April 29, 2024 Trying Together Exec Director Touts Importance of Child Care Access on Our Region’s Business Trying Together Executive Director Cara Ciminillo was featured on WPXI’s Our Region’s Business segment on Sunday, April 28. Ciminillo discussed the importance of child care access after the issue recently topped a survey from the Allegheny County Executive’s office. Learn More During the segment, WPXI’s Bill Flanagan noted that a lack of access to affordable child care could be the biggest barrier to building a workforce pipeline in the region. Ciminillo joined Kendra Ross, Director of Social Impact at Duolingo, and Dan DeBone, President & CEO of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, to discuss the issue. Ciminillo said Trying Together works to support child care workers in the field as well as improve quality and advocate on their behalf. “The crisis existed before the (COVID-19) pandemic, but the pandemic really just squeezed it,” she said. “All the other sectors have been able to move up their wages, but child care is really limited in its ability to do that. We know this is because families can’t afford more. The average infant-toddler child care slot is $12,000 per year. So, you can’t put more of those costs on families – they’re struggling already.” Ciminillo said the provider workforce doesn’t bring in enough money from state subsidies to augment that revenue formula. “The tax credit is great, but if you have 100% of the tax credit but you don’t have the staff to support the children who need the care, you can’t use the tax credit,” she said. “It’s really important that we invest in recruitment and retention of the workforce.” Ross said Duolingo was trying to provide grant money for child care organizations that don’t have enough resources. DeBone said the chamber of commerce advocates for legislation to help early child care programs. Last year, Trying Together partnered with Duolingo, the Early Excellence Project, and Candor & Co in the creation of a new program called “Early Learners First.” The program’s goal is to strengthen and enhance Pittsburgh’s early education system by investing in local child care programs. Duolingo, headquartered in East Liberty, pledged $1 million to the program. Trying Together also is a member of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce and has partnered with the chamber to host informational sessions about the impact child care has on the economy. Affordable Child Care Access Tops Survey In the recent All in Allegheny Community Survey, increasing access to affordable child care and care for older adults to make it easier for workers and people participating in workforce training programs ranked first. The Allegheny County Executive’s office invited county residents to share their ideas, priorities, and needs with County Executive Sara Innamorato’s office through the survey. According to the survey results, affordable child or family care options was the top priority for 50.8% of all respondents. Other top issues included reduced-fare public transit, the creation of good-paying jobs, and protecting worker’s rights. To listen to what Ciminallo had to say, watch the Our Region’s Business segment. For more information on Trying Together’s advocacy regarding access to child care, visit our Public Policy Agenda page.
Remake Learning Days to Offer Hundreds of Events in May The Remake Learning Days Festival will offer more than 350 events – including Playful Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Play Day – in May. The three-week festival offers activities for children ages two to 17 as well as adults. Learn More From May 2 to 22, families can take part in a variety of events and celebrate learning. Activities include building a robot, coding an art spinner, directing a film, doing scientific work, exploring the outdoors, making music, printing inventions with a 3-D printer, and more. The festival will include in-person and virtual events hosted by schools, museums, libraries, after-school organizations, child care centers, and tech companies. There are a number of free activities as well as others that range from $1 to $50. Most of the events take place in Southwestern Pennsylvania, while a few others will be held in West Virginia. Ultimate Play Day – which is co-hosted by Playful Pittsburgh, Trying Together, and CitiParks – will take place during Remake Learning Days. The event emphasizes the importance and power of play for people of all ages. The free event will be hosted at the Activities Shelter at Riverview Park from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. The festival will also include a performance of “Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster.” Color puppets and props will bring characters from Mo Willems’ book to life on stage. For more information on the Remake Learning Days Festival, visit the festival’s website.
Buzzword Day at the Theater The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Education department invites families to request complimentary tickets for a May performance of “Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster.” The production is based on Mo Williems’ books about the character. How to Sign Up Families can request up to four complimentary tickets for the Friday, May 18 performance at 10 a.m. The production will occur during the Children’s Theater Festival. The last day to register is Friday, May 10 by 5 p.m. About the Show The show tells the story of Leonardo, a terrible monster who tries to be scary – but isn’t. When Leonardo finds Sam, a scaredy-cat kid, it’s his chance to finally scare someone. Or, it could be the start of an unlikely friendship. The plot thickens when the pair meets Kerry and Frankenthaler, an even scaredier-cat and her monster friend. “Leonardo!” uses hundreds of illustrated paper puppets, book pages, two-dimensional props, furry monster puppets, and songs to bring Willems’ books to life. Manual Cinema wanted to recreate the experience of holding one of the books, which are big, bold, colorful, and full of visual rhythm. Similar to all Manual Cinema productions, attendees are invited to watch the big screen like a traditional movie or watch the artists below as they create the story in real time.
April 24, 2024 How to Get to Ultimate Play Day on May 18 Playful Pittsburgh will host its annual Ultimate Play Day on Saturday, May 18 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Activities Shelter in Riverview Park. There are three bus routes that can drop participants off close to the event. Learn More Ultimate Play Day is a celebration of playfulness for people of all ages. The event – co-hosted by Playful Pittsburgh, Trying Together, and Citiparks as part of Remake Learning Days – celebrates the importance of play. A number of city organizations will take part in the event – including the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Carnegie Science Center, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Fred Rogers Institute, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and many more. A complete list can be found on Ultimate Play Day’s event page. Directions Participants driving to the event and taking 279 N should avoid Milroy Street. Instead of making the first left, continue on to East Street and take Baytree Street to the park. Three bus routes will drop participants close to the event. Riders can take Bus 8 from the Northside to Riverview Park. They can pick up this bus at Cedar, East North Avenue, or Federal Street. The closest stops to the park are Perrysville and Watson or Perrysville and Cherryfield. Riders can take Bus 12 from the Northside. The closest stop to the park is East Street and Venture Street, which is about a mile walk to the event. Riders can also take Bus 15 from Downtown. More Information If you have questions, contact Adam James Zahren, Program Director for Playful Pittsburgh, at adam@tryingtogether.org. To plan a route to Ultimate Play Day, visit Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s True Time System’s website.
Study with Questionnaire Explores Field of Play A new study is exploring the current state of the field of play, specifically in games and related areas. Areas covered by the exploratory, qualitative study include mixed reality, themed entertainment, and tech. The study, led by Carnegie Mellon University’s Drew Davidson, also includes a questionnaire in which anyone can participate. Learn More The study’s aim is to define and reflect on the field of play. ETC Press will publish the results. The concept of play is broad and diverse, so the study is less a focus on a specific discipline and more an exploration of the extensive ideas around play. The questionnaire asks participants where they are located, what type of work they do, and what they believe is going on in the field of play. All responses are anonymous, and only a few of the questionnaire’s 16 questions are required. It should take between 20 to 25 minutes. More Details The study incorporates assistance from such groups as the Pittsburgh Remake Learning Initiative, Pittsburgh Technology Council, and the Connected Learning Alliance. Participating organizations will form a committee to provide local focus on regions to help ensure an inclusive process that offers perspectives from the diverse groups engaged in the field. The study includes questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and community participation. It aims to find patterns, commonalities, and differences across various regions amongst the education, industry, professional, foundation, and government groups involved in the field of play. The goal will be to collaboratively produce a white paper with the help of the committee. The final report’s aim is to document the global state of play. It will also serve as a reference for current practices and problems. Those who are interested in participating can take the questionnaire or contact the study team for more information.
April 23, 2024 Pittsburgh CLO Offering Suburbs Trolley, Family Pass This Summer The Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO) is offering new services – including trolley service in the suburbs, a family pass, and child care during shows – for families this summer. To entice families to attend the shows, the CLO is offering several new services and discounts this summer. Transportation Guests can now board the PCLO Show Shuttle at specific locations in the city’s suburbs. To ride the trolley, PCLO show tickets must be purchased in advance. Guests can then add a trolley ticket for $10 directly through Molly’s Trolleys Pittsburgh. The shuttle will only be offered on select show dates and times during the summer. View the schedule. Family Pass For every adult ticket purchased, up to four child tickets can be added for $10 each with a family pass. The passes can be purchased in all price zones for any show date and time of show offered. The family pass will be available for “West Side Story,” “The Music Man” and “Seussical” for children, ages three to 18. For “The Color Purple,” children should be at least 13 years old due to the show’s content. Child Care Available for Families PCLO Show Care will enable parents to entrust their children – ages three (fully potty trained) to 12 – to the care of CLO Academy of Musical Theatre Faculty while they take in a show. Limited spaces are available, so show care registration should be completed in advance when purchasing tickets. Show Care will be offered at the Saturday matinee performances of “West Side Story,” “The Color Purple,” and “The Music Man.” More Information Summer shows include “Lady Day” (May 17-June 30), “West Side Story” (June 11-16), “The Color Purple” (June 25-30), “The Music Man” (July 9-14), “Young Frankenstein” (July 19-Sept. 1), and “Seussical” (July 30-Aug. 4). Learn more on the Pittsburgh CLO website.
Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books Offers Author Talks, Activities for Youths This year’s Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books will include a schedule full of author talks, panel discussions, poetry readings, book signings, and workshops as well as food trucks and exhibitors. Learn More The third annual festival will be held May 11 at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in East Liberty. More than 70 writers spanning such genres as romance and thrillers to horror, cozy mysteries, and nonfiction will attend. Among this year’s featured writers are Ross Gay, author of four books of poetry, including “Be Holding,” winner of the PEN American Literary Jean Stein Award, and Sebastian Junger, bestselling author of “Tribe” and “The Perfect Storm” and co-director of Oscar-nominated documentary “Restrepo.” Other featured authors include Eloisa James, bestselling author of more than 30 historical romance novels, and Benjamin Herold, author of “Disillusioned,” which explores American public schools. Pittsburgh Stories Part of this year’s programming will focus on stories revolving around Pittsburgh. Herold’s book focuses on a Black family’s experience in his childhood neighborhood, which was once predominantly white. Additionally, a lineup of Pittsburgh-themed panels will uncover little-known parts of the city’s history, discuss social justice in Pittsburgh, and dig into the city’s true crime stories. Screenwriter and University of Pittsburgh lecturer Carl Kulander will moderate a panel of Pittsburgh memoirists. Activities for Youths For young children and their caregivers, the festival will feature interactive storytime with popular children’s authors. Erin Danielle Russell will discuss “Seoul Food,” which takes readers on the journey of a young biracial girl who celebrates her Korean and Black cultures through cuisine. Attendees will be able to visit a tent dedicated to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s 2024 Best Books for Babies, a nationally recognized section updated annually by local librarians and child development experts. Older youths can attend panels on a variety of topics. Pittsburgh young adult authors and married writing team Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick will discuss “From Pittsburgh With Love.” Young readers can pre-register for the annual summer reading program, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s 2024 Read-a-Palooza Book Bowl, which runs from June 16 to Aug. 11. The program challenges young readers to log at least five books during that time period. The festival will also feature workshops and activities for children and teens. Attendees can make their own zine with author-illustrator Sharee Miller (“Don’t Touch My Hair!”) and create digital comics with Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Makerspace. Guests can also create friendship bracelets. The city’s website has a complete listing of all activities, workshops, and participating authors. More Details The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 at 616 North Highland Avenue. Free parking will be available on the campus of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and across the street at the Obama Academy. Those interested in volunteering can sign up on the festival’s website. Although not required, registration is encouraged for select author sessions and panels as space might be limited.
April 22, 2024 Rapid Survey Project Fact Sheet Examines Postpartum Parents’ Well-Being The RAPID Survey Project, based at the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, has released a new fact sheet examining how postpartum parents’ emotional well-being and physical health affect their caregiving abilities. Learn More The experience of having a new baby in the home is an exciting time for most families, but caring for a newborn can also be stressful, the fact sheet says. As parents navigate having to care for themselves and new family members, stress can affect their overall health and well-being. This can lead to anxiety and stress and, in turn, drive increases in children’s levels of distress. According to the fact sheet, data showed that many parents are having positive experiences bonding with and caring for their new babies. A vast majority of them said they were interested in and enjoyed interacting with their child. However, data also indicated that there’s more that can be done to ensure postpartum parents are connected to resources and support. Three common feelings among new parents were being tired, disorganized, and isolated, according to the fact sheet. While most of those interviewed believed they were managing stress and maintaining a healthy diet, many were not getting exercise and a majority said they were not getting enough sleep. As a result, half of postpartum parents interviewed said their emotional well-being and physical health affected their caregiving abilities. To compile the fact sheet, researchers sought to get a better sense of the experiences of those parenting new babies by surveying them within the first two months after their child was born. For more information on the RAPID Survey Project’s findings and how it conducted the study, view the fact sheet.
Affordable Child Care Access Tops List in County Exec’s Survey Increasing access to affordable child care and care for older adults to make it easier for workers and people participating in workforce training programs topped a survey from the Allegheny County Executive’s office. All in Allegheny recently invited county residents to share their ideas, priorities, and needs with County Executive Sara Innamorato’s office through a survey. Survey Results According to the survey results, affordable child or family care options was the top priority for 50.8% of all respondents. Supporting reduced-fare public transit (34.9%) edged out incentivizing the creation of good-paying jobs (34.8%) for second place. Protecting worker’s rights came in fourth place (28.3%). Expanding guaranteed income programs ranked fifth (23.3%) among respondents. The survey was conducted between November and April and received a total of 16,973 responses. It was translated into nine languages. Categories in the survey included Economic and Community Development and Education, Workforce, and Youth Development as well as Health and Human Services; Housing for All; Infrastructure; Open and Accessible Government; Safety and Justice; Sustainability; and Vibrant Democracy. About All in Allegheny All in Allegheny is a large and inclusive community engagement process that aims to understand what people from every part of Allegheny want from county government and build an action plan for county government to deliver on community needs. Innamorato named nearly 200 leaders to nine policy committees that will inform her administration’s governing agenda. Trying Together Executive Director Cara Ciminillo is co-chair of the Robust Education, Workforce Development, and Youth Investments Committee.
April 17, 2024 OCDEL Announces 2024 Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Award Recipients The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced the recipients of the 2024 Equity in Early Childhood Education (ECE) Champion Award. Several local child care providers were among this year’s recipients. About the Equity in ECE Champion Award The Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Award recognizes the equity work of Pennsylvania early childhood education (ECE) programs and professionals, and highlights the impact of that work on staff, children, and families within early childhood education settings. The award recipients’ work aligns with the state Department of Education’s Equity and Inclusion Toolkit and the position statement of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Local Award Recipients Award recipients for 2024 in the region included: Gold Level Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh Pre-K Kids Learning Center, New Castle Silver Level AIU/Steel Valley Family Center, Homestead Brightside Academy, Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh Jack Safer, President & CEO, Brightside Academy, Pittsburgh Bronze Level Dr. Shawna Starling, Vice President of Intervention and Development Services, Brightside Academy, Pittsburgh Shady Lane School, Pittsburgh Learn More The Equity in Early Childhood Education Award brings awareness to and highlights the equity work taking place within the state’s early childhood education and afterschool settings by child care, evidence-based home visiting, and early intervention professionals and organizations that support the National Association for the Education of Young Children. An appreciation event will be held at the State Capitol Rotunda, located at 501 N. 3rd St. in Harrisburg, at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24. The event is open to the public.
