Yowsa! THATCamp Pittsburgh has truly come together! Great list of attendees from diverse backgrounds, proposals starting to come in, and a fun night planned for Saturday @ Social in Bakery Square. I am truly thankful to all those that have made this weekend possible, especially Lauren Panton from Chatham University, who’s tireless and pleasant demeanor has gotten this organizer through many a rough patch.

So, come rested up and ready to play/learn/listen/speak/collaborate. It’s gonna be a dandy!

P.S. If you can’t make it, but want to follow along, our Twitter tag is #TCPGH13.

Regards,

Samantha Parish, Organizer – THATCamp Pittsburgh

Just a quick reminder that there is a $20 registration fee to attend THATCamp Pittsburgh. But…there are waivers for Chatham University undergrads, and all persons volunteering for THATCamp Pittsburgh. Please bring cash or check to registration the morning of the Camp. The fee covers both days, your tee shirt, breakfast and lunch both days, as well as food at Social in Bakery Square on Saturday evening.

Hello THATCamp Pittsburgh Attendees!

The time is nearing for the first THATCamp Pittsburgh! I hope you will consider proposing sessions – it’s easy – just check out the Propose tab and it will guide you through the process.

There are plenty of fantastic folks signed up for the Camp, but if you know of anyone else that would like to attend please let them know that registration ends today at noon! Pass the word!

Thanks!

Samantha Parish, Organizer – THATCamp Pittsburgh

Dear Potential THATCampers:

Registration for THATCamp Pittsburgh will close at noon on September, 25, 2013. Don’t wait to the bitter end….spaces are filling up!

As I begin my Senior year at Chatham University I am besieged by multiple feelings and observations. Joy, sadness, ambivalence, fear of the unknown — all of these adjectives aptly describe my first day of my final year at Chatham.

But, what do you care how I feel? Well, if you are an educator, then it is imperative that you understand the angst that we undergrads feel. We are excited and scared; but most of all we are hopeful. All of us, for the most part, want to impress future employers, friends, loved ones and new acquaintances with our new-found knowledge. We want to show everyone that we are women (and men) of the World. We are go-getters. We are ready to lead.

One way in which we may reach our goals of enlightenment regarding education is to embrace technology. It is with this in mind that I have been such a boisterous proponent of THATCamp Pittsburgh. I am not the most technically savvy student, and perhaps I never will be. I certainly will do my best to understand the technology that is so pervasive in everyday life, as well as it’s applications to the scholarship of my field.

So….observations that I have made today: The students here, at Chatham, are excited to learn more about Digital Humanities and how they may incorporate them in their studies. Everyone wants to be on the cutting edge (well, almost everyone), and THATCamp Pittsburgh promises to offer opportunities to it’s attendees to be a part of that cutting edge.

Educators from the Pittsburgh region and beyond, can you hear that?? It is the collective “Wow” of students across the area who are finding out about THATCamp Pittsburgh and what it has to offer them. I hope all of you that value the Humanities and the important role they play in our educational experiences will be a part of this Camp. Come learn, collaborate, question, teach. Then take that knowledge back to your classrooms and share it with your students — whether they are undergrads, graduates, elementary school, high schoolers….you get the drift. We all need to know this stuff to be competitive in the real world. Don’t let us down.

Samantha Parish, Organizer THATCamp Pittsburgh

THATCamp Pittsburgh doesn’t rest….even on a Friday evening! I am pleased to announce that the schedules and workshops have been updated. Along with that, there has been a Google Map added, as well as a link to the Chatham University shuttle schedule.

I am thrilled that we have such a wonderful group of workshop presenters, supporters, and a fabulous keynote speaker. There is variety of topic, as well as technological level, to suit beginners to the more advanced in Digital Technologies. Let’s keep this dialogue fresh and spontaneous!

So….don’t let all of this talent and hard work go to waste. Register! After all, how could you resist such a great opportunity (and let’s not forget the free tee shirt).

Samantha Parish –  Organizer, THATCamp Pittsburgh

As the organizer of THATCamp Pittsburgh I have had one, hectic summer preparing for our inaugural Camp. The challenges are certainly….challenging….to say the least. I believe the results will be worth all of the effort involved, and I am really looking forward to meeting all of the attendees. I am so grateful to the fine folks that have been helping me with this endeavor; Lauren Panton, Tom Lombardi, Aubrey Boothe, Patrick Juola, Elizabeth Roark, Chatham University, George Mason University, Amanda French, Elaine Parsons, Aaron Brenner, Matthew Strauss, Brett Crawford, Rachael Wilkinson, Elisa Beshero-Bondar, Elaine Parsons, Sean McGreevey, Nicole Joniec from THATCamp Philly — to name a few, and in no particular order. If it takes a village to raise a child, it certainly takes a dedicated group of people to put together a THATCamp. Thanks, all of you!

The workshop/session schedule is almost firmed up. We have some exciting workshops planned for all levels of technological savvy (or lack of). The food is being planned, tee shirts being ordered, and some extra-curricular activities are being planned. A fun time will be had by all, I am sure.

So, don’t delay. Register for this exciting unconference today! Hope to see you there!

Samantha Parish – Organizer, THATCamp Pittsburgh

I think the title is self-explanatory, but just in case there is any confusion let me clarify.

Registration for THATCamp Pittsburgh is OFFICIALLY OPEN!

Welcome to the inaugural THATCamp Pittsburgh! It’s our first Camp, and we hope to make it a fun, collaborative, stress-free experience for all who attend. We are gearing workshops for beginners as well as those more experienced in the Digital Humanities, including a dedicated, comfy Play Area for those of you who are looking for Hacker Space. But, fear not! If you are technologically challenged, then you are also in the right place. We are here to start what we hope will be a continuing, evolving conversation about technology and the Arts and Humanities in the Western Pennsylvania region.

While the rest of you enjoy your Summer, we are busy working out the kinks for the upcoming THATCamp Pittsburgh. All of the little elves are busy in the background, planning, raising funds, scheduling, etc., in order that all of you, our esteemed attendees, can come and combine learning and fun in an unconference setting.

A registration for THATCamp Pittsburgh will include a groovy tee shirt, and all meals and refreshments. All of this, for the bargain basement price of $20 per attendee. But, wait….there’s more….we are also busy planning some great, after-hours activities for those of you who are socially inclined. Besides all of that, the Chatham University campus is especially gorgeous in the Fall! And don’t forget that the Carnegie International is opening the same weekend as our Camp; and there are oodles of other cultural attractions and institutions in the Pittsburgh area to tickle just about anyone’s fancy.

Please keep in mind that registration is capped at 125 attendees. Please fill out all of the information on the Registration page so that we may have all of the important stuff up to date. Also, the registration fee of $20 is payable at check-in on the first day of THATCamp Pittsburgh. We hope to see you there!

As organizer of THATCamp Pittsburgh, and current intern at The Library Company of Philadelphia, I am starting to experience the angst of planning a major conference for a newbie. I am grateful for all of the assistance I am receiving from Lauren Panton of Chatham, as well as Dr. Alexis Macklin and Chief Archivist Matthew Strauss, both of the Heinz History Center, as well as many other folks that have offered or given help and input. But…don’t stop now!! It is crucial to the success of THATCamp Pittsburgh that the collaboration, networking and support of our educational and arts communities continues.

There are lots of ideas floating around in my head for workshops for THATCamp Pittsburgh. There is a lot of organizing to be done. A lot of hair to be pulled out, I am sure. But, what I am really hoping for, and I am sure all of the wonderful people that have attended the two meetings regarding THATCamp Pittsburgh are hoping for, is that we do our best to produce a creative, collaborative, friendly and fun first THATCamp for the Pittsburgh area. Perhaps it will mold itself over the years into a thematic conference, as I hope the tradition of THATCamp will be continued long after I have graduated. So, the basic idea for our first camp is to try to include any and all people that want to be included in a dialogue about Digital Humanities, education and the arts…and to keep that conversation going!