Making Sparks 2010 was held on October 20, 2010!

Making Sparks is a unique annual forum exploring how technology and innovation can transform the lives of young children in our region. The event helped set the agenda for Sprout’s 2010 Super Spark Funding Stream, awarding grants of up to $50,000 to collaborative projects and programs making an impact on early childhood learning through the creative use of technology and media.

Making Sparks 2010 was held from 4:00 to 8:00pm at the Pittsburgh Opera, 2425 Liberty Avenue in the Strip District.

Event Overview

Speaker Presentations

Participants learned about the challenges and opportunities facing today’s young children and how educators and innovators are responding to changes in early childhood learning.

Through presentations, interviews, and discussions, presenters shared knowledge and experience to establish a foundation for a new dialogue.

Ideation Workshops

Working together in small groups, participants collaborated to develop new ideas for potential Super Spark projects.

Sprout-trained facilitation teams guided and documented each group’s conversation through a series of ideation activities designed to stimulate creative thinking, build connections and partnerships, and turn fresh ideas into feasible project proposals.

Showcase

Participants shared some of their best ideas during the closing assembly.

Next Steps: Super Spark Funding

The Sprout Fund offers Super Spark awards of up to $50,000 to projects and programs that make a lasting impact on early childhood learning in communities throughout Pittsburgh and the surrounding communities of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Super Spark applications will be due on Monday, December 13, 2010.

Download Super Spark application materials