Old Pre-Event Page

SOLD OUT! — with more than 150 creative thinkers already registered, Making Sparks has sold out!

But there are still many ways to participate in Super Spark activities. Visit spark.sproutfund.org throughout November to learn how you can get involved.

The Sprout Fund invites you to be a part of Making Sparks, a unique forum exploring how technology and innovation can transform the lives of young children in our region.

Making Sparks kicks off the 2009 Super Spark funding program, awarding grants of up to $50,000 to collaborative projects impacting young children through technology and media—focusing this year on play.

Making Sparks will take place on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 from 4-8pm, at the Senator John Heinz History Center. Register today!

Agenda

3:30 – 4:00 Registration

All participants check in outside of the Mueller Center on the 5^th Floor of the Heinz History Center.

4:15 – 5:15 Panel Discussions

Participants attend one of four panel discussions to prepare them to engage in a collaborative ideation session.

Exploring play, engaging creativity. Learn about how and why children play, the importance of play in early learning and development, and the many ways play, technology and creativity influence one another in young children’s lives.
Confirmed Panelists: Ian Ingram (Robotic Artist), Carley Parrish (Signs of ME! Project Manager and Artist), Cindy Popvich (University of Pittsburgh School of Education), Hedda Sharapan (Director of Early Childhood Initiatives, Family Communications, Inc.)
Beyond video games: rethinking technology in children’s lives. Technology is about more than just computer and gadgets. Explore the innovations, opportunities and challenges in children’s technology today and learn about how technology can be used to promote creativity, learning and positive development inside the classroom and beyond.
Confirmed Panelists: Michelle Figlar (Executive Director, Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children), Eben Myers (Vice President of Production, Etcetera Edutainment), Elizabeth Perry (Technology Integration Specialist, The Ellis School), Eric Singer (Artistic Director, League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots)
High tech, not high cost. Using technology doesn’t mean breaking the bank. In this session you can learn about how technology can be used effectively and affordably, and how you can design your project to leverage the resources you already have to maximize impact and minimize cost.
Confirmed Panelists: Teresa Foley (Media Literacy Specialist and Independent Artist), Illah Nourbakhsh (Director, The CREATE Lab at the Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University), Jeremiah Morrison (Program Manager, Venture Outdoors), Carl Kurlander (Steeltown Entertainment)
Secrets of successful collaborations. Collaboration is a cornerstone of any successful Super Spark project, but working across organizational lines is not always an easy task. This session offers advice about finding the right partners, developing shared project ideas, and cultivating strong collaborations that can benefit all partners and stand the test of time.
Confirmed Panelists: Kristin Hughes (Associate Professor of Design, Carnegie Mellon University), Jeremy Resnik (CEO, Propel Schools), Illana Diamond (CEO, Sima Products) Chris Siefert (Deputy Director, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh)

5:30 – 7:15 Dialogue and Ideation

Sprout-trained facilitation teams will guide eight breakout groups of 12 to 15 participants each through collaborative discussion activities to develop ideas for potential Super Spark projects.

Moderators will steer the discussions and Graphic Facilitators will visually capture the ideas as they develop.

7:15 – 8:00 Conclusion and Report-out

Participants will present each breakout group’s leading idea during this closing assembly. After these presentations, Sprout staff will provide information on the next steps in the Super Spark funding stream including application materials and deadlines for submitting a proposal.

Continuing Education

Making Sparks has been approved by Pennsylvania’s Quality Assurance System to offer professional development credit to early childhood and school-age educators and practitioners. Yet another reason to attend Making Sparks!

About The History Center

The Heinz History Center is located at 1212 Smallman Street in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the History Center is the largest history museum in Pennsylvania. The 275,000 sq. ft. museum features six floors of long-term and changing exhibition space, including the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, and the History Center Library & Archives.

Parking

Parking is located across the street from the History Center at the 12th and Smallman Street Parking Lot. A reduced parking rate of $4 is available for patrons who tell the parking attendant that they are visiting the History Center.