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kids+creativity integrating the arts sciences and technology to inspire learning and play once home to fred rogers pittsburgh is now home to modern-day fred rogers who ­ like fred ­ make use of child-centered media technology and arts to engage kids in learning inspire their creative play and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them books actual books d i y family festivals games that edutain especially for girls hip hop and tech big ideas and innovators listen to the kids make a photograph places to play and learn attack of the robots on the stage big and little screens mostly for teachers buy local look elsewhere

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kids+creativity integrating the arts sciences and technology to inspire learning and play once home to fred rogers pittsburgh is now home to modern-day fred rogers who ­ like fred ­ make use of child-centered media technology and arts to engage kids in learning inspire their creative play and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them books actual books allegheny county library association is a federated library system that pursues provides and promotes quality public library service for all residents of allegheny county in 2010 they had 331,027 card holders throughout their 44 libraries http www.aclalibraries.org acla youth services offers programs for kids of all ages babies toddler/preschool grades k-2 and 3-5 and tweens there are also book reviews and recommendations information on meetings workshops and webinars and resources for parents http aclayouthservices.blogspot.com carnegie library of pittsburgh serves the city at 19 different locations and functions as an integral part of the region s economic and educational fabric adding stability and vitality to neighborhoods by providing valuable resources programs and classes that engage the community in literacy and life-long learning http www.carnegielibrary.org clp kids is a place for little kids birth to 5 and big kids 6-12 as well as parents teachers and librarians kids can find links for homework help books and reading tv and movies fun and games technology events and my storymaker http www.carnegielibrary.org/kids clp teen services is a place for teens to connect about homework books life and fun teens can post events of interest book reviews and recommendations contests and more http www.clpgh.org/teens reading is fundamental pittsburgh provides children with access to self-selected books creating positive environments that motivate children to develop a lifelong love of reading and engaging families in literacy practices in the home http www.rifpittsburgh.org/

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kids+creativity integrating the arts sciences and technology to inspire learning and play once home to fred rogers pittsburgh is now home to modern-day fred rogers who ­ like fred ­ make use of child-centered media technology and arts to engage kids in learning inspire their creative play and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them diy do it yourself air artists image resource creates learning environments for artists students and the community primarily through its open studio open house open study initiative open studio offers emerging artists and students access to equipment ideas and a community of working artists open house offers families younger students educators and the general public access to hands-on learning and open study provides internships and assistantships for students to become more substantively involved in the studio s operations http www.artistsimageresource.org assemble is a new venue in the penn avenue arts district where you can engage your intrigue through hands-on activities about art and technology physical and nonphysical social and creative connections are fostered through film screenings workshops lectures and community activities their belief is that learning or making does not have to end when the work or school bell rings rather learning is integrated into every aspect of life and time in the day http assemblepgh.org hack pittsburgh is a nonprofit community-based workshop that allows members to come together and share skills and tools to pursue creative projects membership is open to everyone especially inventors engineers scientists programmers hobbyists artists roboteers families entrepreneurs and arts and crafts enthusiasts http www.hackpittsburgh.org makeshop is a space within the children s museum of pittsburgh dedicated to nurturing and furthering informal learning opportunities and research-based understanding at the intersection of the digital and the physical it integrates digital tech projects and media access with diy/maker elements to produce a laboratory for exploration creativity and curiosity http makeshoppgh.wordpress.com/

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kids+creativity integrating the arts sciences and technology to inspire learning and play once home to fred rogers pittsburgh is now home to modern-day fred rogers who ­ like fred ­ make use of child-centered media technology and arts to engage kids in learning inspire their creative play and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them family festivals first night is a unique family-friendly new year s eve celebration focused on the arts centered in the cultural district the festival has something for everyone from children s activities and performances by nationally-known musicians to installations by local artists and a spectacular fireworks finale the popular first night family tent features the children s museum of pittsburgh decoration station and events staged by the pittsburgh international children s theater http firstnightpgh.com pittsburgh international children s festival opens the door for children to experience professional performing arts they present and promote professional programming to inspire challenge educate and stimulate respect for and understanding of all cultures in an entertaining and enlightening way the organization provides diverse programming which introduces young people to other ways of viewing the world around them http www.pghkids.org the three rivers arts festival is the region s largest multidisciplinary showcase of visual art and performing arts as visitors journey from exhibition spaces to restaurants theaters live stages and gathering places ­ they discover why pittsburgh is credited as one of the strongest cultural destinations in the country the children s area entertains kids of all ages with such activities as craft projects face painting body decoration tunnel tents dancing and singing http www.3riversartsfest.org/

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kids+creativity integrating the arts sciences and technology to inspire learning and play once home to fred rogers pittsburgh is now home to modern-day fred rogers who ­ like fred ­ make use of child-centered media technology and arts to engage kids in learning inspire their creative play and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them games that edutain alice is an innovative 3d programming environment that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story playing an interactive game or a video to share on the web alice is a freely available teaching tool designed to be a first exposure to object-oriented programming it allows anyone to learn fundamental programming concepts in the context of creating animated movies and simple video games http www.alice.org civicslab is an interactive web-based game that puts elementary and middle school students in virtual control of decision-making in their communities to encourage civic participation critical thinking and sense of place students navigate social and political pressures to explore public policy as they attempt to create a sustainable future for their region click click a program of the girls math science partnership is a six-day summer camp for middle school girls that uses location-aware mobile devices paired with high-tech computers and a complex science mystery for them to solve as one of just 10 winners in the macarthur foundation s 2010 digital media and learning competition gmsp is developing click!online a web-based augmented reality game based on the click summer program http www.braincake.org/click.aspx crechur is an online game with offline elements like cards developed for kids with type 1 diabetes to instill good preventative care habits the game takes the nurture based aspects of play from popular games like pet society and combines them with a virtual collectible card game reminiscent of pokémon both mechanics reinforce one another and provide kids with ample opportunities to collect care for and battle their crechurs in development by the etc for bayer http www.etc.cmu.edu/projects/bayer electric racer is an exciting two-player driving game for kids and adults where players work together as a team to drive through a race track filled with words whether you re the driver or the passenger you ll need to work together to collect and unscramble words http www.pbs.org/parents/electriccompany/electric-racer.html fitwitstm is a collaborative research project and online game that creates and integrates resources for healthy living at the intersection of families schools and community health services their school program is used in fifth grade classrooms in urban schools affiliated with a school health partnership this partnership pairs family medicine resident physicians with schools to provide health promotion and education http www.fitwits.org/

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mad-dash is an iphone application developed in conjunction with the fred rogers center and designed for parents and pre-school aged children that focuses on imaginative free play creativity and an appreciation for physical activity in the great outdoors loosely based on the familiar game madlibs where players fill in missing blanks with words to create a silly story children instead fill in the blanks of a story with pictures of themselves becoming part of the story http www.etc.cmu.edu/projects/mad-dash my storymaker was developed by graduate students at carnegie mellon university s entertainment technology corporation exclusively for the carnegie library of pittsburgh to increase literacy rates in children during their formative learning years the website gives children the opportunity to write their own story by letting them choose and control their characters objects genre and backgrounds by dragging and dropping them into their story book http www.carnegielibrary.org/kids/storymaker peacemaker is a computer game that challenges the player to succeed as a leader where others have failed players get to experience the joy of bringing peace to the middle east or the agony of plunging the region into disaster peacemaker will test a player s skills assumptions and prior knowledge http www.peacemakergame.com/

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kids+creativity integrating the arts sciences and technology to inspire learning and play once home to fred rogers pittsburgh is now home to modern-day fred rogers who ­ like fred ­ make use of child-centered media technology and arts to engage kids in learning inspire their creative play and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them especially for girls girls math science partnership draws organizations stakeholders and communities together in an effort to ensure that girls succeed in math and science the partnership s mission is to engage educate and embrace girls as architects of change http www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/default.aspx?pageid=156 braincake is a website that reaches girls from around the globe who are interested in changing the world with math and science it has games experiments career snapshots homework help biographies and more all to help girls be confident solve problems and think independently it is one of many programs offered by the girls math science partnership http www.braincake.org girl talk is a mentoring initiative that encourages girls ages 11-16 to explore science math engineering and technology ­ in their own words girltalk radio gives girls the chance to interview emerging and established female mathematicians scientists and engineers ­ all while learning multimedia production audio engineering and recording technology first hand girltalk radio is a program of the girls math science partnership http www.braincake.org/girltalk/girltalkabout.html girls of steel inspired by the forward-thinking vision of first robotics is an all-girls rookie robotics team made up of 24 students in grades 9 through 12 from 11 different schools and four different educational options including traditional public private cyber charter and home school as an all-girls team also taking part in a male-dominated competition they hope to establish the team as inspiration to young women entering science technology engineering and math stem related occupations and participating in the first events first for inspiration and recognition of science and technology http girlsofsteelrobotics.blogspot.com itwixie.com is a website that gives tween girls a safe and creative way to engage with social media it brings tween girls together who are full of curiosity smarts ideas and beauty to try new things to explore tough topics and to create a powerful bond with girls from all over the globe they are a member of the girls coalition of southwestern pennsylvania http www.itwixie.com/

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progress is a program designed to teach women and girls the value of negotiation learning how to negotiate entails taking one s own voice seriously gaining confidence in talking to peers and feeling comfortable resisting the pressure to engage in activities that put one s safety health and future in jeopardy negotiation skills can help improve girls relationships with parents family members teachers and other adults in girls lives progress program for research and outreach on gender equity in society http progress.heinz.cmu.edu/girls/girls.aspx a robot diary is a customizable robot designed to serve as a means of expression for its creator using light sound and movement users can choreograph their robot diaries to be responsive to a diary entry or other piece of text and enter into a community where they are able to share the contents of their robot diary with others ultimately the robot diary provides a unique means of exploring expressing and sharing emotions ideas and thoughts while promoting technological literacy and informal learning http www.terk.ri.cmu.edu/curricula/robot-diaries/

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kids+creativity integrating the arts sciences and technology to inspire learning and play once home to fred rogers pittsburgh is now home to modern-day fred rogers who ­ like fred ­ make use of child-centered media technology and arts to engage kids in learning inspire their creative play and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them hip hop and tech 3 rivers computer clubhouse is part of a worldwide effort to connect young people to the latest technological tools 3rcc provides a creative and safe afterschool learning environment where young people from underserved communities can work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas develop skills and build confidence in themselves through the use of technology http www.3rcc.org creative arts corner is a program of the housing authority of the city of pittsburgh that offers free audio and visual training students get hands-on experience with exciting new technologies and an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the same equipment used in professional production houses http www.hacp.org/resident/residenthub.jsp?pageid=1270000000011268691034988 hip-hop on l.o.c.k is a mentoring and arts education program for youths ages 8-18 hhol uses young people s interest in music and the recording industry to teach relevant lifelong skills such as leadership development organizational skills and business skills that can be applied to everyday situations as well as math science and literacy l.o.c.k leadership skills organizational skills cooperative economics knowledge of the music business http www.hiphoponlock.org k.r.u.n.k is a student lead music and health initiative that uses jazz hip-hop dance recording engineering visual art and equipment management to communicate positive messages about physical and mental health to teens and pre-teens k.r.u.n.k kreating realistic urban new-school knowledge http www.centeroflife.net/krunk/krunk.html

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kids+creativity integrating the arts sciences and technology to inspire learning and play once home to fred rogers pittsburgh is now home to modern-day fred rogers who ­ like fred ­ make use of child-centered media technology and arts to engage kids in learning inspire their creative play and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them big ideas and innovators create lab at carnegie mellon university has demonstrated that hands-on approaches to learning using technology as inspirations for wonder and discovery can lead to lifelong learning skills such as teamwork problem-solving and self-identification with technology as a tool for exploration and personal expression the create lab is home to such projects as robot250 gigipan robot diaries and hear me create community robotics education and technology empowerment http www.createlab.ri.cmu.edu carnegie mellon university s entertainment technology center is an interdisciplinary master s program internationally recognized for fostering advances in entertainment and educational technologies ­ including gaming robots location-based environments themed experiences and edutainment applications edutainment interactive applications that both entertain and educate http www.etc.cmu.edu/site fred rogers center for early learning and children s media strives to be a national and international resource for addressing issues affecting young children birth to age 5 the center s work resonates with fred rogers own belief in the positive potential of technology and new media for supporting the social emotional cognitive and physical development of young children its biennial fredforward event brings together media producers researchers and industry leaders from across north america for discussion and learning about emerging issues in early learning and children s media its early career fellows program supports rising and aspiring technologists producers and artists in the creative use of innovative and developmentally-appropriate products and its early learning environment is being developed as a technology-based and media-driven resource for underserved teachers home-based caregivers and families of young children http www.fredrogerscenter.org pittsburgh art technology is an initiative of the pittsburgh technology council launched as part of an effort to unite and cultivate the creative and technology communities in the pittsburgh region founded on the idea that art and technology share the fundamental characteristic of innovation as well as a synergy at the forefront of cultural innovation the initiative and its partners are dedicated to unearthing the possibilities of this leading-edge fusion among the participating companies are schell games animal lemur robotics electric owl evil genius and interbots http www.pghtech.org/events/art-and-technology/default.aspx pittsburgh entertainment technology project is committed to creating a nationally-relevant but regionally-operating community of creative and innovative businesses at the leading edge of both technology and entertainment the project is a joint effort of the pittsburgh technology council idea foundry pittsburgh film office and carnegie mellon s entertainment technology center etc http www.pghentertainmenttech.org/

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spark supports projects that connect technology to the real life experiences of children by catalyzing projects that engage children ages birth to eight in the creative use of technology and media spark challenges individuals organizations and communities to generate inventive solutions to issues and opportunities facing today s young child among its 21 investments to date are message from me which adapts existing technologies to enable young children to better communicate with parents about daytime activities at early learning centers digital toys for math literacy a low-cost kid-friendly object embedded with electronics that enable kids to explore math concepts and reefbot an interactive children s exhibit using a remote-controlled submersible robot with on-board fish recognition technology designed to swim in the ppg aquarium s big ocean tank http www.sproutfund.org/spark tedx leadership pittsburgh was one of the first two authorized tedx events to be held anywhere and the first one focused specifically on the future of children ted stands for technology entertainment and design and was conceived as a conference to bring together people from those three worlds to share ideas and collaborate on future possibilities similarily tedx youth@pittsburgh provides opportunities for young people across pittsburgh to participate in sharing their creativity http www.lpinc.org/tedxlp voices of youth is a series of on-line grantmaking competitions designed to give youth an opportunity to have their voices heard about issues in their community and also to generate citizen engagement around the issues of mobilizing community will and energy to address issues that impact the lives of children and youth in this region participating children and youth are asked to work with adult mentors to design a project that increases awareness regarding a local regional or national issue http pghvoicesofyouth.com/

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kids+creativity integrating the arts sciences and technology to inspire learning and play once home to fred rogers pittsburgh is now home to modern-day fred rogers who ­ like fred ­ make use of child-centered media technology and arts to engage kids in learning inspire their creative play and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them listen to the kids hear me is an initiative of the create lab at carnegie mellon university that brings together classroom learning creative expression technology and community engagement to empower kids of all ages and backgrounds to document and share their experiences with adults and with one another this project has engaged thousands of children in creative conversations about their lives ­ and then used newly-designed technology e.g canpals to broadcast their stories to the public http www.hear-me.net saturday light brigade is a radio program featuring acoustic music and family entertainment and is one of the longest-running public radio programs in the united states quality music on-air telephone calls from children and adults innovative participatory puzzles and games and interesting guests has made slb a family radio tradition http slbradio.org neighborhood voices is a saturday light brigade website designed for rapid on-demand playback and download of community-based audio many of their youth media projects produced by slb workshop participants have been broadcast as well as archived on the website http neighborhoodvoices.org wyep 91.3 fm is pittsburgh s only independent public radio station in addition to providing independent radio programming wyep is also committed to offering educational and community engagement programming for students of all ages such as station tours job shadowing and rock radio camp http www.wyep.org/

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kids+creativity integrating the arts sciences and technology to inspire learning and play once home to fred rogers pittsburgh is now home to modern-day fred rogers who ­ like fred ­ make use of child-centered media technology and arts to engage kids in learning inspire their creative play and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them make a photograph gigipan is a robotic camera mount and software package that allows anyone to create explorable panoramas using almost any digital camera this technology helps users meet neighbors across the globe and learn about our planet itself in gigapan s pen pal program for middle-school students in pittsburgh south africa trinidad and tobago the students were able to exchange giant explorable digital images of their communities the program curriculum encourages students to explore certain themes such as sports or food and then share gigapans with their peers in other countries gigapan was developed by carnegie mellon university in collaboration with nasa ames intelligent robotics group with support from google http gigapan.org the international heritage photographic experience ihpe is an international phototaking competition for youth that aims to promote rich heritage through creative photographs their photos celebrate historic buildings and gardens rural and urban landscapes and popular and refined architecture with recognized monumental value or outstanding beauty in 2010 pittsburgh was the first u.s city to ever participate in ihpe http www.pittsburghkids.org/templates/cmp_level3_list.aspx?cid=1098&secid=3&men uid=595 silver eye center for photography is the only organization in western pennsylvania dedicated solely to the understanding appreciation education and promotion of photography as an art form and as an expressive form of visual communication in silver eye s digital photography camp for teens students explore their creativity develop their artistic talent make friends and have fun no previous training is needed http www.silvereye.org/programs_children.htm

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kids+creativity integrating the arts sciences and technology to inspire learning and play once home to fred rogers pittsburgh is now home to modern-day fred rogers who ­ like fred ­ make use of child-centered media technology and arts to engage kids in learning inspire their creative play and generally provoke their innate curiosity about the world around them places to play and learn august wilson center for african american culture is named for pulitzer prize and tony award-winning playwright and pittsburgh native august wilson awc engages regional and national audiences in its mission of preserving presenting interpreting celebrating and shaping the art culture and history of african americans in western pennsylvania and people of african descent throughout the world their events presentations performances and activities are developed especially for families and children including civil rights superheroes hip hop history african drum workshop august wilson reading roundtable and math and museums workshop http www.augustwilsoncenter.org beechwood farms nature reserve is the headquarters of the audubon society of western pennsylvania its facilities include educational classrooms the audubon nature store the teacher resource center a natural history library the evans nature center auditorium the newest addition to beechwood is the audubon center for native plants beechwood is also the site of unique outdoor discovery field trips for school children http www.aswp.org/locations/beechwood carnegie museum of art is nationally and internationally recognized for its distinguished collection of american and european works from the 16th century to the present the museum s renowned collection and exhibitions spark the imagination of kids from toddlers to teenagers a robust education program helps teachers and students explore the world of art and its connections with other disciplines http web.cmoa.org carnegie museum of natural history is a place of adventure discovery and education with an international reputation for its ongoing research and discovery that create a better understanding of the history of the earth and its inhabitants the museum is ranked among the top five natural history museums in the country and features 20 exhibition halls including the blockbuster dinosaurs in their time http www.carnegiemnh.org carnegie science center is a popular destination for science exploration and discovery with programs that ignite the creativity of young people and help them explore the wonders of technology by making science both relative and fun their goal is to increase science literacy and motivate young people to seek careers in stem fields science technology engineering and mathematics among other things the center houses the largest permanent robotics exhibit in the nation http www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/

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children s museum of pittsburgh provides innovative museum experiences that inspire joy creativity and curiosity they provide the highest quality exhibits and programs for learning and play and are a partner and a resource for people who work with or on behalf of children ranked among the top ten children s museums the children s museum of pittsburgh uniquely integrates tough art with play http www.pittsburghkids.org father ryan arts center is located in the heart of mckees rocks providing unmatched resources in all facets of artistic education enrichment and entertainment that aims to serve residents throughout the region http fatherryanartscenter.org frick art historical center houses a museum and multiple collections from the legacy of helen clay frick daughter of henry clay frick one of america s greatest industrialists and art collectors a visitor can view fine and decorative arts and artifacts exhibitions and vintage cars and carriages there are many things for families to do together at the frick from handling century-old objects to discovering the personality behind a portrait children and adults have fun discovering history art and transportation together http www.thefrickpittsburgh.org/index.php senator john heinz history center is devoted to the history and heritage of western pennsylvania as the state s largest history museum and a proud affiliate of the smithsonian institution the museum and research facility presents the most compelling stories from american history with a western pennsylvania connection all in an interactive environment perfect for visitors of every age opportunities for group-learning include field trips museum classes scout and family programs teacher in-service events curriculum packages and more http www.heinzhistorycenter.org mcg youth arts is a nationally recognized program of manchester craftsmen s guild that is dedicated to educating and inspiring pittsburgh s urban youth through the arts mcg is a multi-disciplined arts and learning center that fosters a sense of belonging interconnections and hope within the urban community http mcgyouthandarts.org mattress factory is a museum of contemporary art that exhibits room-sized works created on site by artists from across the country and around the world each exhibition is paired with a variety of engaging and inventive educational programs including hands-on art projects workshops lectures and tours http www.mattress.org national aviary in pittsburgh features more than 600 birds from around the world and is known for world-first avian breedings numerous education awards internationally-recognized field research and conservation programs a world-class avian veterinary program and multiple opportunities for interactive experiences education programs offer hands-on learning and fun for students of all age groups with such programs as make a flamingo connection aviary workshops summer programs scout programs and teen career camp http www.aviary.org/kids/main_kids.php oglebay institute is a multi-media arts and science organization located in wheeling west virginia it administers a fine arts center film and live theatres glass museum and an environmental science center exhibition and educational programs are offered in drama music dance visual arts environmental science and robotics to children in west virginia ohio and southwestern pennsylvania http www.oionline.com/

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