Making Sparks 2009
Sharing Ideas, Meeting Collaborators, and Exploring Possibilities for Play
On October 28, 2009, Making Sparks, a new annual event organized by The Sprout Fund, brought together members of Pittsburgh’s education, early childhood, technology, and media communities to explore the latest developments and emerging trends impacting the lives of young children in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The topic of the event was Play—its role in health and education, its central importance in social and intellectual development, and the potential to integrate new and existing technology and media tools to improve the ways our children play.
Here Sprout presents documentation of the panel and ideation discussions held at Making Sparks and a catalog of the leading ideas developed at this first-of-its-kind event. Making Sparks included the following activities:
Panel Discussions
Four expert panels shared new perspectives on how technology is being used in early childhood education.
Ideation Sessions
Participants collaborated in small groups to develop ideas for potential Super Spark projects.
Showcase
The best ideas of the day were presented during the closing assembly.
What’s Next?
Sprout staff shared information on applying for Super Spark funding.
Thank You and Credits
Making Sparks would not have been possible without program support from The Grable Foundation and the time and participation of the panelists, moderators, graphic facilitators, and documentarians.
