New tech learning center for young people opens in Pittsburgh's Hill District

A new technology learning center at Ammon Recreation Center in Pittsburgh’s Hill District aims to provide the city’s young people an opportunity to learn about technology and spark their interest in fields such as computer science and artificial intelligence.

Part of the Rec2Tech program, the new site will give young people access to computers at their neighborhood recreation center.

“Kids in our city are no longer just going to be given a basketball and a cup of juice and be told that they can hang out and be safe, which is important. They’re going to have those opportunities, plus career skills, plus life skills, plus workforce development, mentorship programs, programs that let kids know that there’s a career path for them,” said Dan Gilman, chief of staff for Mayor Bill Peduto.

Mayor Bill Peduto’s Chief of Staff Dan Gilman spoke during a ribbon cutting ceremony at Ammon Recreation Center in the Hill District. It’s part of the Rec2Tech program that aims to teach the city’s youth technology skills. pic.twitter.com/lYyi6uG40n

— Julia Felton (@JuliaFelton16) October 25, 2021

The new technology learning center is furnished with laptops set up in a newly renovated space in the recreation center, allowing children who participate in after school programs there to have access to technology and public wifi.

“They now have a new opportunity and it’s just the beginning to build an on-ramp not only to their future, but to get into technology and all the opportunities that are waiting for them,” said Max Dennison, digital inclusion coordinator for the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation.

Julia Felton | Tribune-Review

At Ammon Recreation Center in the Hill District, the Rec2Tech program is bringing new technology to the neighborhood.

Children visiting the center will have the chance to begin learning about computer programming and coding, he said, potentially paving the way for future careers in fields such as robotics or artificial intelligence. It’s a program that’s well-suited for a “tech-centric” city like Pittsburgh, he said, adding that the initiative has been in the works for about two years.

The recreation center hadn’t been updated for a “very, very, long time” and likely wouldn’t have been updated for a long time if not for partnerships that helped city officials find the resources to upgrade the space and outfit it with new technology, said Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle.

The project was funded by a National Science Foundation grant meant to help bring STEM programming into local recreation centers, as well as local partners like the Pittsburgh Penguins and First National Bank.

“We are so excited to see this project come to fruition,” said Delvina Morrow, senior director of strategic community initiatives for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The upgrades will be “of the utmost benefit to Hill District residents,” Lavelle said.

“This is the beginning of really good things to come,” he said, explaining that he hopes to offer additional upgrades to the recreation center in the future. “This is not the end-all, be-all, but this is the start.”