Pittsburgh Technical Institute Volunteers Give Back with GiveCamp

For a 48-hour period this weekend, Pittsburgh Technical Institute will put a 21st century spin on the timeless tradition of community barn-raising.   

In a modern demonstration of interactive reciprocity, PTI’s School of Design is hosting Pittsburgh GiveCamp 2013 from Friday, Sept. 6 through Sunday, Sept. 8 on its North Fayette campus, 1111 McKee Road.

With participants and benefactors up 50 percent over 2012, GiveCamp has doubled its participants this year and PTI’s web interactive design students are working alongside more than 60 designers, developers, database administrators, marketing professionals, and web strategists who are donating their time to produce interactive solutions for selected non-profits, according to a news release. 

“It’s an intensive creative camp with no limits to what can be achieved,” GiveCamp organizer Irwin Hurst said. “Our only rule is that what we aspire to do must be able to be completed in one weekend.”

Participating charitable organizations explained their interactive goals on Friday, Sept. 6, and a team was assigned to the project and began working.

Sarah Heinz House, Project: custom app for tracking maintenance jobs

Edgewood Symphony Orchestra, Project: updated web site

Holy Family Institute, Project: a social video game

Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall, Project: updated web site

Global Links, Project: custom windows app for packing instructions

Nine Mile Run Watershed Association, Project: updated web site

Central Assembly of God, Project: updated web site

Third Child, Project, Project: new web site

Dreams Of Hope, Project: web streaming remote conference tool

Design Center, Project: SalesForce configuration

Charities participating in GiveCamp receive training for the long-term sustainability of the work created during the camp.

PTI provides facilities, technology, meals and talented students.  

GiveCamp was founded by Microsoft developer Chris Koenig in Dallas, TX, and supported 18 charities with the talent of 80 developers in its first year. A software architect at CEI, Hurst brought GiveCamp to Pittsburgh in 2011.