November 13, 2023 Trying Together Recipient of Gismondi Excellence Award On Thursday, November 9, Trying Together won the Gismondi Excellence Award and received a $5,000 gift from the Gismondi Family Foundation as part of the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Summit. The Gismondi Excellence Awards were presented to five organizations working to improve the lives of people at risk for food insecurity, racial discrimination, and other social challenges. Trying Together was recognized for its excellence in education. The awards were handed out at the two-day Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Summit at the David L. Lawrence Event Center. Learn More To learn more about this event, please read “Inaugural Gismondi Excellence Awards Honor 5 Pittsburgh nonprofits” by NEXTPittsburgh. Source Information for this post was taken directly from the NEXTPittsburgh, “Inaugural Gismondi Excellence Awards Honor 5 Pittsburgh nonprofits.” Some text may have been added, paraphrased, or adapted for readability and comprehension.
November 8, 2023 The Child Institute Reveals that Children Do Not Outgrow Learning Disabilities The Child Mind Institute’s article, “Do Kids Grow Out of Learning Disorders” reveals that children do not outgrow learning disorders. Therefore as parents and caregivers, it is important to be proactive in taking action to help implement tools to ensure the success of these students. Children may not grow out of their disability but there are multiple avenues to help them be successful and thrive academically and personally. The Importance of Early Intervention: The article provides many ways caregivers can support their children, with an emphasis on early intervention. Early intervention refers to the process of identifying your student’s academic and social needs from a young age. Early intervention and identification can allow professionals to help children locate and identify the tools they need, which can bolster their success. Learn More To learn more, read the “Do Kids Grow Out of Learning Disorders” article by The Child Mind Institute. Source: Information for this post was taken directly from the Child Mind Institute, “Do Kids Grow Out of Learning Disorders” Some text may have been added, paraphrased, or adapted for readability and comprehension. Resources and Related Content Feedback Needed for Early Intervention Toolkit Creation Poll Reveals Increases in Child Communication Disorders and Need for Early Intervention Services Department of Education Releases Early Intervention Resources Family Guide for Early Intervention and Inclusion in Allegheny County
November 7, 2023 NAA’s Next Generation of Afterschool Leaders Nominations Are Now Open The National AfterSchool Association (NAA) annually recognizes a cohort of emerging young leaders who are champions of and dedicated to furthering the field of out-of-school time. The NAA will recognize extraordinary individuals who are firm believers in the power of afterschool. They can be vested in subjects such as advocacy, professional development, creative program design, the power of youth voice, data and evaluation, and social justice. Nomination Requirements: For the Next Generation of Afterschool Leaders 2024, NAA will highlight individuals age 30 or younger who are: Active in the broader afterschool community, including, but not limited to membership in NAA and its state affiliates Actively engaged in efforts to elevate the afterschool field and profession In addition, successful nominees will demonstrate: A proven passion for developing themselves and others, and persistence in growing as a leader Contributions that have started to influence entire organizations, communities, and beyond The NAA Core Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies (CKSCs) at the Apply Level, moving toward Amplify in many of the CKSC content areas. Nominate Today: If you know of a candidate worthy of this honor, submit a nomination! The nomination period is open through Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
November 6, 2023 New Asynchronous PQA Professional Development Now Available The PA Program Quality Assessment (PQA) Team has added three new asynchronous professional development sessions to the PD registry. These sessions include: Online Self-Paced Foundations of the Environment Rating Scale (Event ID# 361128) Online Self-Paced School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale-Updated SACERS-U (Event ID# 361129) Online Self-Paced Pennsylvania Foundations of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System CLASS (Event ID# 361130) Register: Register for these online self-paced PD sessions by visiting the PD Registry. Learn More: The Program Quality Assessment (PQA) team offers a variety of professional development (PD) sessions to meet the needs of early childhood and school-age professionals. Sessions are created by the Program Quality Assessment team, in collaboration with Program Observation Instrument (POI) authors and publishers, or are provided for use by the authors/publishers. All face-to-face and synchronous virtual sessions are offered by the PQA team and are instructed by the Program Quality Assessors. Learn more about Program Quality Assessment (PQA) professional development opportunities at pakeys.org/pqa/professional-development.
November 3, 2023 The PA Keys Offer No Cost Social-Emotional Professional Development Professional development courses from the Pyramid Model Consortium are now available at no cost for Pennsylvania professionals and partners. About These courses will teach how to enhance social-emotional development in young children without ever leaving the classroom. Participants can earn between 2-18 hour credits per completed course. These courses are ideal to onboard new early childhood staff, especially staff who have little or no previous early childhood experience, and staff who need to meet the requirement for Child Development Training in the Keystone STARS Performance Standards. The following classes are offered: ePyramid Birth to 5 Course (365-day access) ePyramid-Trauma-Informed Care & the Pyramid Model (180-day access) ePyramid-Wellness: Taking Care of Yourself (90-day access) ePyramid-Culturally Responsive Practices to Reduce Implicit Bias, Disproportionality, Suspension & Expulsion (90-day access) ePyramid Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Families (365-day access) Learn More To read full course descriptions, please visit the Pennsylvania Keys website. Source Information for this post was taken directly from The Pennsylvania Keys “No Cost Social-Emotional Professional Development Opportunities Now Available.” Some text may have been added, paraphrased, or adapted for readability and comprehension.
November 2, 2023 How To Address War and Traumatic Experiences With Children Children always look to their caregivers for a sense of safety during scary and vulnerable times. Oftentimes, the caregivers are informing their children how to respond in these situations. Therefore, parents and caregivers must have the right resources to help their children process and work through these big emotions. Between war, conflict, and traumatic experiences happening in and out of the home, there are several new and scary experiences children are being exposed to. ZERO TO THREE has free resources for families and caregivers, and professionals who support them, that offer guidance on helping young children grieve and process traumatic experiences. Learn More How To Talk To Your Children About Conflict and War, UNICEF A Big Impact on Little Kids: Understanding How Traumatic Experiences Affect Very Young Children, ZERO TO THREE How To Talk To Your Children About War, ZERO TO THREE Little Listeners in an Uncertain World, ZERO TO THREE Helping Toddlers Cope With Grief and Death, ZERO TO THREE Mindfulness and Self Care: Building a Resilient Community and Culture of Caring, ZERO TO THREE Children’s Book: Once I Was Very Very Scared by Chandra Gosh Ippen, available in several languages Related Resources Discussing Violence, Protests, and Police Brutality with Young Children Understanding Child Trauma, NCTSI Complex Trauma: Facts for Caregivers, NCTSN Social-Emotional Development: Family Resources
Apply for the 2024 Early Childhood Education Advocacy Fellowship Trying Together invites early care and education providers, families, and other caregivers of young children to apply for the 2024 Early Childhood Education (ECE) Advocacy Fellowship to become a catalyst for change as an early childhood advocate. During the 12-month program, ECE Advocacy Fellows will: strengthen advocacy skills; develop leadership skills that drive positive change; gain expertise in utilizing research-based communication strategies; and receive a stipend for their time. Who Should Apply: Families and caregivers of young children Relative Care Providers Family Child Care Home Group Child Care Home Child Care Center administrators and teachers Head Start teachers Pre-k teachers PK-4 teachers and principals Home Visitors School-age Child care providers Trainers Professors in higher education Child care resource and referral professionals. Fellowship Details The program involves monthly in-person meetings, as well as dedicated small group and individual work time between these meetings. At each workshop, an informed early childhood, public policy, or community leader will facilitate, drawing on information from regional or national experts to share the latest news, research, and strategies to improve early childhood public policy. Workshops will include opportunities for networking, professional growth, and community development. Fellows will receive a stipend for their dedicated time. Trying Together offers the fellowship program at no cost to the participant and will provide lunch and snacks at each session. Travel stipends will be provided on a case-by-case basis. Application Details Apply online by December 22, 2023. Chosen participants will be notified in early January 2024. For more information or to ask questions, contact Hailee B. Roye at hailee@tryingtogether.org or 412.213.8870.
November 1, 2023 Deadline Extended for RFP: Early Intervention Gap Analysis Trying Together is requesting proposals from qualified and experienced consulting firms to conduct a comprehensive gap analysis of the early intervention system (birth to three and three to five) in Allegheny County. (This news post was updated on November 1, 2023 to reflect a new deadline RFP deadline of December 1, 2023). About Trying Together seeks an external consulting firm to conduct an early intervention gap analysis in Allegheny County with the goal of identifying areas in which the system is not equitable for young children and families based on but not limited to race, ethnicity, geography, and income. This will include examining outreach, referral, enrollment, and support for Black and Brown families and those who speak a language other than English in the home. Results and recommendations will be shared with community stakeholders starting with families as well as regional system partners and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL). Trying Together will use the recommendations of the gap analysis to develop potential solutions to address inequities and improve outreach, referral, enrollment, and support for Black and Brown families with young children. The ideal candidate seeks to understand the Part B and Part C early intervention systems in Allegheny County and has an experienced track record of completing evaluations of education and human services programs. Interested applicants should review the entire Early Intervention Gap Analysis RFP and RFP Q&A. Proposals should be submitted via email to info@tryingtogether.org and are due no later than December 1, 2023. Phone call inquiries will not be accepted. Please email if you have questions.
Supporting Breastfed Children in Child Care Settings The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is offering professional development credits for child care providers who complete the Breastfeeding Evaluation. Learn More The 1.5-hour recorded webinar discusses breast milk storage and handling, provides practice guidance on paced-bottle feeding, and offers resources needed to promote breastfeeding in early education and child care settings. At the conclusion of the webinar participants will be able to: Identify reasons to support chest/breastfeeding Explain the safe handling and storage procedures for human milk Describe the rationale and practice for paced bottle feeding Explain the benefits of the program when chest/breastfeeding is supported Describe and apply supportive policies for chest/breastfeeding Listen to the recording and download the evaluation form. The password is “Ecels”. Completed evaluation forms should be emailed to ecels@paaap.org or faxed to 484-446-3255. The webinar will be free until December 31, 2023.
