The groundbreaking Forge Futures summit is bringing education leaders to Pittsburgh

Photo above by Tyler Rutherford via Unsplash.

This week, more than 200 influential thinkers, school leaders, and education policymakers will gather in Pittsburgh to write the next chapter for public education, with a focus on the powerful possibilities presented by local learning ecosystems.

Forge Futures for Youth, Educators, & Families: A National Summit on Community-Wide Learning will bring together some of America’s most intrepid superintendents and educators, working alongside policymakers including the U.S. Department of Education and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and international participants from Australia, Peru, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

This group of attendees was chosen with care, as was the location where they will gather: Pittsburgh, where a powerful learning ecosystem has been growing since 2007 under the stewardship of Remake Learning, which is presenting this summit along with AASA, The School Superintendents Association.

In the years since Remake Learning was created, the Pittsburgh region has become a place where…  

• teachers now partner across school districts to create a Youtube channel full of STEAM learning opportunities 
• a team of professional artists collaborates with elementary school teachers to infuse the power of creative play into daily learning.
• a range of pre-college STEM programs expands access and opportunities for students from groups that have been historically excluded from higher education 
• foundation grant funding is helping high school students do things like earn drone piloting licenses from the FAA and pursue unique individualized learning plans, and groundbreaking work is being done on family-school engagement and much more.

That’s just a tiny snapshot of the collaboration and innovation happening in Pittsburgh – all because the region’s learning ecosystem has been grown with care and effort. While schools are the most pivotal component of the ecosystem, they regularly share the work of helping children thrive with a broad network of museums and libraries, childcare centers and preschools, community centers and public parks, after-school clubs and summer programs, and philanthropic partners. 

And increasingly, Remake Learning network members are collaborating with national and global partners of all kinds. During the Forge Futures summit, they will meet face to face with a wide array of visitors, showcasing what’s been accomplished so far in Pittsburgh and building deeper relationships.

WHAT’S PLANNED? 

On May 8, visitors will explore some of the places that make up Pittsburgh’s thriving learning ecosystem. Stops will include: 

• Suburban General, a former hospital converted into community learning hub
• Maxo Vanka Murals, a historic public artwork often visited by students 
• Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Institute, a high-tech facility led by Carnegie Mellon University
• Butler, PA, home to the Butler Compact for Children school-community partnership
• Seneca Valley School District’s Ehrman Crest Elementary School, recognized as a top innovation by TIME Magazine
• MCG Youth, a community-based arts education and apprenticeship program active in Pittsburgh for more than half a century
• Duquesne City Schools, where educators are partnering with community providers to expand opportunities for students
• Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy, an immersive engineering program for high school students

Then, on May 9, the group will gather for a day-long working session at the Carnegie Science Center. 

This varied group of thinkers will roll up their sleeves and design prototypes to expand equitable and engaging learning opportunities for young people across the United States and beyond. Concrete ideas and plans hatched at the summit will ideally strengthen existing learning ecosystems and help to grow new ones.

“Convening in person has always been a powerful tool used by Remake Learning to fuel innovation and spark positive change,” says Remake Learning executive director Tyler Samstag. “We’re excited to bring this group of thought leaders together in Pittsburgh, dream about a future of learning where ecosystems are the norm, and prototype the needed infrastructure to get there.”