By: History Co:Lab
“What would a map of every opportunity in Pittsburgh where young people feel powerful and seen look like?”
On June 25th, at the Civic Learning Ecosystem’s Youth Design Day, youth leaders, educators, civic organizers, and community members from southwestern Pennsylvania gathered in the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh’s SLB Youth Media Center to co-create an answer to this question. Young people shared their stories of spaces across the region where they felt most civically engaged, weaving them with testimonials of belonging and community to create a comprehensive map of youth-centered civic learning opportunities throughout the region.
Led by youth voice, every adult in the space witnessed a unique showcase of teen and young adult perspectives on civic engagement and left with better understanding of what’s needed to support their thriving as makers of our shared history.
The Collaborative Learning Ecosystem Transforming Pittsburgh
“Ecosystems for the Future of Learning,” a report written by Education Reimagined and the History Co:Lab in partnership with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, explores how learner-centered ecosystems that extend beyond traditional school boundaries help embed young people in their communities, making education more inclusive, impactful, liberating, and supportive of belonging. Pittsburgh, with its dynamic network of schools, community centers, museums, libraries, and organizations that work to co-create enriching learning experiences for young people, is a perfect embodiment of this.
Remake Learning reports in “Shift: How Cultivating an Ecosystem Remade Pittsburgh’s Learning Landscape,” that Pittsburgh Public Schools collaborates with early childhood specialists and local museums to create innovative learning environments that prioritize play and hands-on experiences. And a partnership between Allegheny Health Network and Northgate School District led to the transformation of a shuttered suburban hospital into a space dedicated to health, wellness, learning, and innovation. Robust partnerships between community actors and spaces are helping to cultivate a learning ecosystem across the region that is making education more youth-centered, community-connected, and meaningful.
Young People Spoke and We Listened
The Civic Learning Ecosystem, the regional working group we lead with Remake Learning, unites individuals and organizations committed to redefining civic education across southwestern Pennsylvania.
To fulfill this mission, we, together know that young people must be our thought and design partners. Their wisdom, feedback, and creativity are central to the process, and with them at the table sharing their ideas, challenging ours, and co-envisioning with us, we get to relevant, engaging, and meaningful civic learning experiences created with and for them.
Youth Design Day, held on June 25, was our opportunity to connect and collaborate with Greater Pittsburgh’s young people again, and learn from them. All were informed about the gathering and invited to it through their involvement with community partners including Youth Enrichment Services (YES), SLB Radio, LIGHT Education Initiative, the World Affairs Council Pittsburgh, and the Mayor’s Office. The Day’s gathering was a direct result of interconnection. These existing networks and relationships made the event an emotionally safe one where all young people could show up with their ideas, questions, and stories.
Throughout Youth Design Day, multiple listening sessions were held and each were structured to facilitate meaningful dialogue and active participation among all in attendance. Each session began with a sharing circle where participants expressed their thoughts and experiences related to civic engagement and learning. This was followed by active listening exercises designed to surface key insights and themes from the discussions. Six groups, each composed of youth and adult participants, engaged in these activities to ensure diverse perspectives were heard. Many of the young people in attendance noted the strong sense of agency felt throughout the experience.
“We the youth must be a part of and at the center of problem-solving in our communities as we are the future and must be part of the conversations about our future.” — Youth Participant
“Involving young people in the creation process ensures that they feel valued and heard, which contributes to positive results.” — Youth Participant
Mapping Pittsburgh’s Civic Learning Opportunities
Building on the agency felt, the conversation shifted into the young people in attendance naming the youth-led and youth-centered spaces in their communities that offer meaningful and accessible civic learning opportunities.
Wanting to capture more than just a list of places, our team started this part of Youth Design Day pulled up the Building Blocks for Learning from Turnaround for Children and asked the learners to identify places in their community where they felt the respective blocks.
This approach provided both a visual reference and created a shared understanding of respect, which led to the development of a rich ecosystem map of experiences named by young people as opportunities that expanded their civic understanding and supported their sense of belonging.
“The opportunity to create our own clubs in school gives us a chance to develop leadership skills and see what kind of leaders we can become.” — Youth Participant
“Programs like SLB Radio give us a platform to express our voices and showcase our talents, which makes us feel connected to our community.” — Youth Participant
“Working with organizations like the Mayor’s Office has been transformational. It’s inspiring to see the changes being made and to be a part of that process.” — Youth Participant
“Having the chance to lead projects and make decisions in programs like YES Academy has given me a sense of agency and confidence.” — Youth Participant
“Networking and professional development opportunities, like those provided by the Warhol Museum, help us engage with our passions and prepare for the future.” — Youth Participant
Some of the standout places highlighted by the young people during the mapping activity included:
SLB Radio, which was recognized for providing a platform for youth voices and allowing young people to showcase their talents and express their opinions on important issues.
The Mayor’s Office, which was valued for its transformational programs and initiatives that involve youth in decision-making processes and civic activities.
YES Academy, which was praised for offering leadership development opportunities and giving young people a sense of agency and confidence through project-based learning.
Warhol Museum, which was appreciated for its networking and professional development opportunities that engage youth with their passions and prepare them for future careers
From their robust list of places, youth participants began to categorize and imagine how these civic opportunities would connect, eventually mapping them together to form a cohesive web of civic and community supports for young people like them.
What’s Next?
Relationships and a dynamic learning ecosystem of community partners made this unique knowledge-sharing and knowledge-building experience possible.
The comprehensive map created during Youth Design Day will be a living artifact that will continually evolve and be leveraged to support civic learning and engagement across the Greater Pittsburgh area, ensuring that every experience or opportunity shaped responds to the needs and aspirations of young people. The Civic Learning Ecosystem will be maintaining and updating the map, ensuring it remains relevant, accessible and folded into the group’s ongoing efforts to foster a youth-centered, community-connected civic learning ecosystem. The map will continue to be designed with and for young people and we anticipate sharing it at a community showcase event happening later this year that will highlight the learning opportunities named on it.
The momentum and magic of Youth Design Day led to student-created, innovative ideas that support our learning ecosystem development goals. We look forward to more workshops that develop these ideas, building on event data to inform future ones, recruiting more young people and community stakeholders into the process, and maintaining connections with those already involved.
Through collaboration, inclusive conversations and shared discovery, we are fostering a dynamic learning ecosystem with and for young people that is responsive to their needs and aspirations. Together, we are committed to ensuring that every young person in Pittsburgh can find their path to civic engagement, creativity, and agency.
Special thanks to the organizations and partners who attended and helped lead the Youth Design Day: Remake Learning, City Charter High School, Committee of 70, LIGHT Education Initiative, Pittsburgh Mayor’s Office, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, SLB Radio, World Affairs Council, Youth Enrichment Services, and more.
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