Teacher’s Passion for Civics Sparks New Opportunities for Student Leadership

Upper St. Clair, both as a community and as a high school, has an amazing staff that works to go above and beyond to help those around them. At Upper St. Clair High School (USCHS) specifically, one teacher is excited to take on two new roles that will have a profound impact on the school culture, student leadership development and civic engagement – Mr. Doug Kirchner. Kirchner is the social studies curriculum leader and organizer of Global Education Week at USCHS. For the last 22 years, he has taught psychology within the high school’s social studies department.

Kirchner has been working hard to make his passion for civic engagement shine at USCHS. He feels so strongly about civics, he described it as “a feeling and a way of life, not just a class you take.” Now, through his two new roles with the school, he will be able to take civics beyond the classroom. 

One of the new roles Kirchner has taken on is serving as the high school gifted coordinator as of the 2025-26 school year. He said he wanted to pursue the challenge of working with students one-on-one, and working with those in the gifted program will allow him to study, develop skills and challenge the students. Kirchner said his extensive time teaching psychology has given him an idea of the kind of atmosphere he wants to create for gifted students.

Also starting this school year, Kirchner is working as the assistant head of student activities alongside head of student activities, Brooke Tarcson. This position includes coordinating all activities around USCHS and working closely with the Student Council to foster student leadership.

Recognizing his passion for civic engagement, Tarcson is looking forward to working with Kirchner to create additional leadership opportunities for students.

“Mr. Kirchner is a true Panther fan and wants to enhance the student experience at USCHS,” Tarcson said. “I am all for that!”

Kirchner commended Tarcson for all the work she does and is looking forward to working with her to impact the culture at USC, saying, “She [Tarcson] reminds all of us that school can be fun.”

Starting off his time in his new roles on a high note, Kirchner recently received a $15,000 “moonshot” grant from Remake Learning to implement an idea he had for USCHS called the Panther Pack. “Since 2021, Remake Learning has catalyzed more than 50 Moonshot ideas, totaling more than $3.5 million invested in bold ideas” according to the organization’s website, and their aspiration is to “enrich Pittsburgh’s learning ecosystem” with the changing times around the region.

Kirchner discovered Remake Learning, and in turn, the grant application, through his involvement as social studies curriculum leader working with many different organizations. After putting the grant application together in the spring, Kirchner found out in early summer that he had received the Moonshot grant. The grant had more than 100 other applicants with proposals for similar programs.

The Panther Pack is designed to be a network of student representatives from every club and team at USCHS, who will work in cohesion to dream up and carry out a yearlong series of events, such as Global Education Week and Civic Engagement Week. Kirchner’s goal is to bridge divides and raise awareness about what civic engagement is. He believes this must start at the nonpartisan community level. “Unified, ongoing, impactful, civic engagement” is the goal, he said.

The grant will be used to help fund Global Education Week, support students’ Capstone projects and assist with civic/service-oriented field trips. A “Day of Service” is another potential application of civics, in which all students and staff spend a day volunteering in the Upper St. Clair community and beyond.

Kirchner has been working on recruiting staff and student representatives for the Panther Pack in the first quarter of the school year.  He is aiming to implement Civic Engagement Week by the end of the year. His new position as assistant head of student activities aligns with the goals of the Panther Pack because working closely with school clubs is already a large part of his duties.

Caty Howard, a student who works closely with Kirchner and has accompanied him on numerous field trips, says that his focus on civic engagement has helped her “see how this [civic engagement] can be a lifestyle and something that we can live out each and every day.” Kirchner’s undeniable impact on students and the school community has inspired Howard and will continue to inspire students who follow. Howard says the community “should be looking forward to what is to come” and the positive changes that the Moonshot grant will facilitate.

Kirchner is positioned to have a large influence on both USCHS and the community, utilizing his newfound involvement in student activities, the gifted program and civic engagement opportunities. Kirchner’s goal for the Panther Pack and commitment to promoting what he sees as “unlocked creativity, sustainability, and commitment to community” will give students an outlet to get more involved in their community, engage with peers and make a difference in the world. 

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This article was written by USCHS sophomore Claire Birmingham, an active member of Student Council, the Speech & Debate team, the school’s gifted education program, girls basketball team, and flag football team. Claire is considering a future career in the marketing or communications field.