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Essential Pittsburgh: PNC Funds Vocabulary Exploration in Homewood Community

Buzzword Pgh
Children gather in Homewood for Buzzword's official launch party this past Saturday.

PNC announced on Saturday that it will grant $1.5 million to Buzzword Pittsburgh, an organization in Homewood that engages families with young children to develop vocabulary and language practices. Buzzword is one project of the Grow Up Great initiative supported by the Carnegie Science Center, the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Sally McCrady, president and chair of the PNC Foundation, describes PNC's investment and Buzzword Pittsburgh.

Describing the efforts of Buzzword Pittsburgh to connect with children, McCrady explains:

"Fun is the key here, and our partners have just done a fabulous job of working together to create really fun activities that the whole family can be engaged in and really focus and take advantage of kids' natural sense of curiosity." -- Sally McCrady

Also in the program, retired Colonel Stuart Herrington shares stories from Vietnam in a new PBS documentary, Margaret J. Krauss tells the story of South Park and business contributor Rebecca Harris describes the business of medical devices.

"Last Days in Vietnam" (begins at 9:56)

Tonight on PBS the American Experience documentary "Last Days in Vietnam" airs. Featured in the film is retired Colonel Stuart Herrington, a Mt. Lebanon native and author of the book "Peace with Honor? An American Reports on Vietnam, 1973-1975." Herrington looks back on his Vietnam experience, explains the new documentary and considers the lasting legacy of the war some forty years after its end.

WESA Celebrates - Inventing Pittsburgh (begins at 34:18)

Allegheny County's South Park, created in the 1920s, is bounded by highways and suburbia. But as Margaret J. Krauss reports, it is also one of the last places in Pennsylvania where the buffalo roam. 

Innovations in Medical Devices (begins at 38:29)

This week business contributor Rebecca Harris looks at the latest innovations in  crutches, wheelchairs and walkers for people who are temporarily or permanently disabled. 

More Essential Pittsburgh segments can be found here

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