IN Shaler Spring 2019 | Page 8

What’s news in shaler Everyone Deserves a Clean and Beautiful Neighborhood Join the Great American Cleanup of PA Cleaning up your neighborhood is one of the best investments you can make. Whether you have vacant lots plagued with debris, natural areas that are dumped on, or litter blown from down the street, any neighborhood can be lifted up by positive action. The 15th annual Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Great American Cleanup of PA can help get you started. Through May 31, thousands of Pennsylvania families and friends will partake in litter and illegal dump cleanups, beautification projects such as tree and flower plantings, recycling collections and education programs. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful partners with PennDOT, the Department of Environmental Protection, and Keep America Beautiful to provide free trash bags, gloves, and safety vests to registered participants, as supplies last. During Let’s Pick It Up PA—every day from April 13 through May 6—cleanups registered with the Great American Cleanup of PA are eligible to take their trash to participating landfills free of charge or for a reduced rate. Registration can be done online at gacofpa.org. Michelle Dunn, Great American Cleanup of PA Program Coordinator, can answer questions at 1.877.772.3673, ext. 113, or email [email protected]. Join thousands of Pennsylvanians and keep your neighborhood clean and beautiful! STEEL CITY ROWING OFFERS FREE ‘INTRO TO ROWING’ CLASSES Shaler Area receives $35,000 grant from state Steel City Rowing Club is located in Verona on Arch Street, which was also known as Boathouse Row before the flood of 1936 wiped out all but three of the boats clubs along this section of the Allegheny River. As a club, it offers many programs to the public—some free and others for a small fee. Members and participants in the programs come from all over the region. Join in the following free Intro to Rowing Classes being offered through July 20: April 20 – 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 1 – 9 to 10 a.m. (US Rowing National Learn to Row Day) July 20 – 9 to 10 a.m. To register or for more information, visit steelcityrowing.org/free-intro-to- rowing/. Shaler Area School District will be able to place additional focus on expanding students’ exposure to a computer science curriculum before high school, thanks to a $35,000 state grant. Shaler Area was selected by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to receive a PAsmart Targeted K12 Computer Science and STEM Education grant. It will be used to train Shaler Area teachers in kindergarten through eighth grade to implement computer science classes and purchase materials. The grant is part of the state’s PAsmart initiative, which aims to expand access to high-quality computer science and STEM education across the commonwealth. Over the next decade, seven in 10 new jobs in Pennsylvania will require computer science skills. The programs funded through PAsmart will help students to be prepared for success in our global economy. 6 724.942.0940 to advertise ❘ icmags.com Garden and Landscape Symposium & Marketplace Saturday, April 27 Gardening Knowledge and Plants Galore! Don’t miss this symposium to be held April 27 at Shady Side Senior School in Fox Chapel from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring renowned garden experts speaking about “Perennials: What’s New, Exciting and Overlooked,” Designing the New Kitchen Garden, Park and Nursery Tree Genetics, and Designing to Manage Rain. To register, go to http://extension.psu.edu/garden- landscape-symposium, or call 412.482.3469. The symposium fee is $120 and includes breakfast and lunch, and plenty of time to shop the marketplace. The Garden Marketplace is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will feature new, unique and hard-to-find perennials, annuals, fruit and vegetable plants and shrubs, garden books, tools and accessories. Over 25 vendors! The event is presented by Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County. ■