Tag Archives: TechShop

Links N’At – What is the correct glassware for an IC Light?

One of my favorite photos of Pittsburgh, snapped on a previous StepTrek

One of my favorite photos of Pittsburgh, snapped on a previous StepTrek

Here are A few links about Pittsburgh n’at that we think are worth a click…

ATTEND this Event: GTECH’s Wet Hoptoberfest – Friday, October 3 at the Wigle Whiskey Barrel House

LIKE on Facebook:  Abomination Creations – handmade, super scary masks made by Jordan Patton who also works at TechShop Pittsburgh

FOLLOW on Twitter: @SSSNA is the twitter account South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association – don’t miss their annual StepTrek this weekend

Have a link you think is worth a share?  Share it in the comments below!

 

TechShop Knows How to Hack a Party – Event on August 28 to Benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters

If you haven’t had a chance to check out TechShop Pittsburgh yet – you are in luck!  On August 28, they are closing down the shop for a party of epic proportions.  This is a great party and a great deal – a day pass to TechShop is $50.  Tickets for Party@TechShop are $15, use the code TSlovesIheartPGH to save $5 off the ticket price.  So for $10 you get access to the shop and whole lot of food and drink from some of the best local spots in town.

Party@TechShop – Thursday, August 28

 

Party at TechShop Pittsburgh

Party@TechShop is a chance to check out the space, learn more about TechShop and to make some cool stuff.  In addition to TechShop activities, The Pittsburgh Glass Center and the Carnegie Science Center will be running some demos as well.

TechShop will be having some great giveaways – including a chance to win tickets to the Thrival Music Festival

Food and Drink provided from some of the best local spots in Pittsburgh:

Want to learn more about TechShop? Check out some of the recent press on President Obama’s visit to TechShop Pittsburgh…

E-waste, Jobs Creation & The Green Electronics Challenge

Since today is Earth Day, it is the perfect day for me to share a couple of green related things that I have been talking over the past month.  I hope you will take a moment to read through this post and learn more about the e-waste and Isidore recycling.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 23, 2014 – TechShop will be hosting a launch party for the Green Electronics Challenge.  See below for the details on the Green Electronics Challenge Competition

Green Electronics Challenge Launch Party Details:

  • When: Wednesday, April 23, 2014 – 6:30-8:30pm
  • Where: TechShop Pittsburgh
  • Cost: FREE – but you must RSVP here.

I am excited to share this event with you for two reasons…

1. Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Demo

TechShop staff testing out the liquid nitrogen ice cream recipe

TechShop staff testing out the liquid nitrogen ice cream recipe

First – as part of the kickoff celebration, the TechShop team will be making and serving ice cream made with liquid nitrogen.  If you haven’t been over to TechShop, yet – you need to make a point of stopping by to see the space.  I wrote about TechShop last year before they opened.  TechShop has been in Pittsburgh for over a year and there is a great, often free, community event happening at the shop each week.  (I am such a fan of the place that I now work there as the social media coordinator for TechShop Pittsburgh).

I was at TechShop last night for a great event organized by the Pittsburgh health coaches at Sweat and Butter, and got a sneak peek at some of the projects that TechShop will be showing off this week and in the near future.  Keep an eye on @TechShopPGH and the TechShop Pittsburgh Facebook page for update.

2. E-waste Excitement (and Opportunity)

Last month, I attended a fellowship program in social entrepreneurship called StartingBloc in Los Angeles.  StartingBloc is a 5 day intensive workshop where people who are interested in building better communities come together to share ideas and listen to speakers from around the globe.  (I would LOVE to see more Pittsburghers participate in future StartingBloc programs!)

One of the speakers that I found most inspiring was Kabira Stokes who is the founder of Isidore Recycling.  Isidore Recycling is an e-waste recycling business located in Los Angeles.  Kabira’s talk was an eye opening lesson on the need for (and huge opportunity) in e-waste recycling.

Kabira showed me some of the more vintage electronics that Isidore recycles

Kabira shows off some of the items that are donated to Isidore Recycling

The short version of the story is that we have a lot of electronics that we aren’t using anymore, and these electronics are just being thrown in the trash.  Some of things in TVs, cell phones, and old computers are pretty toxic and should not be disposed of in landfills.   Aside from the environmental issues, many of the devices contain valuable materials that can be recycled and reclaimed.

Kabira started Isidore Recycling as a way to reclaim those valuable materials and create jobs for incarcerated Angelenos who face barriers to employment.  California has a a huge issue with  recidivism – in 2012, 65% of people who got out of prison ended up going back to prison with in 3 years.  Part of the reason that rate is so high is that is almost impossible for someone who has been incarcerated to find steady employment.

Kabira was kind enough to give me and some of the other StartingBloc participants a tour of the Isidore warehouse.  I left her warehouse and Los Angeles and returned to Pittsburgh with a great excitement for e-waste.  

I think this is an incredible business that not only addresses the challenge of what to do with old computers and cell phones, but also creates jobs in our community with out having to create more products to add to the waste stream.  I am very interested in creating a business like Isidore Recycling here in Pittsburgh and if you know anyone else who would like to help with that please send them my way.

What is the Green Electronics Challenge?

It would be great to have some ideas from Pittsburgh submitted to the challenge.  Please let us know if you are submitting an idea!

Related articles

Steel of the Week: TechShop Membership

This week’s Steel of the Week is truly a steal: membership to TechShop at over 50% off regular price. What exactly is TechShop you may be wondering?

“TechShop is a community based workshop and prototyping studio with locations nation-wide. Our seventh and newest location,TechShop Pittsburgh, offers the Pittsburgh maker community more than 16,000 square feet of workshops equipped with world class tools and equipment, computers loaded with design software featuring the Autodesk Design Suite, hundreds of classes each month, and the support and camaraderie of a community of like-minded makers.”

TechShop

TechShop is more than just a workspace: it’s a community center where makers of all types can come together and celebrating the creation of new products. The professional tools and instruction the shop offers are unique to the space. We recently featured SolePower, a Pittsburgh startup that has their workspace at TechShop, and we’ve also talked about it here and here.

The steel is available on Amazon Local and LivingSocial (for only 6 more days!) and is for a one-month membership and one Choice class. These classes include in-depth instruction for a specific project, which vary from jewelry making, robot building, art installation, and many other areas. From the long list of classes offered are bound to find your dream DIY project!

If you have an item you would like featured as our Steel of the Week, submit to sotw@iheartpgh.com!

 

Guide to unique, interesting, and fun classes and workshops in Pittsburgh

School may be out for the summer but there’s still plenty of opportunity to get your learn on. From day-long workshops to weekly evening classes, there’s tons of chances to try something new or pick up long-forgotten hobbies once again.

Knitting/crocheting

Whether you’re picking up a pair of needles for the first time, looking to perfect your purling skills, or ready to make the perfect pair of socks, a knitting or crochet class is a great opportunity to pull out the yarn and needles. The following locations offer a variety of classes for all skill levels.

Dyed in the Wool
3458 Babcock Boulevard
Pittsburgh,  PA 15237
(412) 364-0310

Yarns Be Design
622 Allegheny River Boulevard
Oakmont, PA 15139
(412) 794-8332

Natural Stitches
6401 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 441-4410

Knit One
2721 Murray Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA, 15217
(412) 421-6666

Wine and Whiskey

Dreadnought Wines in the Strip District has a variety of classes for different levels of expertise, including both Wine and Spirit Education Trust Certifications and more casual tastings.
2013 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(800) 565 2816

Wigle Whiskey, one of the Strip’s newest establishments, distills their own whiskey and gin onsite in traditional copper pots and using local ingredients. They offer tours on Saturdays, plus have events like labeling parties and the annual tar and feather celebration.
2401 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 224-2827

Arts, Crafts, and Tech

The Society for Contemporary Craft holds day-long and evening workshops using all kinds of crafts and materials: fiber, wood, book arts and paper, metal, and mixed media.
2100 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 261-7003

Union Project is a neighborhood space for people to come together and connect, create, and celebrate. They currently offer ceramics classes, Zumba, salsa, yoga, and hula hoop lessons.
801 N Negley Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 363-4550

Cut and Sew Studio offers a social sewing environment, with all tools and materials available, for people looking to learn how to sew, wanting to get better at it, or working on specific or independent projects.
5901 Bryant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 865- 6565

Saxifrage, described as a higher education nomadic campus, offers classes in woodworking, computer programming, organic agriculture, graphic and user-centered design, map and geographic information systems, and carpentry.

TechShop is a community-based workshopping space for people who want access to industrial tools and equipment. Classes are offered in a wide range of industry, such as woodshop, metal work, silk screening, welding, embroidery, computer design, 3D printing, and much more.
192 Bakery Square Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 345-7182

Improv/Comedy

Steel City Improv has multi-level 8-week classes for both budding and more experienced comedians to hone their craft. Students have the opportunity to perform on stage, plus the chance to audition for the house teams and/or form independent groups.
5950 Ellsworth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
404-2695

Improv Academy also offers weekly classes, as well as private sessions for actors or writers, film, television, on-set work with production companies, and improv troupes.
109 Market Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 407-3319

Arcade Comedy Theater explores the many different forms and type of improvisational and standup comedy through various weekly classes, including some aimed towards kids and teens. They also host monthly workshops taught by visiting and local professionals.
811 Liberty Avenue

Pittsburgh PA, 15222
(412) 339-0608

The University of Funny has a comedy 101 class to teach adults the basics of comedy. Mic technique, confidence in front of crowds, and the art of standup are all explored to find your inner funny.
(412) 573-9444

Miscellaneous

Free Ride in Point Breeze isn’t so much a bike repair shop as it is a bike education facility. The idea is that you volunteer your time, paired with a willingness to learn, and the staff at Free Ride teaches you how to build, and repair, your own bike. They have a variety of earn-a bike programs for both adults and children, as well as individual classes throughout the week.
Construction Junction
214 N. Lexington Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
(412) 254-3774

The Allegheny Observatory in Riverview Park offers tours Thursday and Friday nights in the warmer months. Tours start with a short presentation, followed by a walking tour of the building, and then end at the 13-inch Fitz-Clark refractor telescope. Public lectures are also offered every month.
159 Riverview Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15214
(412) 321-2400

While not necessarily a class or workshop, we’d be remiss to not mention Trundle Manor in a list of unique learning opportunities in Pittsburgh. Billed as “the most unusual tourist trap in the world meets the most bizarre private collection on public display,” you can tour (by appointment only) the manor’s antique taxidermy, old world charm, sadistic medical devices, coffins and coffin like items, Steampunk influenced creations, cryptozoology, and much more.
7724 Juniata Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
(412) 916-5544

Of course, all locations of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh have a plethora of classes, events, and workshops, from knitting book clubs and video game gatherings to language clubs and computer classes.

What cool classes and workshops did we miss? Leave us a message on Facebook, send us a tweet, or email Catherine@iheartpgh.com. And keep a look out for our posts on cooking/dining classes in the ‘Burgh and free/pay-what-you-can yoga!