[May 08, 2013] Summer Learning Program to Engage Teens in Digital Media and Maker Culture Being Introduced in Pittsburgh Tweet May 08, 2013 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- Hive Pittsburgh is unveiling its first large scale initiative: Hive Days of Summer, a three-month summer learning campaign to officially launch the Hive Learning Network in Pittsburgh. According to a release, with a $500,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Pittsburgh was selected to join New York and Chicago to become only the third Hive Learning Network in the nation. Hive Pittsburg stated that, for the next three months, Hive Days of Summer will coordinate more than 30 activities, camps, events, and workshops to remake summer learning for teens in the greater Pittsburgh area, making summer more mobile, more digital, more creative, and more collaborative. Additionally, Hive Days of Summer programs are designed to help youths develop necessary 21st century skills and engage them in learning that encourages them to pursue their interests, connect with their peers, and personalize their learning. The program kicked off May 3 with Youth Invasion at The Andy Warhol Museum, a project featuring teenagers' take on Andy Warhol including performances by local teen groups, a youth-designed fashion show and digital art making. "Hive Pittsburgh is creating connected learning opportunities that demonstrate the impact digital tools, design thinking and real world experiences can have on the way young people learn and socialize," said Cathy Lewis Long, Executive Director of The Sprout Fund, the agency implementing Hive Pittsburgh. "Summer is the perfect time to engage teens outside of the classroom and create experiences in community libraries, museums, art venues, and other spaces to help them foster the creative and technology skills needed to thrive in our digital economy." When schools close their doors for summer, Hive Pittsburgh will be there to ensure the continuity of learning. Hive Days of Summer programs are specifically aimed at engaging teenagers, particularly those in low-income communities, providing them with creative learning opportunities that they may otherwise be unable to experience outside of their classrooms. Hive Pittsburgh is managed by The Sprout Fund, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organization committed to remaking learning. Serving as a model for other U.S. cities, Pittsburgh champions the use of digital learning and DIY "maker culture" practices - integrating the arts and sciences - to bridge the technical and the creative so learners can develop critical 21st century skills, encouraging children and youth to learn anytime, anywhere. Hive Learning Networks re-imagine how learning is organized and supported across youth-serving organizations. The Sprout Fund supports ideas that are catalyzing change in Pittsburgh-making the community a better place to live, work, play, and raise a family. More information: www.hivepgh.org www.sproutfund.org ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]