SocialChange101

Exposing Pittsburgh teens to social issues that affect their communities, contextualizing them within historical precedents, and empowering them with technical and artistic skills.

SocialChange101

$15,000 » Carnegie Mellon University, 2013 Hive project support

SocialChange101, a project of Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Arts in Society, was a free online educational resource and youth workshop series for students of social change. The online resource included courses in history and social change and a directory of local organizations working toward social justice, while the youth workshops focused on media literacy’s role in that change, culminating in student-produced videos highlighting organizations involved in the directory. It is through these courses and workshops that SocialChange101 exposed groups of Pittsburgh teens to social issues that affected their communities, contextualizing them within historical precedents and concepts of social change and empowering the teens with technical and artistic skills and the knowledge that even individuals can make an incredible difference in the world.

Media Lab at Sarah Heinz House

Creating and composing media in teams, teens learned how to publish online news stories, shoot photos, produce short films, edit soundtracks, and study music production and DJ techniques.

Media Lab at Sarah Heinz House

$10,000 » Sarah Heinz House, 2013 Hive project support

Media Lab Programming at Sarah Heinz House, a project of Sarah Heinz House, was a connected learning lab where students aged 12-18 created and composed media in a team-centered setting. With staff and professional volunteers, teens learned how to publish online news stories, do shoot photos, produce short films, edit soundtracks, and study music production and DJ techniques. Because topics and story ideas were initiated by the students, the Media Lab engaged students on a personal level, taking into consideration not only development in leadership, creative thinking, problem-solving and teamwork, but also the interests and subjects that were relevant to the lives of teens, ultimately giving them a voice in civic, societal, and cultural conversations.

Rankin Gymnasium Mural

Creating a mural and staffing a new printshop where students learn digital and screen printing design processes used in producing uniforms and promotional materials for an upcoming basketball tournament.

Rankin Gymnasium Mural

$10,500 » Artists Image Resource, 2014 Hive project support

Rankin Gymnasium Mural, a project of Artists Image Resource, was a large-scale art piece for the Rankin Christian Center, designed in collaboration with Andy Warhol Museum international Dutch artist-in-residence Stefan Hoffmann and the Rankin Christian Center’s youth workshop and community engagement program. The project went beyond just the production of a mural, opening a new print shop in the Center, staffed by students who learned the digital and screen printing design processes used in producing uniforms, posters and promotional materials for the project’s culminating event: a basketball tournament in the newly adorned gymnasium. The multifaceted project taught students new skills, along with lessons in leadership, teamwork and creative thinking.

Sister II Sister

Supporting at-risk female students who wish to achieve school success through STEAM education through a hands-on approach that empowers young women to gain knowledge and understanding through experiential learning.

Sister II Sister

$15,000 » Duquesne University, 2015 Hive project support

Sister II Sister: Promoting Empowerment with eS.T.E.A.M., a project of Duquesne University, was an enrichment program designed to support at-risk female students in achieving academic success through STEAM education. The program paired young women who had completed at least a year of Sisters eS.T.E.A.M. programming with young women new to STEAM programming. Focusing primarily on engineering, technology, and math, Sister II Sister used a hands-on approach to help female students gain knowledge and understanding through experiential learning.

Bulldogs on Bikes

Encouraging teens to be active by enabling them to design and build their own bikes.

Bulldogs on Bikes

$12,000 » The Neighborhood Academy, 2014 Hive project support

Bulldogs on Bikes, a project of The Neighborhood Academy, was a cycling program that allowed low-income, underserved students to participate in cyclocross activities that would be otherwise financially prohibitive. The program had both athletic and artistic aspects, not only teaching students about the cyclocross and other cycle racing, but also allowing them to design, build and decorate their own bike which they could keep at the completion of the program. In that, Bulldogs on Bikes promoted both physical and mental well-being, encouraging teens to be active in sport and in art.

Cook, Grow, Garden

Teaching students about cultivation and cooking, from recipe writing to floral arranging, after working with food grown on-site at the museum’s community gardens.

Cook, Grow, Garden

$15,000 » Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, 2014 Hive project support

Cook, Grow, Garden, a project of Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, was a series of three youth-oriented programs that all focused on food. The first two programs, Youth Cook and Youth Grow, both invited students to work with food grown in the Museum’s four on-site and community gardens, teaching them about cultivation and cooking, from recipe writing to floral arranging. The third program, Tripoli Street Garden Nights/Days, was a twice-weekly volunteer gardening experience at the Museum’s largest garden, a quarter acre lot on Tripoli Street named Food City. Together, these three programs gave youth on the North Side an opportunity to learn about where their food comes from and how they can make more informed decisions about the things they cook and eat.

Teens as Teachers

Inviting students to become teachers and mentors in their own schools and communities by helping them develop leadership and technical skills.

Teens as Teachers

$1,000 » Assemble, 2014 Hive project support

Teens as Teachers, a project of Assemble, was a series of workshops that invited students to become teachers and mentors in their own schools and communities. The six weekly workshops helped students develop leadership and technical skills that could be passed on through programs that the students designed themselves, using their own interests in digital media, programming, and technology as a starting point. A professional development course for pre-professionals, Teens as Teachers gave students a chance not only to decide what to learn—but how to teach it as well.

First Waves

Teaching teens facing adversity about surfing, filmmaking, and conservation by piloting paddleboards and using GoPro cameras to document their adventures.

First Waves

$5,000 » Paddle Without Pollution, 2014 Hive project support

First Waves, a project of Paddle Without Pollution in partnership with SurfSUP Adventures, taught teens facing adversity about surfing, filmmaking and conservation all at once. Teens recruited from Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh took paddleboards out to surf the Stonycreek River at Greenhouse Park, using GoPro cameras to document their adventures. Then, the project moved downtown for a river clean-up event on the shores of the City of Pittsburgh with further filming. Finally, on the project’s third day, teens visited Pittsburgh Filmmakers for a video editing workshop to complete their short films about how pollution threatens our waterways and our community’s quality of life.

Youth Initiative on Race & Identity

Leading teens through activities that help them reflect on who they are, identify their own personal biases and stereotypes, and see how they interact and lead discussions on sensitive topics.

Youth Initiative on Race & Identity

$15,000 » Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, 2014 Hive project support

Youth Initiative on Race & Identity, a project of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, was an educational workshop facet of the museum’s exhibit, RACE: Are We So Different?, which examined the scientific and social constructs of race. The workshop series led teens through activities that helped them reflect on who they are, identify their own personal biases and stereotypes, and see how they interact and lead discussions on sensitive topics. The program culminated in the day-long Youth Summit on Race & Identity, where teens shared projects and ideas developed over the course of the project.

My Block is Beautiful

Integrating art, media, technology and civic pride in an interdisciplinary S.T.E.A.M. project that includes drone training, aerial photography, photo manipulation, screen printing and gallery installation.

My Block is Beautiful

$11,000 » YMCA Greater Pittsburgh, 2015 Hive project support

My Block is Beautiful, a project of YMCA Greater Pittsburgh, was an interdisciplinary S.T.E.A.M. project that integrated art, media, technology and civic pride. High School students from the Westinghouse feeder pattern participated in a series of workshops that included drone training, aerial photography, photo manipulation, screen printing and gallery installation. During the workshops participants learned about the science and practical application of drones and used them to take aerial photos of their community. They then transformed these digital images into works of art — resulting in a digital/artistic beautification of their neighborhood. At each phase of the process, youth work alongside experienced mentors including drone experts, photographers, graphic designers and screen printers.

Snap

Cultivating student creativity through the exploration of music and the arts in an inquiry-based, active learning environment.

Snap

$12,000 » Duquesne University, 2015 Hive project support

Snap, a project of Duquesne University in conjunction with take pART and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, cultivated student creativity through the exploration of music and the arts in an inquiry-based, active learning environment. Using a pedagogy based on aesthetic education and constructivist principles, students were engaged in design processes, art and music making, and reflective engagements with works of art. Additionally, students developed a maker ethic by using creative problem-solving skills.

Lighthouse Summer Music Project

Teaching students about music and video production, encouraging teamwork and collaboration, and making a case for activism and advocacy in each student’s community.

Lighthouse Summer Music Project

$5,000 » YMCA Greater Pittsburgh, 2014 Hive project support

YMCA Lighthouse Summer Music Project, a project of YMCA Greater Pittsburgh, was a six-week long music video project where teens created a song and video tackling a community or social issue relevant to their lives. Two groups of students, based out of the Homewood YMCA and the Hazelwood YMCA will research, wrote and recorded a song, then filmed and edited a video to be shared online, all using professional audio/visual technology. The YMCA Lighthouse Summer Music Project taught students about music and video production, encouraged teamwork and collaboration, and made a case for activism and advocacy in each student’s community.

Build Your Own Desk Project

Preparing students to kick off their high school education with the skills needed to succeed–and a desk to do it with!

Build Your Own Desk Project

$5,000 » Holy Family Institute, 2014 Hive project support

Build Your Own Desk Project, a project of Holy Family Institute, allowed ninth grade students at Holy Family Academy to build their own desks to be used throughout their high school career. The project provided students an opportunity to develop hard skills (designing & building), soft skills (teamwork & communication) and dispositions (self-confidence & persistence), preparing students for high school with the skills needed to succeed - and a desk to do it with! The Build Your Own Desk Project partnered with the PA Carpenter’s Union, the United Way of Allegheny County and TechShop Pittsburgh, giving students a well-rounded, professional experience to kick off their educations at Holy Family.

Avonworth Pittsburgh Galleries Project

Supporting student-created, curated and managed exhibitions at Avonworth High School in association with major cultural institutions around Pittsburgh.

Avonworth Pittsburgh Galleries Project

$10,000 » Avonworth School District, 2013 Hive project support

Avonworth Pittsburgh Galleries Project, a project of Avonworth School District, was a program in which high school students designed, created, curated, and managed art exhibition spaces on Avonworth’s campus. Museum and arts professionals from the Andy Warhol Museum, the Mattress Factory, the Pittsburgh Glass Center, and others served as mentors and resources for students throughout the school year as they worked to fully curate spaces at Avonworth that reflected the characteristics and mediums of the partnering museums.

Saturdays at The Dream Factory

Inviting youth from the surrounding counties of Washington, Greene, Westmoreland and Fayette to transform inventive ideas into real objects, using laser cutters, AutoCAD with 3D capabilities, robotics, micro controllers, and wood shop equipment.

Saturdays at The Dream Factory

$10,000 » Elizabeth Forward School District, 2013 Hive project support

Saturdays at The Dream Factory, a project of Elizabeth Forward School District, was a series of open Saturday sessions and a summer enrichment program at the Middle School’s Dream Factory maker lab. The program invited youth from surrounding counties of Washington, Greene, Westmoreland and Fayette to transform inventive ideas into real objects, using laser cutters, AutoCAD with 3D capabilities, robotics, micro controllers and wood shop equipment.

Explore the New Manufacturing Video Challenge

Students exploring career opportunities in manufacturing and honing their skills in teamwork, communication, writing, marketing, time management, and storytelling.

Explore the New Manufacturing Video Challenge

$15,000 » Catalyst Connection, 2015 Hive project support

Explore the New Manufacturing Video Challenge, a project of Catalyst Connection, was a video production competition that taught students about careers and companies in the manufacturing industry. Middle school students from eight school districts in four of southwestern Pennsylvania’s counties visited with different manufacturing companies in the region to learn what those companies do and how they do it. The students then made a video to present what they learned at a multimedia competition. This project gave students the opportunity to explore career opportunities in manufacturing and helped hone their skills in teamwork, communication, writing, marketing, time management, and storytelling. The videos produced were also shown to more youth in the region to highlight available career opportunities in the manufacturing industry.

Water Design Challenge—Dive In!

Tackling local and global water resource issues in physical and virtual spaces and learning about civic engagement by collaborating on student task forces.

Water Design Challenge—Dive In!

$13,500 » Mt. Lebanon School District, 2014 Hive project support

Water Design Challenge - Dive In!, a project of Mt. Lebanon School District, asked students to explore real world water issues both locally and globally. The program had students collaborate as part of a “water task force” to tackle those issues in physical and virtual spaces while at the same time, learning about civic engagement. As part of their participation in the Challenge, students connected with Clean Water Action, the 9-Mile Run Watershed, Stormworks, and 3Rivers Wet Weather to learn about what it takes in the real world to deal with important water issues.

S.T.E.A.M. at Brentwood

Using interdisciplinary project-based learning, engineering, communication, and art students worked together to design and create bobble heads, toys, and jewerly.

S.T.E.A.M. at Brentwood

$10,000 » Brentwood Borough School District, 2015 Hive project support

S.T.E.A.M. at Brentwood, a project of Brentwood Borough School District, was a comprehensive STEAM curriculum for youth in the school district. Using interdisciplinary project-based learning, engineering, communication, and art students worked together to do cross-curricular work. Projects included designing and creating bobble heads using 3D design software and then producing the designs with a kiln; creating toys to give to Toys for Tots; and designing jewelry using 3D printers and CNC machines for a design challenge video competition called the “Boca Bearing Innovation Competition”. Student projects were showcased at the annual “Art in the Park” at the Brentwood Civic Center.

Media Empowerment Students Summit (M.E.S.S.)

Highlighting youth voice and empowerment at Carnegie Mellon University with a discussion led by youth on media and advocacy.

Media Empowerment Students Summit (M.E.S.S.)

$2,500 » Carnegie Mellon University, 2015 Hive sponsorship

Media Empowerment Students Summit (M.E.S.S.) 2015, an event hosted by the CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University, was the second annual summit on youth media, advocacy, and development groups, highlighting youth voice and empowerment. An estimated 120 young people and 20 youth-serving organizations participated in the event on November 7, 2015 at Carnegie Mellon University and at a second event in February 2016.

Mobile Quest CoLab

Focusing on learning and experimentation with games as teaching tools, games as dynamic systems, game design, and mobile technology.

Mobile Quest CoLab

$4,015 » Institute of Play, 2013 Hive sponsorship

Mobile Quest CoLab, a project of Institute of Play, was a free 2-week professional development program for teachers interested in games, design and mobile technology as classroom tools. The program focused on learning and experimentation with games as teaching tools, games as dynamic systems, game design, and mobile technology integration for classroom use.

Crossing Fences Oral History Celebration

Celebrating the release of multimedia publications documenting neighborhood history gathered by African American boys in the Northside, Hilltop, and McKeesport areas of Pittsburgh.

Crossing Fences Oral History Celebration

$1,000 » SLB Radio Productions, Inc., 2013 Hive sponsorship

Crossing Fences Oral History Celebrations 2013, a project of SLB Radio Productions, Inc., was an event series that celebrated the release of multimedia publications documenting neighborhood oral history gathered by African-American boys in the Northside, McKeesport, and Hilltop areas of Pittsburgh.