Agency by Design Pittsburgh

Where educators come together to design, reflect on, and strengthen meaningful learning experiences.

Designing learning that matters.

Agency by Design Pittsburgh (AbD PGH) is a research practice partnership that connects educators from diverse learning environments to develop mutual understandings of maker-centered learning and assessment.

Through monthly gatherings hosted in schools and learning organizations across the region, participants explore research-informed approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment while sharing their own classroom practices.

Grounded in work from Harvard’s Project Zero, AbD PGH helps educators become more intentional designers of learning. Together, we develop the tools, language, and confidence to identify, support, and assess the learning that matters most.

Adults work together at a workbench creating shapes with pipecleaners
A group of people sitting at tables in a large atrium room listening to a presenter.
Three people sit around a table reviewing curriculum materials.
Two adolescent students stand at table making crafts with construction paper and scissors.
Participation Options

There are two ways to participate in Agency by Design Pittsburgh:

  • Scholarship Participants: One full scholarship is available for one educator from each participating school or organization.
  • Additional Participants: Schools and organizations are encouraged to send additional educators to join the program for $1,500 per participant.

Regardless of the path you take, every educator takes part in the same year-long learning experience.

What's Included

Every AbD participant receives:

  • Nine full-day learning sessions throughout the school year
  • Breakfast and lunch at each session
  • Ongoing coaching and instructional design support
  • Classroom mini-grants to implement new ideas and learning
  • Membership in a regional community of educators
Who This is For

Agency by Design Pittsburgh welcomes educators from:

  • Public Schools
  • Charter Schools
  • Cyber Schools
  • Career & Technical Centers
  • Museums, Libraries, & Out-of-School Time Providers
“The collaborative gave me the space to reimagine what learning could look like for my students.”
— Participating Teacher

Build Community

Connect with fellow educators committed to thoughtful, ambitious teaching.

Practical Application

Develop ideas, tools, and strategies that can be directly applied in your practice.

Documentation & Assessment

Learn new ways to identify, document, and assess meaningful learning.

Research Into Action

Connect ideas from the learning sciences to the realities of classroom practice.

GET INVOLVED

Join a community of educators exploring meaningful learning together.

Interested educators are invited to express interest in future cohorts, workshops, and learning opportunities through Agency by Design Pittsburgh.

Express Interest
Three women stand together in a woodshop in discussion
Two girls build a cardboard controller using an integrated circuitboard.
A fabric banner reads "Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy"
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