Pittsburgh Land Bank: Resources & Final Public Meeting Posted on March 29, 2017 by wpengine What is a land bank exactly? This may be a question you’ve never thought about. But for folks like me, who look at the vacant property in our neighborhoods as an opportunity to enrich communities, I was keen on attending the first Pittsburgh Land Bank public meeting, which happened to be on the West End (also my side of town). The Pittsburgh Land Bank’s role will be to aid in the recycling and repurposing of land, stabilization of standing structures,…Read More
Welcome Rachel! Posted on March 27, 2017 by Grounded Strategies We're excited to welcome Rachel to the GTECH team! Name: Rachel Bowers Position: Project Coordinator Hometown: Baltimore, MD Background: Rachel has a BS in Environmental Health from the University of Maryland. In Baltimore, she worked for a local organization coordinating a garden and environmental education program for elementary students. While in Baltimore, she became a certified Baltimore TreeKeeper and was trained in the business and science of small-scale agriculture through a program called the Beginner Farmer Training Program. What led…Read More
Part 1: Looking Back at GTECH’s First 10 Years Posted on March 14, 2017 by Grounded Strategies Some highlights from GTECH’s first 10 years, from the Swiss Cheese Memory of Co-Founder and CEO Andrew Butcher Part 1: Looking Back In reflecting upon all of the glory, trials and tribulations, humor, and defining moments of the last 10 years I am awash with memories and nostalgia. The following is a series of brief snapshots of some unique moments worthy of sharing as we begin to celebrate ten years of Growth Through Energy + Community Health. I’ll never…Read More
Unlikely Lessons from the Roman Empire Posted on March 9, 2017 by wpengine Whenever March rolls around I generally have two thoughts: Why is it still cold? How many years has it now been since Julius Caesar’s assassination? I imagine many share my first thought, but far fewer share my second. Most of my friends are more interested in celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or trying to one-up each other with the number of digits of pi they have memorized on Pi Day. (Yes, I hang out with some cool people.) But as someone…Read More
Announcing, the PGH Mobile Toolbox! Posted on March 6, 2017 by wpengine We have been working hard to prepare our latest resource for vacant lot cleaning and greening efforts. Introducing the PGH Mobile Toolbox, a tool library on wheels, ready for your next workday or cleanup! This resource is brought to you through our partnership with Neighborhood Allies and is intended to fill the resource gap between project inspiration and its implementation. Through our experience, we found no shortage of good ideas and residents who are motivated to execute them. However,…Read More
An Open Thank You Letter to The GTECH Community: Posted on February 28, 2017 by wpengine The day has finally come. Today is my last day as a GTECH Strategies employee. While I will remain affiliated as an Emeritus Board Member - my time as a staff member is officially complete as of March 1. I find myself feeling a strange combination of nostalgia and pride. Ultimately, I am overcome with gratitude and humility. The last ten years have been a spectacular entrepreneurial journey - and I have learned, experienced, and grown more than I…Read More
GTECH is Grounded. For Good. Posted on February 22, 2017 by Grounded Strategies GTECH’s new Executive Director, Evaine K. Sing, chose the above quote to represent our mindset as we celebrate our 10 year anniversary. In a letter to GTECH’s network earlier this month, Evaine shared her thoughts on this momentous and exciting occasion. She bid farewell to our founder and CEO, Andrew Butcher, and reflected on what the past 10 years has enabled GTECH to accomplish. The last decade has given GTECH the opportunity to move forward and approach work in the…Read More
Welcome Lauren – GTECH GSI Community Liaison Posted on February 6, 2017 by wpengine We are very excited to welcome Lauren Bivins as a Community Liaison in Marshall-Shadeland! A couple months ago we highlighted our Community Liaisons that are supporting our GTECH GSI project in Woods Run. We've got a new addition to the team and are excited to introduce her. Lauren Bivins Neighborhood: Marshall-Shadeland What is your favorite thing about your neighborhood? I enjoy the diversity and caring neighbors that keep the community growing with each generation. Why are you excited about this project? When…Read More
Ambassadors Get Creative In Clairton Posted on February 3, 2017 by wpengine With pens and trace paper in hand, 8 designers, landscape architects and architects descended into Clairton to help our Ambassador cohort make their project ideas come to life. As part of ReClaim Clairton, each Ambassador participates in a design workshop where they a paired with a professional designer who helps them think realistically about what is feasible to accomplish on their site with the manpower and money they have available. This also helps each Ambassador visualize their project and gives them…Read More
5 Favorite GTECH Memories Posted on January 31, 2017 by Grounded Strategies After three and a half years, my last day working at GTECH will be this Friday. I've decided to take a leap into the world of ornithology (the study of birds). Before I leave, I'm taking a moment to reflect on my experiences here. These are five of my favorite memories at GTECH: 1. Learning the people's history of Pittsburgh One of my first tasks at GTECH in 2013 was to interview our incoming ReClaim South Ambassadors about their experiences of…Read More
GTECH Super-Volunteer: Scott! Posted on January 27, 2017 by wpengine Building out projects like our Green Playces takes a lot of hard work. If we had to it all ourselves, they'd never get done. We love working with the users and neighbors of these spaces, but we also welcome volunteers from around Allegheny County (and beyond, if you like). One of these volunteers really stepped up for the build out of our Hill District Green Playce. He attended every one of our five build days and played a huge role in developing…Read More
Have ideas, need funds? Meet ioby! Posted on January 26, 2017 by Grounded Strategies Do you have an idea for a community project but no funding to get it off the ground? We’d like to introduce you to ioby. It's an amazing organization dedicated to helping neighbors grow and implement great ideas one block at a time. ioby’s crowd-resourcing platform connects leaders with funding and support to make our neighborhoods safer, greener, more livable and more fun. While ioby is a national organization, they recently opened a branch in Pittsburgh! We want to introduce you to one of…Read More