Grounded Strategies

Volunteers Needed! ReClaim Clairton: Art and Healing Garden
2017-06-22 09:00 - 13:00 (America/Halifax) | Art and Healing Garden, 509 Miller Ave, Clairton, PA, 15025
Our Reclaim Ambassador, Felix Fusco, will be turning his lot into a place for community healing and expression. Neighbors will be able to make their own mark on the community chalkboards at the center of the space.

Property Data Learning Circle
2017-06-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Hazelwood, 5006 Second Avenue, pittsburgh, PA, 15207, United States
Data about properties is incredibly valuable in developing neighborhood plans and redevelopment strategies. Data at the property level has also been used to target interventions and investments within a neighborhood. To build the capacity of neighborhood stakeholders, The Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh are collaborating to offer a learning circle to provide hands-on training and support to people that want to use property data to understand more about their communities. We’ll be using Alan Mallach’s “Neighborhoods by Numbers, an Introduction to Finding and Using Small Area Data” as a companion guide to the course.
By participating in the four-session learning circle, participants will learn how to:

Organize and conduct neighborhood property surveys
Create tables and charts based on neighborhood statistics
Make sharable, interactive property maps using open data
Tie data to neighborhood redevelopment strategies and actions
Tell stories about their neighborhood

There are no prerequisites to the course, but it will be helpful to know how to perform basic tasks in a spreadsheet, including sorting a table based on the values in a column, and adding new columns to a spreadsheet. It helps to have access to a laptop for two of the four classes, and a limited number of computers will be available if you don’t have one.
All classes will be held at the Hazelwood Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Classes will be held according to the following schedule:

Wednesday June 28th from 2-4 pm: Conducting neighborhood property data surveys
Wednesday July 12th from 2-4 pm: Creating neighborhood statistics from property data
Wednesday July 26th from 2-4 pm: An Introduction to geographic information from the Data 101 series
Wednesday August 9th from 2-4 pm: Making online property maps in Carto.

* Optional work sessions may be held between classes based on need.
Learning Circles are a way for people to come together in an environment that allows you to ask questions and discuss with fellow learners. Participants come together to learn through lectures and tutorials, and then are led by a facilitator in discussion and activities. Learning Circles combine the best of self-directed and in-person learning.
Space is very limited. Please register and the course facilitator will contact you with additional information, including reading assignments and details on what to bring to the first class.

Volunteers Needed: Clairton Green Playce
2017-06-29 08:00 - 17:00 | PA
Join us in Clairton at the Morningstar Baptist Church as we aim to finalize the Green Playce next door!
Community Volunteer Day:
Tuesday, July 18th from 3-7 pm.
307 Shaw Avenue
Food will be provided for all volunteers.

Edible Forest Gardens: Perennial Trees and Shrubs in Your Home Garden
2017-07-07 17:30 - 19:30 | PA
With Seth Nyer
Learn about the key components and principals of a permaculture food forest and how to adapt these principals into the backyard setting. Participants will leave with a list of suggested edible perennial plants that thrive in the Pittsburgh region.

GTECH Summer Carnival + Bantam Night
2017-07-07 17:30 - 20:30 | Wigle Whiskey Barrelhouse, 1055 Spring Garden Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15212, United States
STEP RIGHT UP! and have a drink with GTECH friends! Purchase an arm’s length of tickets to play a few games and win a prize or grab a bite and stay a while- all in support of GTECH’s work. All are welcome, including kids!
Wigle Whiskey Barrelhouse & Whiskey Garden is graciously hosting us for a Bantam Night where 12% of all sales of Wigle cocktails, gear, and even beer(!) will come to GTECH. We’ll be adding a layer of fun with a Vintage Carnival theme and have games and activities to match!
Enjoy food from YinzBurgh BBQ and live entertainment by Jenkins & Crum.
Free entry with many opportunities to contribute to GTECH while enjoying a fantastic summer evening in good company.

Property Data Learning Circle
2017-07-09 14:00 - 16:00, 2017-07-12 14:00 - 16:00, 2017-07-26 14:00 - 16:00 | Carnegie Library of Hazelwood, 5006 Second Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15207, United States

Woods Run Rain Barrel Workshop
2017-07-18 18:30 - 20:00 | Riverview United Presbyterian Church, 3505 Perrysville Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15214, United States
In partnership with the Pennsylvania Resource Council (PRC), GTECH is hosting a free Rain Barrel Workshop for residents of Perry South/Perry Hilltop only. This neighborhood is part of the Woods Run (O-27) sewershed, the focus area for the GTECH GSI project.
Workshop participants will learn how to harvest rainwater from their roofs, store it, and use it in the landscape. They also learn how to reduce their contribution to combined sewer overflow (CSO), flooding, and polluted urban runoff by learning how to practice watershed protection and conservation in their own backyards. It’s easier than you think!
PRC’s Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel Workshop raises awareness of watershed issues, demonstrates how to install a 55-gallon rain barrel, and introduces other rainwater harvesting options.
Participants will also receive a FreeGarden RAIN 55-gallon rain barrel. Designed with the homeowner/gardener in mind, it is affordable, attractive, and easy to install.
For questions or to register, call Nancy at 412.488.7490 ext 247, or e-mail r.bowers@gtechstrategies.org.

Bike Tour of the Almono Site
2017-07-19 17:00 - 19:00 | Almono, 38 Second Ave, pittsburgh, PA, 15207, United States
Experience
This is a very special opportunity to get an inside look at Pittsburgh’s last big brownfield redevelopment, and to learn about the site’s future. Rebecca Flora of ReMake Group and Almono’s Project Director will kick off the tour with some site history and information about Almono’s sustainability goals. We’ll then break into groups on our bikes (or on foot) to check out a few highlights of the site.
The bike ride will be about 3 miles in length. If biking isn’t your style, an alternate walking tour will also be available, with a reduced 1.5 mile route. Food and drinks will be included.
Once you click on the “register now” link, please pay attention to the registration options. Our friends at Healthy Ride are offering on-site bike rentals for anyone who will need a bike when they arrive. If you will need a bike provided to you on the tour, please register under that option (for an additional $15).
Members of BikePGH and Healthy Ride are eligible for the GBA member price.

About the Site
In 2002, the Almono LP had the foresight to purchase this former J&L and LTV steel site to ensure that its redevelopment could be fully leveraged as a unique opportunity for the Hazelwood neighborhood, city, and region. Now, fifteen years later, the 178-acre site is positioned to not only become a hub for the innovation and tech economies, but serve as a leader and catalyst for sustainable development.
The site aspires to be a place for experimentation and creativity. This vision is carried out not just in the types of businesses and development that it attracts, but in the site’s infrastructure, programming, and process. It is a place to test new approaches to integrating stormwater management into the public realm, to facilitate thoughtful co-locating of industries, to create a model for district energy, and to design a process that yields an authentic sense of place.
During this tour we will get a chance to look at and talk about some of these innovative approaches already underway, as well as the larger vision for the site.

Stops along the Tour
Site Work & Stormwater. Now with Act II clearance, environmental clean-up of the site over the past 15 years was no different from the many riverfront brownfield sites in the region. However, the environmental clean-up was completed in conjunction with the first road on-site, as well as the design and building of the site’s stormwater management infrastructure. Additionally, this road was designed as the city’s first newly designed complete street. This tour stop will focus on the groundwork undertaken to get the site to where it is today, and ready for future development.
Public Realm. The idea of public realm on the site is intended to include a variety of things: the 1.2 miles of riverfront, the Mill Plaza, the pedestrian and cyclists connections, and everything else “between the buildings.” Accessibility and inclusivity are key components of the site’s public realm strategy. This tour stop will talk about the public realm vision for the site, how it can be amenity for the neighborhood, as well as a part of the larger city and regional park system.
Trails & Connectivity. Though Second Avenue and railroads currently create barriers to the site’s connectivity and accessibility, the site is perfectly positioned to act as a confluence for Hazelwood, South Side, Oakland, Four Mile Run, and Greenfield. This tour stop will highlight some of these key linkages and how the site could tie to the Eliza Furnace trail, the Great Allegheny Passage, the South Side Riverfront Trail, and Junction Hollow.
Mill 19. One of two legacy buildings on the site, this will be the first to be developed. Plans and design for the building aim to emphasize the building’s heritage while providing space for a completely new and different industry: automation. This tour stop will focus on the building’s design and role in the site’s redevelopment, as well as its energy goals.
Pumphouse. This remnant of river infrastructure has sparked lot of great and intriguing ideas. Currently one of the few places to access the water, this is easily one of the most inspiring places on the site. This tour stop is meant to generative creative thinking for alternative reuse of the riverfront and ignite the imagination as to how we engage with the water.

Volunteers Needed: Warrington Ave Greenspace workday
2017-07-22 09:00 - 16:30 | 821 E Warrington Ave, 821 E Warrington Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15210, United States
Re-purposing an empty lot on the main drag on E. Warrington Avenue in Allentown. The volunteer day will include transplanting native plants and implementing a Bioswale on site. If you are interested in volunteering email T.Turner@gtechstrategies.org

Skillshare: Maximize Your Growing Space
2017-07-27 11:00 - 13:00 | Garden Resource Center, 147 Putnam St , Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
in partnership with Repair The World: Pittsburgh
Grow Pittsburgh’s Marisa Manheim will teach participants how to maximize small spaces and how to create new growing area with containers.

Data 101: Mapping
2017-08-03 10:00 - 12:00 | CLP – Knoxville, 400 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15210, United States
Mapping is a great way to visualize and analyze information – and to tell stories. In this installment of Data 101, you’ll learn the principles of mapmaking using the latest in paper and marker-based technologies. You’ll learn how computers are used to plot addresses on a map, conduct basic spatial analysis, and update records in a database based on location. Along with a deeper-appreciation for computers, this class will provide you with a solid foundation of mapping concepts and processes when you are ready to take your first computer-based mapping class.
No computers will be used in this class, and there are no prerequisites.
ABOUT DATA 101
The Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh are partnering on a “Data 101” training series designed to build information literacy, mapping, and data visualization skills for people looking to get started in using data, or more-experienced users looking to brush-up on their skills.
Registration details.

Inclusion Best Practices, featuring a conversation with Jyoti Chopra, Managing Director, Head of Global Citizenship and Sustainability for BNY Mellon
2017-08-09 07:30 - 09:30 | Rivers Casino, 777 Casino Dr. , Pittsburgh, PA, 15212, United States
Vibrant Pittsburgh’s Inclusion Best Practices Series

Featuring a conversation with Jyoti Chopra, Managing Director, Head of Global Citizenship and Sustainability for BNY Mellon
Jyoti Chopra is Managing Director and Head of Global Citizenship and Sustainability at BNY Mellon. She joined the company in 2012 and is based in New York City. Her areas of responsibility include Corporate Social Responsibility, Philanthropy, Social Finance, Diversity and Inclusion and the Corporate Art Collection. She serves on the company’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Council. She is a member of BNY Mellon’s Senior Leadership Team and is the company’s representative to the Global Talent and Diversity Council of the Asia Society.
Previously, Jyoti served as the global leader for communications and public relations at Deloitte, where she was responsible for external relations, executive and internal communications. In 2011, she initiated and spearheaded the development of Deloitte’s first global diversity report. She joined Deloitte in February 2009 working for the Office of the CEO and the Global Chief of Staff where she was responsible for leading and managing strategic projects and supporting the Global CEOs office and the Executive team. Learn more about the speaker.
Free parking available
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Through the Inclusion Best Practice Series, Vibrant Pittsburgh features high-profile companies who share their stories and best practices on a range of diversity and inclusion topics. Employers of all sizes will have the opportunity to learn from and interact with industry leaders on diversity and inclusion practices key to their business success.

Painting With A Twist! Paint For A Purpose
2017-08-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Painting With A Twist, 5807 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206
Please join us for a fun filled afternoon at Painting With A Twist! Half of all of the proceeds raised will directly benefit GTECH. The event is BYOB and will be on Sunday, August 13th from 1-3PM.

Free Soil Lead Screening
2017-08-19 12:00 - 15:00 | Garden Dreams, 806 Holland Ave , Pittsburgh, PA, 15221, United States
Join the Allegheny County Conservation District and partners on August 19th to learn why soil lead contamination is a serious problem in Wilkinsburg and a potential risk to children and gardeners. Bring a properly collected, dry soil sample from your yard or garden and we will screen it for lead and other heavy metals instantly and free of charge. Staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide information on cleanup and remediation strategies. Stick around for a community celebration featuring raffles, workshops, a harvest swap and other fun activities!
FOR MORE INFO ON SOIL COLLECTION, CONTACT JONATHAN BURGESS (ACCD): 412-291-8017

Volunteers Needed: RaClaim Clairton Workday, Skylar's Site
2017-08-24 09:00 - 14:00 | PA
Join us for a fun filled workday to help!
Site Location: Corner of Miller and Park in Clairton PA

Volunteers Needed! ReClaim Clairton Corner Coral
2017-09-02 09:00 - 14:00 | 501 Miller Ave, Clairton PA, 501 Miller Ave, Clairton , 15025, United States

Data 101 Introduction to Mapping
2017-09-11 14:00 - 16:00 | Hillman Library, Digital Scholarship Commons, Ground Floor, 3960 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, United States
Hosted by the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center
Mapping is a great way to visualize and analyze information – and to tell stories. In this installment of our Data 101 training series, you’ll learn the principles of mapmaking using the latest in paper and marker-based technologies. You’ll learn how computers are used to plot addresses on a map, conduct basic spatial analysis, and update records in a database based on location. Along with a deeper-appreciation for computers, this class will provide you with a solid foundation of mapping concepts and processes, and get you prepared to take your first computer-based mapping class.
No computers will be used in this class, and there are no prerequisites.
RSVP

Inspire Speakers Series: Pittsburgh to Paris
2017-09-12 18:30 - 20:00 | David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222, United States
The Inspire Speakers Series is a sequence of lectures that brings fresh, innovative thinking on topics of sustainability to Pittsburgh, with the goal of inspiring and motivating our citizens and leaders to think bigger and bolder about what is possible for our region.

The series features nationally renowned thought-leaders from various sustainability fields, as well as local experts who can share their experiences of promoting environmental quality, social equity, and economic vitality in Western Pennsylvania.

Join the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) and GBA for ILFI’s Living Product Expo Opening Keynote, featuring Paul Hawken!
Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, journalist, and author who has dedicated his life to sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment. His practice has included starting and running ecological businesses, writing and teaching about the impact of commerce on living systems, and consulting with governments and corporations on economic development, industrial ecology, and environmental policy. Natural Capitalism, co-authored by Hawken, was cited by President Bill Clinton as one of the five most important books in the world.
About Project Drawdown:
Project Drawdown is a initiative by a coalition of scientists and researchers who aim to find the most impactful global warming reversal and reduction strategies that could be implemented in the next thirty years. Paul Hawken recently released a book, Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, which details the 100 most sizeable strategies for reducing climate change.
The Inspire Speakers Series is partnering with the International Living Future Institute’s Living Product Expo Opening Keynote.
Registration Notes:
-An Inspire Speakers Series ticket does not include access to the Opening Night Reception prior to the Keynote. To attend the Opening Night Reception and Keynote, please register via the Living Product Expo registration page.
-Scholarships to this Inspire Speakers Series event are available. Please email Jenna Cramer at jennac@gbapgh.org for more information.
-Registration will close at 12:00 noon on September 12. If you miss the window for online registration, not to worry! You can register at the door.
Register Now

Spring Garden Walking Tour
2017-09-23 11:00 - 15:00 | Wigle Whiskey Barrelhouse, 1055 Spring Garden Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15212, United States
Join us to celebrate and learn about the rich history of Spring Garden! Take a free guided tour through this historic neighborhood and finish off the afternoon with a catered after-party at Wigle Whiskey Barrelhouse and Whiskey Garden. Enjoy fun games, great food, music and the company of your neighbors. Even enter a raffle to win tickets for a Wigle Whiskey Tour!
The first 50 tour sign-ups will receive a $10 food truck voucher each.
Click HERE to reserve your spot!

In January 2016, community residents, One Northside and GTECH began working together to plan an urban trail system in the Northside that could begin to:

Create safe connections between Northside neighborhoods;
Beautify the Northside and explore placemaking opportunities;
Enhance existing assets in the neighborhoods; and
Promote the Northside as a hub for arts and culture.

The purpose of the trail is to connect neighbors to each other, make the Northside an inviting place for visitors, and show off the amazing treasures it has to offer.
Learn more about the creation of the Northside Neighborhood Connections Project HERE.

ReClaim Clairton Ambassador Graduation
2017-09-26 18:00 - 19:30 | City Hall Council Chambers, 551 Ravensburg Blvd, Clairton, PA, 15025
Presenting the GTECH ReClaim Clairton Ambassadors and the completion of their 2016-2017 vacant lot projects!
Our partnership with these Ambassadors began back in August 2016, and we cannot wait to share their amazing vacant lot activation projects to the Clairton community.

Green Playces: Clairton Dedication Ceremony
2017-09-27 17:00 - 18:00 | Morningstar baptist Church, Clairton, PA 15025, 307 Shaw Ave, Clairton, PA, 15025

LEED Green Associate Training
2017-09-28 18:00 - 22:00 | Carnegie Mellon University, Doherty Hall, Room 1211, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is simply a sustainability scorecard for green buildings. The LEED Green Associate is the only professional designation to show employers and clients you have certified knowledge in the field
To date, this course and its materials have proven to be instrumental in helping over 8000 students pass their respective exam at a 100% pass rate. This course is offered at a quarter of the price and time as the competition and is geared at allowing students to graduate with letters after their name!
A new LEED rating system (v4) was introduced last month and this training course is one of the few that has been updated to teach the current rating system.
LEED Green Associate Training Information

6th Annual Two Wheels Lots of Green: Bike Tour & Block Party
2017-10-07 10:00 - 16:00 | Grounded Strategies’ Office, 6587 Hamilton Ave., Pittsburgh, 15206, United States
On a sunny October day, GTECH celebrated Pittsburgh’s greenspace community with a guided bike tour and block party! This year’s Two Wheels Lots of Green event featured Pittsburgh’s East End. We rode 6.5 miles and made stops in Larimer, Homewood, and Wilkinsburg.
2017 Featured Greenspace Projects & Partners
At each stop, we spoke to community partners, learning about their journey and the transformation of vacant spaces into activated places.
Stop 1: Ms. Betty Lane’s African Healing Garden & Chatman Properties for the URA LandCare Program
Stop 2: Grow Pittsburgh’s Garden Resource Center
Stop 3: Homewood Green Playce with Bible Center Church
Stop 4: Wilkinsburg Green Playce with Hosanna House
Stop 5: Sankofa Village Community Garden
Stop 6: Tioga Play Yard with Operation Better Block

We’re excited to present a new design by our friend and local artist, Seth Storck. Get the GTECH bike shirt at our store.
After the guided bike tour, we celebrated with our friends and community partners at a block party outside of GTECH’s office on Julius St. Thanks to all of our sponsors and vendors for an incredible afternoon! See pictures from the event below:

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Special thank you to our generous sponsors:

Conversation. Connections. Impact: Making Change in Our Backyards, an ioby Convening in Pittsburgh
2017-10-14 14:00 - 18:00 | Hill House Association, 1835 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, United States
Conversations. Connections. Impact: Making change in our backyards, an ioby convening in Pittsburgh.
ioby’s first-ever convening in Pittsburgh will celebrate neighbors who are building and investing in positive local change that creates a future for all in Pittsburgh. Learn from our city’s resident leaders who are raising funds with ioby, and share your hopes for your neighborhood.
The program will feature an interactive PLACE IT! workshop by James Rojas, an urban planner, grassroots activist, and artist who facilitates hands-on community visioning sessions to help residents connect and develop ideas together about equitable public space.
We can’t wait to have you with us!
Questions? Please contact dana@ioby.org, or 917.817.2070
Draft Program Schedule:
12:00 – 1:00 Hill District Walking Tour (Come along for this tour to hear from local ioby project collaborators and long-time neighborhood leaders – Please email dana@ioby.org if you plan to attend this special part of the day)
2:00 – 2:25 Arrivals, Welcome, and Intros
2:25 – 3:05 James Rojas hands-on PLACE IT! group workshop, Part 1 (Build your favorite childhood memory)
3:05 – 3:10 Break and Announcements
3:10 – 4:20 ioby Leader Panel Presentations and Discussion (hear successes, challenges and strategies for making positive change on the ground in Pittsburgh from project leaders working on murals, community gardens and more – as well as from an ioby coach who can also share some tools and tricks)
Panelists include:
Dwayne Barker, Fineview & Perry Hilltop Community Pride Project
Lisa Freeman, Manchester Growing Together Farm
Ramo Lord, Exploring Labor’s Safety and Health Concerns
Barbara Rudiak, South Side Community Murals
Tacumba Turner, Allendale Acres, where we ‘eat to live’
Linda Wallen, Pigeon Positivity
Dominique Williams, ioby Leader Success Strategist
Eleanor Williams, Northside Resource Mall
4:20 – 5:00 James Rojas hands-on PLACE IT! group workshop, Part 2 (Build your vision for an ideal Pittsburgh)
5:00 – 6:00 Food, Drink, Mingle and Share Project Ideas

REGISTER

Green Playces: Hill District Dedication and Mosaic Unveiling
2017-10-17 17:30 - 18:30 | Jeron X. Grayson Community Center, 1839 Wylie Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, United States

August Wilson Park Volunteering + Garden Class
2017-10-21 09:00 - 11:00 | August Wilson Park, 1801 Cliff Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, United States
Join Parks Conservancy staff at the newly re-opened August Wilson Park for these regularly scheduled group volunteer events! At this event, participants will get a basic overview of soil and nutrients. We’ll talk about soil amendments plus how and when to apply them.

Tools, gloves and training are provided.

REGISTER

ReClaim Central Ambassador Graduation
2017-10-24 18:00 - 20:00 | The Blakey Center, 1908 Wyle Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219

Land Lab - Larimer
2017-11-04 08:30 - 14:30 | St. James AME Church, 444 Lincoln Ave,, East Liberty, PA, 15206, United States
Spinning off from the successful city-wide Blight Bootcamp Conferences of the last two years, GTECH is launching a series of Land Labs that will target the specific blight issues of a particular neighborhood.
The first Land Lab is taking place on Saturday, November 4, in Larimer at St. James AME Church – a neighborhood that is seeing significant development but is still dealing with high numbers of blighted, vacant lots. Any resident or community organization in the city or county that faces the issues of vacant lot blight is invited to attend. The mini-conference distills the most valuable knowledge shared at the earlier Bootcamps, while tackling a few of the particular challenges of the host neighborhood. The Land Lab is designed to offer residents the opportunity to get involved in their neighborhood’s efforts to help manage the negative aspects of vacant lots, while sharing strategies and resources for improvement.
8:30am Registration and Catered Breakfast
9:00am Opening Statements and Introductions
9:30am Session 1: Who you gonna call? Lets chat about who can help with your communities needs.
11:00am Session 2: Don’t Do it Alone! Learn how to engage new and existing volunteers and who is already willing to lend a hand.
12:15pm Catered Lunch and Tabling
1:15pm Session 3: Finding the Funds. What is already in motion and how can your project play a role in your communities development!
Funding for this effort was made possible by the Colcom Foundation
