Opening Green Playces: McKeesport Posted on October 27, 2016 by wpengine Last week in partnership with Trinity Church of God in Christ and Youth CAST, we successfully opened our fourth Green Playce! Every Green Playce is unique, and Green Playces: McKeesport in no exception. The City of McKeesport has a rich history and our Green Playces Team wanted to honor the tradition of ingenuity as well as the connection to steel. According to Tube City Online, "In 1872, the National Tube Works Company was founded to make steel and iron pipes…Read More
Welcome Tom! An Interview with GTECH’s Newest PULSE Fellow Posted on October 21, 2016 by wpengine This month, the GTECH family gained another member. We are proud to welcome Tom Mulholland to the GTECH team. Tom is a participant in PULSE (Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience) an organization that places talented university graduates with partners at Pittsburgh nonprofits in order to develop the next generation of servant leaders in our city. Between conducting outreach for the Blight Bootcamp Conference and revamping the Lots to Love website, Tom has been pretty busy in his first few weeks. Luckily, we were able to…Read More
“Growth” v. Growth – Remembering the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, 2016 Posted on October 11, 2016 by wpengine GTECH stands for Growth Through Energy and Community Health. It goes without saying that we think growth is important. But we should clarify what we mean by growth, because not all growth is positive. In fact, when growth becomes synonymous with success and excludes other metrics, it can be downright detrimental. At the Reclaiming Vacant Properties conference (Baltimore, September 28-30), Congressman Dan Kildee referred to this phenomenon by insisting that we live in “a culture based entirely on the conflation…Read More
Opening Green Playces: Hilltop Posted on September 30, 2016 by wpengine Last week in partnership with The Brashear Association's Allentown Learning and Engagement Center, we successfully opened our third Green Playce! Every Green Playce is unique, and Green Playces: Hilltop is no exception. Nestled between two buildings, the site included a strip of pavement and a overgrown sloped hillside. We started to help design the Playce about six months ago, based on the input from the kids in ALEC's after school program. Their ideas for the space included pizza shops, roller coasters, and…Read More
10 Years & 10 Reasons for 10 Gallons of Apples Posted on September 26, 2016 by wpengine Got Apples? We need 'em! We need help from you - our amazing GTECH community! As we approach our 10 year anniversary, we are busy planning how to expand the reach and impact of our programming, continue to work with communities across Allegheny County to shape how land is used for shared benefit, and of course celebrate this important milestone. But also, for our 10 year celebration, A Few Bad Apples has offered to create a special anniversary edition GTECH cider ----…Read More
4 Steps to Get your Garden Ready for Fall! Posted on September 14, 2016 by wpengine As much as we don't want to admit it, summer is coming to a close. But, that does not mean that you gardening needs to come to a screeching halt, there is still plenty to do before winter arrives! Whether you fancy flowers, vegetables, or both, the principles are the same! Below, I have outlined some important fall tasks to ensure that you garden doesn't stop when summer ends. If you haven't already, start a compost pile! There are many benefits…Read More
Help Wanted: Must Have Gumption Posted on September 13, 2016 by wpengine Edward Abbey wrote that “Language makes a mighty loose net with which to go fishing.” Well, I believe we are all in the business of fishing - for that reason “gumption” is perhaps the closest thing to a verbal harpoon that I can think of when describing the qualities I aspire for and consider necessary for effective leadership. After 10 years of start-up, organizational growth, and evolution filled with countless moments of inspiration, joy, and gratitude, I am proud to…Read More
Innovation and Beer! Come Try Something New. Posted on September 7, 2016 by wpengine We are so excited for our 2016 Entrepreneurial Spirits Fundraiser, on September 17th! This event is intended to celebrate a good season of successful project implementation, building community. Come join us while we kick back, relax, and enjoy some innovative libations. Here's what the event features: Jonathan Chamberlain, of Delicious Pastries, playing a LIVE acoustic set! The famous Franktuary food truck, serving up hot dogs all night A full size Wigle Whiskey cocktail A fabulous sample of a barrel-ages beer from…Read More
Green STEAM and Play Camp at Green Playces Posted on September 1, 2016 by wpengine Our Green Playces Initiative is in year two and GTECH has successfully built out two sites (Northside and Homewood) and will complete sites in McKeesport, Allentown, the Hill District, and the City of Wilkinsburg by the end of this calendar year. The original intent of this program was to partner with youth programs in areas of high vacancy to build an outdoor classroom or play space with input from youth and the community. The Green Playces Initiative started from investigating…Read More
Does sustainability = diversity? Posted on August 29, 2016 by wpengine GTECH is getting started with another year of evaluating and improving our internal practices through the Green Workplace Challenge! We are joining other Pittsburgh area organizations in a collective effort to make our region a more sustainable place to live and work. This year, Sustainable Pittsburgh added a whole new focus area to these sustainable efforts: social equity. These actions focus on Diversity & Inclusion, equitable pay and benefits, and transparency. Here at GTECH we are excited to be encouraged…Read More
Building Kids Dreams: From Maker Space to Play Space Posted on August 26, 2016 by wpengine GTECH’s Green Playces initiative closes the gap between the lack of environmental education and access to safe, vibrant green spaces for youth who live in close proximity to blighted, vacant land by transforming vacant lots into meaningful outdoor making and learning spaces for STEM education and eco-literacy curriculum (see Green Playces in action). We do this by transforming vacant lots in close proximity to youth facilities into kid-designed green spaces. The sites include outdoor classrooms, outdoor kitchens, or play spaces incorporating…Read More
Professional Conferences Are Worth More Than The Networking! Posted on August 24, 2016 by wpengine GTECH has attended the ReClaiming Vacant Properties conference for the past three years, but this is my first opportunity to go. This got me thinking. Professional conferences can be daunting, especially if you are traveling alone. However, there are many benefits to pursuing these experiences even if they push you out of your comfort zone. Along with expanding your knowledge base, professional network, and professional resources, conferences can offer a so many more (and less spoken about) benefits! Benefit #1…Read More