Catholic students are enrolled in AP, Honors, and college-level courses.
The Brother David Baginski Scholars Program provides motivated students with opportunities for outside learning and for mentoring by area professors in a wide range of academic disciplines.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) initiatives are an integral part of Central Catholic’s curriculum. The goal of STEM education at Central is to provide an integrated curriculum where students of all academic levels will be exposed to STEM concepts and gain an understanding of careers in these fields. The Robotics Program allows students to combine their computer science and engineering skills to create machines that perform a variety of tasks. Students design and build robots using VEX® robotics equipment and program and operate their robots using ROBOTC.
The Central Catholic iPad Program provides students with an iPad and engages learners with interactive applications, transforming the traditional classroom environment.
TALENTS
Become Passions
INTERESTS
Become Careers
Whether a young man
finds inspiration in the
science lab, writing
center, campus ministry
or through participation
in an extracurricular
activity, Central
Catholic ensures that he
is well prepared for
college and a rewarding
professional life.
Central Catholic alumni, who
include successful scientists,
actors, writers, athletes, Christian
Brothers, and businessmen,
credit our inspiring and supportive
culture with igniting the passions
that have led them to fulfilling
careers and purposeful lives.
Scholarship
Academics
Central Catholic provides a unique college preparatory education balancing breadth of exposure with an in-depth pursuit of a student’s strongest interests.
Understanding the rigorous demands of a pre-collegiate curriculum, Central offers a well-rounded course selection that includes state of the art Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), as well as broader Liberal Arts subjects. Course work is highly individualized with students having the opportunity to build their own schedules, including 34 honors and 16 advancement placement level courses.
Along with outstanding academic programming, students are encouraged to explore intellectual challenges through programs like the David S. Baginski, FSC Scholars Program.
Faculty
Walk through the halls of Central on any school day and you will find teachers and students fully engaged in classroom discussions or a one-on-one tutoring session. Central’s faculty, grounded in the values of a Lasallian education, is committed to our students’ personal and academic success. Teachers and Brothers also regularly communicate with parents or guardians regarding each student’s challenges and successes.
Students
Central students are a diverse population and come from Pittsburgh and the surrounding suburban areas. They enjoy a learning environment based on the core belief of Saint John Baptist de La Salle’s premise of “Education for All.” An example of this is the My Brother’s Keeper program. This program pairs a freshman student with a senior to aid in the transition of the first year of high school.
College Planning
The College Counseling Office educates and advocates so that each student discovers the
post-secondary option that best matches his interests and personal characteristics. All students are counseled on the college search process with formal classes detailing standardized tests, applications, and financial aid procedures beginning the junior year. The Office is committed to positioning students to achieve a high-level of success in their post-secondary settings.
Alabama A&M University Allegheny College American University Baldwin Wallace College Bard College
Bethany College Boston College
Bowling Green State University Brown University
Bucknell University
California University of Pennsylvania Capital University
Carlow University Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University The Catholic University of America Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Clarion University of Pennsylvania Clemson University
Colgate University College of Charleston College of the Holy Cross College of William and Mary The College of Wooster Columbia University Cornell University
Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia Denison University DePaul University Dickinson College Drake University Drexel University Duquesne University Eastern University
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Elon University
Embry-Riddle University (FL) Emory University
Fairfield University
Fashion Institute of Technology Flagler College
Florida Atlantic University Florida Institute of Technology Florida State University Fordham University Gannon University George Mason University Georgetown University
The George Washington University Georgia Institute of Technology Gettysburg College
Grove City College Hampton University
Recent College Matriculations 2011 – 2014
Names in bold indicate colleges where three or more graduates have matriculated in the most recent four-year period. Harvard University
High Point University Hiram College Howard University Immaculata University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) Ithaca College
Jacksonville University James Madison University John Carroll University Johns Hopkins University Juniata College
Kent State University La Roche College La Salle University Lehigh University Lewis University Macalester College Manhattan College
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Marietta College
Marquette University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mercyhurst University
Miami University (OH) Michigan State University Morehouse College Mount Aloysius College
Naval Academy Preparatory School North Carolina A&T State University North Carolina Central University North Carolina State University Northeastern University Nova Southeastern University Ohio University
Ohio Northern University The Ohio State University
Penn State University – Multiple Campuses Point Park University
Princeton University Purdue University Ripon College
Robert Morris University Rochester Institute of Technology Rollins College
Saint Joseph’s University Saint Vincent College Seton Hall University Seton Hill University
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania St. John Fisher College
St. John’s University – Queens Campus SUNY Maritime College
Syracuse University Temple University Thiel College Tulane University
United States Air Force Academy United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy The University of Akron
The University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa University of California at Berkeley University of California at Los Angeles University of California at Santa Barbara University of Chicago
University of Colorado at Boulder University of Dayton
University of Delaware
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Maryland, College Park University of Miami
University of Michigan University of Mount Union
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh – Multiple Campuses University of Rhode Island
University of Richmond University of Rochester University of South Carolina University of Southern California University of Toledo
University of Wisconsin—Madison Valley Forge Military College Vanderbilt University Vassar College Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) Wabash College
Wagner College Wake Forest University Washington & Jefferson College Washington University in St. Louis Waynesburg University
Westminster College West Virginia University Wheaton College (IL) Williams College Wittenberg University Xavier University Yale University
Youngstown State University
Post-Graduate Plans – Class of 2014 (180 Graduates)
Four-year college Two-year college Armed Services Other # of students 174 1 2 3 % of class 97% <1% <1% 2% Catholic CollegesPrivate, non-Catholic Colleges Public Colleges # of students 57 53 64 % of class 32% 29% 36%
