Last year, I left a great job in DC to return to Pittsburgh. I came back to my hometown because Pittsburgh is the site of one of – if not the – most remarkable, vibrant, and effective learning innovation ecosystems in the country.

The Remake Learning Network (formerly Kids + Creativity) represents the collective effort of years of interdisciplinary, innovative, and interconnected work that a community of people who care about the future of learning have undertaken together. It’s work that many in the Pittsburgh region have contributed to. And it’s work that everyone involved should be proud of.

I came back to Pittsburgh because I wanted to help the Remake Learning Network to inspire and empower a broader community of innovators – not just around our region, but around the country.

Today, responding to the President Obama’s call to action to create a Nation of Makers, and as part of a White House event kicking off the National Week of Making, The Sprout Fund is thrilled to announce the first digital release of the Remake Learning Playbook, an ambitious effort to document the processes, outcomes, resources, and lessons learned of both the Network itself and several of the Network’s projects.

The Playbook is a field guide full of information, ideas, and resources for supporting learning innovation networks, and it includes:

• A deep dive into the structure and operation of the Remake Learning Network;
• An essay on the power of this work by Mark Surman;
• Key strategies Pittsburgh leaders have used to build and sustain the network;
• Case study excerpts exploring how the network has made an impact on learning both in school and out-of-school.

In premiering this content, we’re hoping (1) to get this content in the hands of those who can use it, and (2) to get as much feedback as possible on how to adapt and improve this content to meet the needs of real-world practitioners. This is the first in a series of staged-releases, and Sprout will continue to publish new and updated Playbook content throughout the summer and into the fall.

So, we’re asking you to spread this content – far and wide – to those who you think would be willing to take a look and let us know what they think. Folks can add their feedback directly on Medium, and we’ll be closely reviewing responses as people contribute their thoughts.

The Playbook is the next step forward in the effort to enable more communities to Pittsburgh. It’s hardly the first step in this journey, and it’s certainly not the last – it’s simply the next step to broaden and deepen the impact of this extraordinary work.

And while my journey will take me back to DC, I’m looking forward to staying closely engaged in the Playbook’s next steps, and the Network’s, because I agree with Gregg Behr and Dr. Lynne Schrum, the Founding Chairs of the Remake Learning Council, who write in the introduction to the Playbook:

“We’ve learned a lot since our first breakfast brainstorms. We’ve tried many things, and we’ve made plenty of mistakes. But ultimately, we’ve seen significant progress in our effort to provide all children and youth with the best available opportunities to learn and be creative. We’re confident that all of us, together, can remake learning all across America.”

Pittsburgh is a national model for network-based approaches to 21^st century learning innovation, and the Remake Learning Network can impact educators, learners, and people across the country.

Take the next steps with us by visiting playbook.remakelearning.org.