Category Archives: *IheartPGH.com Updates

Free Classes for Women at TechShop on March 8

Have you every wanted to try welding? Maybe you have always wanted to learn to build your own furniture or learn to use a 3D printer. If you are a woman in the Pittsburgh area, this is a great opportunity for you to try these classes for free.

International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. TechShop is celebrating International Women’s Day by offering FREE classes to all women on Tuesday, March 8th.

TechShop-Womens-day

TechShop is a maker space located in Bakery Square. What’s a maker space you ask? I happen to work at TechShop and while I might not be qualified to use all of the equipment in the shop, I am more than qualified to tell you about all of the things you can do and make at TechShop.

Think of TechShop kind of like a gym or fitness center, instead of treadmills, free weights and an akward area where people are supposed to do situps, TechShop has all kinds of equipment that members can use for making things. Everything from laser cutting machines, to welding, to a woodshop, as well as a large area that is not-so-awkward where everyone can work on projects.

Once you are TechShop member, and you have passed the SBU class (SBU is TechShop speak for safety and basic use), you can come in to use that piece of equipment whenever you want. The SBU classes cost between $50 and $150, so this is not only a great chance to learn a new skill but also to check an SBU off your TechShop bucket list.

Free Classes for Women on March 8 @ TechShop Pittsburgh

Here is the schedule of classes for Tuesday, March 8. You MUST call the front desk (412) 345-7182 or come into the shop to register. The front desk is open from 8:30am to 10pm. The shop is open to members from 8am to 1am.

Interested in learning more about TechShop?

  • Everyone is welcome to stop by the shop for a tour.  Click here to sign up.
  • Friday, March 4 – TechShop Happy Hour from 5pm-8pm. Tickets are $10, or you can enter to win 2 ticket here.
Some related reading on entrepreneurship & makers…

Missed Connections of Preservation Opportunities

Love. Love. Love this idea from the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh to promote the YPA Top 10 Preservation Opportunities event next week.

Check out some of these recent Missed Connections posts for a preview of the list of the YPA’s Top Ten Preservation opportunities for 2015.

# 7 looking for someone to enjoy the view with (mt washington)

ypa-mt-washingtonu saw me on my street corner…my turrets had caught your eye when u were leaving a wedding. u said i was a princess, but u know i’m a really a queen. name’s anne. used to be with a riverboat captain but if ur lucky i just might wrap my porch around you.

meet me at the union project october 27 and we’ll make history.

# 5 I’m falling apart without you. – m4w (Brighton Heights)

ypa-no-5Our love used to span neighborhoods, but when you shut me down 8 years ago, you tore them apart. We need to reconnect…this isn’t about just you and me anymore.

You used me and you walked all over me. I miss you but if we are really going to do this, it can’t just be the same old game. You need to earn my truss back.

Meet me at the Union Project October 27th or else we’re history.

ypa-Albright-missed-connections# 4 LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO WILL TAKE ME AS I AM – w4w (Bloomfield)

I’ve had some trouble finding love – I’ve been around for a while and I’m looking for more. I know I’m a bit older, and I’ve got a stony complexion, but I want to find someone who’ll make my stained glass glow again. I’m pew-tiful on the inside, even though my facade is a little sooty. With the right partner and a little work, I’ll be right as rain.

I’ve got a lot of Friends, but I think if I find that special someone, things can be All Bright.

I was thinking we could get some coffee, but everybody’s doing that. Let’s meet up at the Union Project October 27th and maybe we can make history?

YPA’s Top 10 Release Party – Tuesday, October 27

Join YPA next Tuesday (October 27, 2015) to learn more about all of the top ten preservation opportunities for 2015.

Read more about some other creative Craigslist missed connections:

Seeking Storytellers Who Love Pittsburgh

I originally titled this post “Writers Wanted” but we are really looking for anyone who wants to share Pittsburgh stories.  This fall, IheartPGH will turn 10.  I have been thinking about where this blog has been (you can read a not-so-brief history of IheartPGH here) and where it should go next.

One of the things that I would like to do is build the community of people who write and create content for this site.  It was never my intention for IheartPGH to be just my take on Pittsburgh.  There are a lot of great stories about this city that need to be told, and I am hoping a few of you will help me with that task.

Earlier this year, I had the chance to meet one of the founders of the Tacoma blog, Post Defiance, and we had a great discussion about running local blogs.  One of the things that Post Defiance does, that I would like to try out for IheartPGH is a regular meeting of bloggers.

Over the past few months, I have been checking out the website Assembly, a tool for finding other people who want to help you build a web app, or working on someone else’s web app.  Yesterday, the Assembly email blast linked to this article – Just Keep Making Stuff by Mike Buzzard @mbuzzrd who is a designer at Google. The title caught my eye, because I want to highlight more people in Pittsburgh who are just doing stuff and making things happen. But the article also has a whole section on collaboration.

This is when I realized the power of collaborating with likeminded makers, when I began to understand how augmenting your own skills with the complimentary talents of others can produce results far greater than you might ever imagine on your own.

I want to find more people to write stuff for this blog and I want to find more people to collaborate with.  A few years ago I set out to build a startup around local blogging, the project is not dead, but I decided to step back, I like to think of it as a step sideways. After some thinking, some part-time jobs and a cross-country train trip that was funded by the readers of this blog, I realized that what I really needed was to learn how to build a team and that I probably needed to start by learning how to be a part of someone else’s team. When I think about what I really like doing –  the things that keep me glued to my computer and cause me to loose track of time – it is writing content for this blog. So that is why I am on the hunt for a team, a cohort a gaggle or some other word that means group of folks to collaborate on the future on this website.

Writers Wanted-image

Here is what we are looking for…

If you are interested in writing (or creating some other form of content about Pittsburgh – video, podcast, photo essay, etc) we are looking for writers/content creators who

  • love Pittsburgh (or want to learn more about Pittsburgh)
  • will commit to publish 1 post per month
  • will attend our monthly blogger meeting
  • want to meet other bloggers/content creators
  • share ideas, best practices, tools and apps with the other writers

Developers, designers business folks and advertising gurus are also welcome to apply.  We are open, skeptical, but open to any thoughts on how to improve this website and generate some revenue.

Is this an internship?

Not so much.  In the past, IheartPGH has had awesome, amazing interns. The interns have produced some amazing content, have introduced me to their friends across the country and have taught me about new social media tools. In thinking about where IheartPGH should go next, we are looking for more than interns.  Students are welcome to join the team. But we are looking to build a team of Pittsburgh loving content creators.

(If you really REALLY want to, I will consider internships for credit, but I will not sign an internship form if you haven’t done any work.  If you are thinking about an internship, go back and read the article I linked to above about making stuff, if you want an IheartPGH internship for credit, you are going to have to create something.)

What’s in it for you?

I have met some really great people through IheartPGH.  In addition to meeting great folks and learning more about Pittsburgh, we get lots of invites and free tickets to events.

So you wanna join the team?

Sound like something you would be interested in?  I don’t have a date for the first meetup yet – but I would like to get started before the end of the month.  If you are interested in joining the blogging team request to join the IheartPGH bloggers group on Facebook here.

In the interest of getting the ball rolling and some current scheduling issues, our first meeting will be Monday, May 4, 2015 at 6:30pm, location TBD. RSVP on Facebook here.

 

 

Still looking for a summer internship? We’re looking for an Events Editor!

We’re looking for a summer intern (can continue into the fall as well) to take control of our events calendar.  There are so many amazing, awesome, cool events happening around Pittsburgh and we can’t keep up.

We’re looking for a blogging, social media rock-star (or wanna be rock-star) to take the rains of the events section of IheartPGH.

Event Editor Responsibilities include…

  • review and approve submitted events
  • clean up the events calendar – help make this page look awesome – you don’t have to know how to code, but a willingness to learn more about WordPress and wordpress plugins will be helpful.
  • curate event categories – what are we missing? what can be improved?
  • Explore partnerships with other organizations that are looking to promote events around Pittsburgh
  • attend 1 event per week and write a blog post about it
  • share photos on Instagram, Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, Pinterest
  • help us build the ultimate guide to promoting your event in Pittsburgh
  • determine the best ad strategy for the events calendar
  • 1 meeting per week – you will work from home, your favorite coffee shop, and events around town

You should apply if…

  • you love Pittsburgh or you are new to town and want to learn more about Pittsburgh
  • you like meeting new people
  • you want to learn about social media, blogging, local media, event planning
  • you are ok being paid in coffee, free tickets and free sandwiches (past IheartPGH interns have used this opportunity to land jobs at some work places like here and here)

So you want to apply to be the first IheartPGH Events Editor?  Follow these instructions….

  1. Find an interesting event happening in Pittsburgh in June and submit it to the events calendar.  Take notes on the submission process.
  2. Like IheartPGH on Facebook and Follow @IheartPGH on Twitter
  3. Send an email to events@iheartpgh.com with your name, your favorite blog, 3 ways we can improve the events submission process, a link to your favorite Pittsburgh blog that is not IheartPGH.

Our Top 13 Posts About Pittsburgh from 2013

Image via christmasstockimages.com, used under Creative Commons Attribution license.

Image via christmasstockimages.com, used under Creative Commons Attribution license.

2013 has been a busy year of blogging!  Over the summer we had a great group of interns (aka the yinzterns) who took to the streets and put together some impressive guides to Pittsburgh.  Most of the posts on this list were written by our interns over the summer.

Its not surprising that movies, beer and hot dogs made the list of the top posts for 2013.  If you missed these posts earlier in the year, we hope you will take a moment to click through and add a comment to your favorites.

  1. Guide to Pittsburgh’s Drive-Ins: Check them out before they “Go Digital or Go Dark” – June 7, 2013
  2. Guide to Pittsburgh public pools: hours, cost, locations, rules – June 27, 2013
  3. Guide to unique, interesting, and fun classes and workshops in Pittsburgh – June 24, 2013
  4. Guide to Pittsburgh’s Independent Movie Theaters – July 8, 2013
  5. The 2013 Pittsburgh Cinema in the Park series kicks off on Saturday – June 8, 2013
  6. A Sneak Peek at “Franktuary: The Second Coming” – January 8, 2013
  7. Get a Sneak Peek of the New TechShop Pittsburgh on Saturday – February 14, 2013
  8. Corpse Flower in Bloom at Phipps Conservatory – August 8, 2013
  9. A Football Town With a Soccer Problem – June 28, 2013
  10. International Beer Day: Guide to Pittsburgh breweries and more – August 2, 2013
  11. Local Spotlight: Full Pint Brewing in North Versailles – July 26, 2013
  12. National Hot Dog Day: The Hot Dogs of Pittsburgh – July 24, 2013
  13. The Pop Stop: Popsicles in Pittsburgh – August 8, 2013

A few other posts from 2013 worth a look

While these weren’t the most popular posts, here are some of our favorite posts from 2013 that are worth a second look. Continue reading →