CALL FOR PARTICPATION: FRED FORWARD Innovation Showcases 2010

CALL FOR PARTICPATION: FRED FORWARD
2010 Innovation Showcases
March 20 and 21, 2010     Pittsburgh, PA

Responses must be emailed to Chris Siefert, Conference Curator at csiefert@pittsburghkids.org before
5:00 pm, Monday February 1, 2010. (Deadline extended: Contact Chris for details)

Project Sponsor
The Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College is pleased to invite you to submit a proposal to participate
in the Fred Forward 2010 Innovation Showcases scheduled for Saturday March 20 and Sunday March 21,
2010. Staying true to the vision of Fred Rogers, and emulating the guiding principles of his life’s work, the
mission of the Fred Rogers Center is to advance the fields of early learning and children’s media by acting as
a catalyst for communication, collaboration, and creative change.
Program Description
The Fred Forward 2010 Innovation Showcases offer the opportunity to highlight the cutting-edge work
being done today in the Pittsburgh region, where innovators from the arts, education, and technology and
new media have come together in support of 21st century learning. The program is conceived of as a
weekend long event (noon to 4 pm on both days) with Showcases offered at several locations throughout the
City of Pittsburgh. Individuals and organizations who utilize innovative technology or new media in
learning environments will be offered the opportunity to ‘exhibit’ their work at places such as the Children’s
Museum of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Science Center, the Heinz History Center, and ToonSeum. The various
organizations hosting the Showcases will provide public space for the participants to ‘exhibit’ their work.
Eligibility and Process
Innovators from the arts, education, and technology and new media fields are eligible for consideration.
Interested individuals and organizations must submit a proposal (see below) for review to Chris Siefert via
email <csiefert@pittsburghkids.org>. After review, selected participants will be required to attend a
coordination meeting, assigned a location and provided with contact information for final coordination.
Letters of agreements will be executed by and between selected participants and the host organization.
Proposal Submission and Evaluation
Provide the following as a PDF attachment via email to Chris Siefert.
1. Written narrative describing the proposed Showcase in 500 words or less. Include goals or
techniques for audience engagement. Links to web sites are encouraged. You may propose a
showcase for either Saturday or Sunday, or both days.
2. List equipment that will be utilized and any special requirements. It will be the responsibility of
selected participants to provide all equipment required for the proposed Showcase. The hosting
organizations will provide one table and two chairs, as well as access to 120V power if needed. No
staff from the host organizations will be available to monitor the Showcases other than to provide
access for set up and removal.
3. Provide short descriptions of your organization with biographical statements of key individuals.
Proposals will be evaluated by the Fred Forward 2010 conference planners based on the following criteria:

– Emulates the principles of Fred Rogers’ work
 –Innovative, creative, forward thinking project or program that utilizes technology or new
media in a learning environment for young children. Preference may be given for proposals
aimed at children age 8 and younger.
– Interactive, audience engaging proposals are encouraged. The audience for the Showcases
includes the general public, in particular families with children.
–Fred Rogers was the genius who understood that learning begins at the very earliest stages of a young
child’s development and that media, when intentionally designed and appropriately used, have extraordinary
potential to support learning and development.
–Creativity is the key. The creativity and natural curiosity of young children are what drive their powerful
urge to learn. Today, the extraordinary explosion in communications technology and new media has raised
the stakes in every way. And we, as a society, are just beginning to understand and explore their powerful
promise as agents of creativity and learning.
Schedule
January 20, 2010: Call for Participation released
February 1, 2010, 5:00 pm Proposals due
February 1 thru 12, 2010: Reviews and Notifications
Week of March 1, 2010: Coordination meeting at Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (NOTE: final
day and time still TBD)
March 20 and 21, 2010: Innovation Showcases from noon to 4:00 pm. Set up will be available
starting at 11:30am. All materials must be removed by 4:30pm on Sunday March 21.

~ by KChestneyHarvey on January 28, 2010.

Posted in Art + Tech Events, Calls for Proposals, Events, Exhibitions
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