Making Sparks 2011 was held on May 3, 2011!

On Tuesday, May 3rd, Sprout hosted the third annual Making Sparks forum exploring how technology and innovation can transform the lives of young children. The event helped set the agenda for Sprout’s 2011 Super Spark Funding Stream, awarding grants of up to $50,000 to collaborative projects and programs that engage children in the creative use of technology and media.

Making Sparks was held from 4:00 to 7:00pm at the Carnegie Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Avenue in Oakland.

Event Overview

Making Sparks brings together technology and media innovators with visionaries from the world of education to share knowledge, build connections, and generate new ideas.

Speakers

Through presentations and demonstrations, speakers shared knowledge and experience to establish a foundation for a new dialogue.

Speakers included Spark project managers and leaders in technology and media who are creating new ways for children to imagine, make, and share their own creative projects.

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.

Super Spark Idea Pitch

Participants pitched their best project ideas and received feedback from a panel of judges.

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 Friday, June 10th, 2011.

Download Super Spark application materials