About the Program
Design Lives Here is a semester-long engineering initiative that equips teachers and students (grades 5th-8th) to participate in engineering activities within their school or afterschool program. Professional engineers serve as mentors to students throughout the year. Schools who participate are diverse – public, parochial and private – and have the option of making this part of their school day or an extended program. Each spring, all the participants come together for a day of engineering challenges, grouped in new teams to compete for prizes. Design Lives Here activities are inspired by the popular PBS KIDS program and website, Design Squad Nation.
The 2024 Design Lives Here initiative is a project of WQED, with major underwriting by MSA, PPG and PPG Foundation, and additional support from ATI, Mastech Digital, Pitt Swanson School of Engineering, Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh, ANSYS, HATCH, Gateway Engineers, McKim & Creed, and founding partner the Engineers’ Society of Western PA.
