On October 28, 2009, Making Sparks, a new annual event organized by The Sprout Fund, brought together members of Pittsburgh’s education, early childhood, technology, and media communities to explore the latest developments and emerging trends impacting the lives of young children in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The topic of the event was Play—its role in health and education, its central importance in social and intellectual development, and the potential to integrate new and existing technology and media tools to improve the ways our children play.