- Cities of Learning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2015
MEDIA CONTACT
Leigh Ranck
LeighRanck@CLAlliance.org
424.256.955
‘CITIES OF LEARNING’: BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, AGENCIES
AND NONPROFITS JOIN FORCES IN MAJOR METROS TO CONNECT
LEARNING TO REAL-WORLD OPPORTUNITIES
Four large cities across the U.S. are joining forces this summer as Cities of Learning in an
emerging national effort designed to provide opportunities that equip young people with the
skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.
Chicago, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. are leading this push to make learning
relevant, accessible and hands-on by bringing together a city’s organizations and businesses to
prepare young people for success in work and life.
With school closing for summer across the country, the four Cities of Learning are moving into
high gear with innovative summer programming involving libraries, museums, parks, nonprofits
and businesses, as well as online offerings. Pittsburgh City of Learning kicks off on Sunday,
June 7, at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Summer Reading Extravaganza. Dallas City of
Learning recently ushered in its 2015 initiative with the theme, “Learning in Uncommon Spaces.”
Using technology and creativity, Cities of Learning addresses pressing needs, including:
● Increasing workforce preparedness through skills development, internships and
mentoring to promote career success and close skills gaps
● Preventing summer learning loss
● Closing the widening gap in learning opportunities
● Valuing all learning, in and out of school, especially in the connected age, where
learning can happen anytime and anywhere, and where the demand for learning never
stops
“Cities of Learning make it easy for young people to find and participate in engaging learning
activities throughout the summer,” said Connie Yowell, director of education at the John D. and
Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which is providing national support for Cities of Learning.
“Each local City of Learning creates a network of free and low-cost activities and links young
people to new opportunities. This citywide learning infrastructure also unites an array of people
and organizations that are invested in the city’s youth in new and significant ways.”
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Cities of Learning are funded by local partners and receive national support from the MacArthur
Foundation, Digital Youth Network and the Connected Learning Alliance. Funding and logistical
support for each City of Learning is provided by a broad and often unprecedented partnership of
local agencies, organizations and businesses.
Of particular benefit are business partners that provide mentors, workforce development and
internship opportunities. Best Buy began a partnership in Chicago last year and this year
expanded to Dallas to extend high-tech learning opportunities to more young people.
“We are excited about our partnership,” said Susan Bass Roberts, senior director of Best Buy
Community Relations. “Because of various events, contests and competitions, Chicago students
have been exposed to 3D printing, computer programming with LEGO Robotics, digital music
making and much more. We’re proud to provide youth access to these 21st-century technology
skills for future education and career success.”
Whether it’s robotics, fashion design, coding competitions, science challenges or workplace
internships, Cities of Learning provide a wide range of exciting opportunities for young people to
learn together with peers and mentors and test real-world applications of their knowledge and
skills. Cities of Learning are founded on the principles of connected learning, a learning
approach that builds on the basics and leverages technology to make learning especially
relevant to the digital age.
“Young people participating in Pittsburgh City of Learning programs have an incredible
opportunity to connect their summer learning with real world-opportunities for employment and
empowerment,” said Cathy Lewis Long, executive director of The Sprout Fund, the nonprofit
organization leading Pittsburgh City of Learning. “They’re getting the hands-on experience and
developing the relevant skills they’ll need to thrive in the 21st-century workforce.”
“By connecting programs with passions, Dallas City of Learning gives Dallas youth the
opportunity to learn in more powerful, relevant and exciting ways,” Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings
said. “This initiative uses the resources of the entire city — from parents and schools to cultural
institutions and corporations — in order to broaden access to high-quality educational
programming so that all of our young people can continue learning.”
Cities of Learning also are embracing a new way to recognize and credential learning wherever
it happens: digital badges. Like letter grades earned in school, digital badges signify mastery of
a skill. But digital badges store layers of in-depth information that can be accessed and shared
online, allowing Cities of Learning participants to share their learning achievements with
teachers and potential employers, as well as family and friends.
This year, Cities of Learning are using linked sets of badges called “playlists” to encourage
youth to pursue skill mastery. Playlists highlight the array of skills needed to become a “pro” in a
particular topic area — such as storytelling or coding — and inspire youth to fulfill the
requirements at a variety of brick-and-mortar and online learning institutions.
CITIES OF LEARNING | CITIESOFLEARNING.ORG
“Digital badges are an exciting new way to recognize and capture learning wherever it happens
— in school, in the community or online,” said Nichole Pinkard, a DePaul University professor
and founder of the Digital Youth Network, which provides the platform, training and technical
assistance for Cities of Learning. “Badges can safely and efficiently store in-depth and verifiable
information about what was learned, what skills were mastered and what competencies were
attained. Young people who earn badges can choose to share them with friends and family or
with teachers or potential employers in a way that might support future education pathways and
career choices.”
Launched in Chicago in 2013, Cities of Learning began to spread nationwide last year. In 2014,
108,000 young people ages 4 to 24 participated in Cities of Learning, earning 160,000 digital
badges. Scores of organizations, agencies and businesses have expressed interest in
supporting Cities of Learning, and at least 25 cities have expressed interest in becoming a City
of Learning.
Cities of Learning is an outgrowth of a decade-long, $150 million investment by the MacArthur
Foundation to better understand how digital media are changing the way young people learn,
play, socialize and engage in civic life, and to redesign learning for the realities and
opportunities of the connected age.
For more information about Cities of Learning, visit www.CitiesofLearning.org.
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CITIES OF LEARNING | CITIESOFLEARNING.ORG