May 15, 2020 Changes Made to Summer Activities During COVID-19 Pandemic On May 15, the City of Pittsburgh announced how summer activities will be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While many activities will be allowed, others will be cancelled or postponed. All decisions follow federal and state guidelines. About In a City press release, Mayor William Peduto praised Pittsburgh residents, stating, that “Pittsburgh residents have done a great job during these trying times staying safe and looking out for each other.” However, he recognized that the battle against COVID-19 is far from over, and social distancing and other measures must remain in place to win this fight. With a larger number of residents venturing outdoors as the weather warms, the City has outlined lists of activities that will or will not be permitted during the pandemic. Decisions on closures and activities may be revisited as pandemic circumstances and federal and state guidelines change. Permitted Summer Activities Activities that can safely comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) social distancing guidelines will be allowed. Permitted activities include the following: Drive-in movies (by the Special Events office) Farmers Markets Pickup of bulk trash Road closures in City parks (more information below) Tennis courts (singles matches encouraged) Pickleball courts (singles matches encouraged) Skate parks Fields (but not for organized group sports) Frisbee Golf Lawn Bowling Bocce Expanded summer food program (likely to begin June 15) City crews are working to reopen facilities starting May 15 and will continue their work into next week. Drive-in movies organized by the Special Events office will begin June 13. More information will be released later. Farmer’s Markets will begin June 3 in Carrick and begin in other neighborhoods thereafter. Social distancing and safe purchasing requirements will be in place. Non-Permitted Summer Activities Large group events that cannot safely comply with social distancing will not be allowed. Non-permitted activities include the following: July 4 fireworks City-sponsored concerts 5Ks, the Great Race and other races (though they can be held virtually) Summer Camps Citiparks summer youth baseball Summer Line Dancing Pistons in the Park Playgrounds, park shelters, and spray parks will remain closed until further notice. Swimming pools (including the Oliver Bath House) will also remain closed. While the CDC says that swimming itself is safe, the guidelines require at least six feet of distance between users and no more than ten people would be allowed at any time. It has been determined that city pool waiting areas, locker rooms, and lounging areas are too cramped to allow for appropriate distancing under these guidelines. Activities To Be Determined Final decisions on other activities and facilities have not yet been made, including decisions on the following: Recreation centers Senior Healthy Active Living centers Block party permits Mellon Tennis Bubble Art Cart Water fountains and water features Park restrooms Organized group sports including deck hockey, soccer, baseball, and basketball DOMI Task Force The City Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) has established a task force to study methods of using some streets and sidewalks to allow for safe recreation and business activity. Its recommendations will be issued soon. In the meantime, plans are underway to close some streets in City parks to vehicular traffic. No timetables are yet set, but plans are for the following closures: Sheraden Park: Adon Street West End Park: West End Park Drive at Weaver and Herschel Highland Park: Reservoir Drive; Farmhouse Drive at Jackson Street/Connecting Road/Heberton/Grafton (These will be partial closures to allow for Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority access to facilities.) More Information For more information, read the full press release. *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
February 20, 2020 Nurturing Connection to Nature for Health and Wellness Join APOST and Pittsburgh Parks Rx at the Frick Environmental Center on February 28 to learn how spending time in nature can support physical and mental wellness. About Attend this workshop to explore how to plan engaging experiences that nurture a connection to nature by incorporating active play and mindful reflection. Participants will try out activities, share ideas, and receive tools and resources to help you connect youth with nature in parks or any outdoor space! A light lunch will be provided and free parking will be available on site. Registration To register, visit the Eventbrite page. More Information For more information, contact APOST at 412.456.6876.
December 13, 2019 2019-20 Carton 2 Garden Contest Receiving Entries Are you interested in building or enhancing your school garden? Evergreen Packaging and KidsGardening.org are hosting the sixth national Carton 2 Garden Contest! About The Carton 2 Garden Contest is open to public and private schools, with contest winners selected based on their implementation of an innovative garden creation featuring creative, sustainable uses for repurposed milk and juice cartons. Schools can get started by collecting at least 100 empty cartons from homes, the community, or their cafeteria. After gathering the cartons, schools design and construct purposeful garden items and structures using them. For ideas, view last year’s winners. Eligibility & Entry Carton 2 Garden is open to all K-12 public and private schools in the United States. Schools do not need a garden to participate. Pre-k classes located at schools serving additional elementary, middle, and/or high school grade levels may also enter the contest. With this, all entries must document and share their gardening experience through an online entry form and submission of up to 10 photos. To be eligible for the grand prize and specialty prizes, entries must also include a video link (under five minutes) that tells the story of the project in its entirety. View the Entry Form Checklist. Every student that appears in photos or videos must have an accompanying signed parent release form submitted with your entry. The form is also available in Spanish. All entries must be submitted by midnight on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. Click here to access the online entry form. Awards Fifteen entries will be selected to receive award packages for their efforts, including: one grand prize winner who will receive a prize valued at $5,000; four winners, selected for exemplary demonstration in the following specialty areas: Carton Act in the Garden, Environmental Stewardship, Health and Nutrition, and STEM; who will receive a prize valued at $2,000 each; and ten winners (five middle/high schools and five elementary schools) who will receive award packages valued at $1,000 each. More Information To learn more about the Carton 2 Garden Contest, visit the Kids Gardening website.
December 9, 2019 Project WET: Getting Little Feet WET This Project WET workshop will provide early childhood educators with developmentally appropriate water-based curriculum and activities for their early childhood classrooms. PQAS hours offered. Learning Objectives Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to: properly utilize the Project WET: Getting Little Feet WET educator guide as a curriculum reference; participate in four Project WET activities that can be utilized in an early childhood classroom; and walk away with at least 10 new ways to incorporate water into the early childhood classroom. Registration To register and learn more, visit the Pennsylvania PD Registry website. PD Registry Event ID: 306821 More Information Please visit the Allegheny Land Trust website to schedule this workshop for your center or location and for pricing. Email Julie Travaglini at 412.741.2750 or jtravaglini@alleghenylandtrust.org for more information. For more courses like this, please click here. *Information provided by The Pennsylvania Key
September 20, 2019 Engaging Indoor Classrooms: Natural Materials & Loose Parts Join Cindy Gennarelli, M.Ed., Director of Early Childhood Education Innovation at William Patterson University, for her upcoming webinar exploring opportunities to engage indoor classrooms using natural materials and loose parts. About This free webinar was designed to support the use of nature-based materials and loose parts in indoor classrooms. Common questions and concerns include: How will these materials change the indoor environment? Where do they go and how do I introduce the materials to the children? How will these materials support children’s learning? How do we integrate these materials without compromising the integrity of our curriculum and/or physical classroom space? These questions and others will be discussed and answered. Photos of classroom environments, children’s engagement in inquiry-based, hands-on, STEAM-related explorations and discoveries will be used as examples. Examples will highlight the use of combining indoor classroom tools, materials, and equipment with outdoor materials to create richer learning experiences. Learning outcomes will be relevant and aligned with approved developmentally appropriate curricula, pedagogy, children’s learning styles, and 21st-century skills. This webinar will be of particular benefit to pre-k teachers. Time for questions will be provided. Registration To sign-up, register via the event webpage. More Information To learn more, visit the edWeb website. *Information provided via EdWeb
September 4, 2019 Kids and Caregivers Nature Walk in Frick Park Kids and caregivers are invited to join the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association for an interactive, kid-friendly nature walk in Frick Park. Participants will meet at the soccer field at the end of the Fern Hollow parking lot, located at the bottom of Lancaster Avenue. Registration To register, visit the event webpage. Learn More For more information, contact Lindsey-Rose Flowers at lindsey.rose@ninemilerun.org or 412.371.8779, ext. 123.
August 14, 2019 Nature in Your Neighborhood Join the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy on August 23 for “Nature in Your Neighborhood” to experience nature in Homewood and in nearby areas. For this event, community members are invited to explore Frick Park while enjoying nature hikes and activities. Bring your group, your camera, and your curiosity! Lunch will be provided. Registration is required and limited to 4o participants. Registration To register, contact Sarah Byrne-Houser via email at sarah@tryingtogether.org. Registrations must include: the number of adults attending, the number of children attending, the name of the program (if applicable), a phone number, and any dietary restrictions. More Information For more information, contact the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy at 412.682.7275.
July 29, 2019 Early Learning: Young Sprouts Join the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh this August for a series of nature-focused explorations of treasures, art, songs, and stories! Sessions are designed for children 0 – 5 years old, but suitable for all ages. Session Topics Garden Science: Things that Float Garden Science: Life Cycles Garden Science: Things that Fly Garden Science: The Curious Garden More Information To learn more, visit the Facebook event page!
June 13, 2019 Utilizing Nature Storybooks in Early Childhood Join the Allegheny Land Trust at the Frick Environmental Center on June 28 for a hands-on course that explores opportunities to incorporate nature-themed books in your early childhood classroom. About This hands-on course provides early childhood educators with the knowledge and skills needed to incorporate nature-themed books into their classrooms. Games, dramatic play, songs, craft, and lesson themes will all be explored! PQAS hours are available and ACT 48 hours are available for an additional $5 fee. Registration To register, visit the event website. Questions For questions, contact the Allegheny Land Trust at 412.741.2750 or info@alleghenylandtrust.org.
April 5, 2019 Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Earth Day Friday, April 26 6 – 9 p.m. | Community Campfire* Join Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy for an all-ages community campfire under the stars. They’ll have the fire and sticks, you bring your own hot dogs and s’more fixings. Note: This event takes place at Falls Ravine Shelter (click here for directions to nearby trail entrance). Saturday, April 27th 8 – 11 a.m. | Volunteer Event Make a positive mark on your park as a volunteer! This event is held in partnership with Comcast. This event is now full. Registrations are no longer being accepted. 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Naturalist-led Walks and Hikes Join Parks Conservancy naturalists and partners from across the city for a variety of hikes and walks throughout Frick Park. Hikes and walks are each about one hour long and start at 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m. Ongoing | Activities, Exhibits, and Events Throughout Earth Day 2019, participants can also find and experience local exhibitors, organizations, and artists. Activities include: Nature play Supervised tree climbing Giant games Pop-up Imagination Playground Bubbles. This event is held in partnership with the City of Pittsburgh. Transportation If you’re looking to attend these Earth Day celebrations, Trying Together is providing free bus transportation! Registration is required. Friday, April 26 | Bus departs from 7219 Kelly Street at 6 p.m.; returns at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27 | Bus departs from Homewood Avenue and Kelly Street at 1:30 p.m.; returns at 4:15 p.m. Registration To register for the bus, please contact Jan Jones by calling 412.421.3889, ext. 108 or by visiting the Homewood Early Learning Hub. Learn More To learn more, visit the event website! Share this flyer with your network.
