St. Joe's Students Formed Eradicate Hate Club
Students at the Pittsburgh high school established a new chapter to foster cultural awareness and local tolerance.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Following attendance at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, students at St. Joe's High School have launched a new campus club. The student-led organization aims to create a more inclusive school environment through volunteerism and dialogue.
Why it matters
The club seeks to address issues of belonging and tolerance within the school community. By organizing local conversations, members hope to actively combat hate through student-led initiatives.
A total of 650 students from across the region participated in the Eradicate Hate Global Summit. Ten students from St. Joe's High School, including 18-year-olds Max Shehab and John Marino, attended the event.
The players
Max Shehab
He is an 18-year-old student at St. Joe's High School who hails from Harrison.
John Marino
He is an 18-year-old student at St. Joe's High School who resides in Tarentum.
Tom Ridge
He serves as the global advisor for the Eradicate Hate movement.
The details
Students lobbied school leaders to formalize the chapter after participating in the September summit at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The club will hold regular meetings to facilitate discussions regarding cultural awareness among the student body.
Timeline
The Tree of Life massacre occurred in Squirrel Hill in 2019.
Students attended the Eradicate Hate Global Summit in September 2026.
The club plans to hold its first meeting in October 2026.
Culture Shift
This club represents a shift toward student-led civic engagement in the aftermath of the 2019 Tree of Life massacre. It positions local youth as central participants in regional efforts to promote tolerance and cultural understanding.
Students at St. Joe's can expect to engage in new dialogue-based forums starting this month. The club's activities may provide residents with opportunities to support local volunteerism efforts aimed at building community belonging.
The takeaway
The formation of this club demonstrates how students can leverage regional summits to drive grassroots advocacy within their own schools. Future chapters can adopt similar models to foster dialogue and volunteerism among their peers.
Further reading
Learn more about the evolving landscape of Secondary Education and student advocacy in the Pittsburgh region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TribLIVE.
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