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Author: Nathan Duke

Increase Giving to Trying Together Through Double the Donation

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July 29, 2025

Increase Giving to Trying Together Through Double the Donation

Those looking to maximize their donation to Trying Together can now do so through Double the Donation, a company that helps nonprofits raise more money from corporate matching gifts. 

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Double the Donation aims to inform donors about matching gift programs offered by their employers, effectively doubling or even tripling the impact of their donations.

Matching gifts are a type of corporate philanthropy in which companies match their employees’ donations to nonprofit organizations. After an employee donates to a nonprofit, they can submit a matching gift request to their employer and the company will make an additional donation to the nonprofit.

By submitting a matching gift request, donors can significantly increase the impact of their donation. Those interested in donating to Trying Together should check if their employer participates in a matching gift program today.

Donors can now use the Double the Donation widget on the Give Now page to search prior to making a donation.

How Double the Donation Works

Once a donor makes a donation to Trying Together, they will be prompted to check for matching gift opportunities

The donor then enters their employer’s name into Double the Donation’s database, which uses an autocomplete feature to suggest companies. Double the Donation’s database identifies if the donor’s employer has a matching gift program and if the donor is eligible.

If eligible, the donor is guided through the process of submitting a matching gift request to their employer, often directly through the Double the Donation platform. 

Former PA Governors Tout Importance of Pre-K in Op Ed

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Former PA Governors Tout Importance of Pre-K in Op Ed

Five former Pennsylvania governors wrote an op ed that was published this week on Penn Live that extols the virtues of pre-k.

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Former governors Tom Ridge, Mark Schweiker, Ed Rendell, Tom Corbett, and Tom Wolf wrote the editorial, which was published on Penn Live on July 29.

In the editorial, the governors wrote that for years meaningful steps have been taken to grow access to Head Start and Pre-K Counts, and that votes to do so typically crossed party lines. The editorial notes that to let that progress slip away would be a major mistake.

“Research has long shown the importance of investing in high-quality pre-k education for young children to improve short- and long-term outcomes in academic achievement and even lifelong success,” the governors wrote. “This is especially true for children in low-income families, children of color, and others facing barriers to achieving academic success throughout their school years.”

The governors cite a poll that found that 98% of Pennsylvanians believe that early childhood education is important to help children lead healthy and productive lives. An additional 73% support increasing state funding, so more children can have access to pre-k.

“Pennsylvanians should be proud of how far our commonwealth has come in providing pre-k to our youngest learners with more than 66,000 three- and four-year-olds having access,” the governors wrote. “However, this represents only 44% of eligible children, leaving almost 85,000 children on the sidelines each year.”

The entire editorial can be read on Penn Live’s website.

PA Promise for Children Lists 10 Books for Children About Doing Laundry

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PA Promise for Children Lists 10 Books for Children About Doing Laundry

PA Promise for Children has released a list of 10 books for children that feature the theme of doing laundry.

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PA Promise for Children’s Learning is Everywhere newsletter recently focused on the theme of laundry and listed activities for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners that have to do with the household task.

For babies, it was suggested for parents to play peek-a-boo with them using clothes hanging on the line, while it was recommended for toddlers to help their parents separate clothing by colors or types of clothing.

Parents were encouraged to teach their preschoolers  to develop their language skills while sorting laundry by using possessives – for example, “mommy’s” or “my” shirt. For kindergartners, it was suggested to have a discussion about why we wash our clothes or where the water comes from that fills the washing machine.

OCDEL’s list of 10 books on the topic include:

  • Wanda’s Washing Machine (Anna McQuinn)
  • Llamas in the Laundry (W.H. New)
  • Stinky Clothes (Joanna Emery)
  • Knuffle Bunny (Mo Willems)
  • Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash (Sarah Weeks)
  • Henry Helps with Laundry (Beth Bracken)
  • Dirty Laundry Pile (Paul B. Janeczko)
  • The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash (Trinka Hakes Noble)
  • Laundry Day (Maurie J. Manning)
  • Smelling Sunshine (Constance Anderson)

View the list on PA Promise for Children’s website.

Resources for August Observances

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Resources for August Observances

Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources can help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and identify them.

Here is a list of resources for August observances.

Month-Long Observances

Summer Sun Safety Month

National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM)

Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

Back to School Month

National Breastfeeding Month

Weeks of Recognition

Aug. 3 – 9 is Exercise with Your Child Week

Days of Recognition

Aug. 5 is National Night Out

Aug. 9 is National Book Lover’s Day

Aug. 15 is Back to School Prep Day

Aug. 26 is Women’s Equality Day

Thriving Kids Newsletter Discusses How to Promote Good Behavior in Children

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July 28, 2025

Thriving Kids Newsletter Discusses How to Promote Good Behavior in Children

The Child Mind Institute recently kicked off its Thriving Kids newsletter with the topic of how to promote good behavior in children.

The article noted that while managing a child’s behavior can be exhausting, there are simple strategies that can be employed to make a big difference.

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Thriving Kids noted that taking time out of each day to do something with a child that they enjoy can contribute to a healthy caregiver-child relationship and promotes good behavior. Children appreciate getting attention, which can include everything from asking about their day on the drive home from school or taking part in an activity together.

Setting clear expectations about the type of behavior that is expected helps to guide both the caregiver and child when undesirable behavior occurs. Expectations should be realistic and discussed with the child.

When a child exhibits good behavior, it should be acknowledged and rewarded. This increases the chance that the child will repeat good behavior in the future. On the other hand, parents should initiate consequences for unwanted behavior immediately after it happens. Consequences should be brief and consistent.

Lastly, caregivers should take a moment to reset. It is normal to become frustrated or upset with a child’s behavior. It can be helpful to take a breath, and caregivers can share with a child that they are taking a moment to let go of frustration before having a discussion about the behavior.

8 Tips for Promoting Good Behavior

Thriving Kids also provided eight tips for promoting good behavior in children. These include:

  • Taking care of the relationship – connecting with a child is important to build a relationship based on trust and respect; try to spend time daily fully engaged with the child in an activity they enjoy.
  • Set clear and realistic expectations – go over expectations for how a child is expected to behave in certain situations and review them when a child needs to demonstrate that behavior.
  • Catch them being good – Use specific praise when a child behaves appropriately, which will increase the likelihood that they’ll repeat the good behavior in the future.
  • Be thoughtful about consequences – try to make consequences immediate, brief, and consistent; try to return to “normal” as quickly as possible once the consequence is completed.
  • Avoid harsh discipline – consequences don’t need to upset children to work; it’s more important that consequences are consistently applied when unwanted behavior occurs.
  • Take a moment – if you notice yourself getting frustrated or upset with a child’s behavior, take a moment to calm down before responding.
  • Be a detective – rather than focusing on the behavior itself, dig deeper to try to figure out what might be behind it; the reason is not always simple or obvious, so look for patterns.
  • Talk when they’re calm – don’t try to reason with children during a meltdown; wait until things calm down to have a discussion, during which you listen to one another and share feelings.

To learn more, read Thriving Kids’ article on how to promote good behavior in children.

Kidsburgh Article Encourages Caregivers to Talk to Children About Race

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Kidsburgh Article Encourages Caregivers to Talk to Children About Race

A new Kidsburgh article posits that not only is it beneficial to talk to young children about issues revolving around race – but it can be harmful not to do so.

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The article, Kidsburgh Guide: Talking with Your Kids About Race, notes that caregivers “teach children how to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ to look both ways before crossing the street, and to be kind to their classmates.” But many parents find themselves unsure of what to say if a child asks them about another child’s skin color.

Medina Jackson, director of the University of Pittsburgh’s P.R.I.D.E. Program (Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education, told Kidsburgh that she helps families and educators to build the tools to answer such questions. 

Jackson noted that children are not colorblind and that waiting to discuss race with them can be harmful.

“Children are already having racialized experiences, receiving messages about race, and assigning meaning to those messages and experiences,” she told Kidsburgh.

Jackson said she defines positive racial identity as a child’s ability to feel good about themselves regarding their race and the collective racial family to which they belong. She added that for older children, a strong sense of racial and ethnic identity has been tied to higher self-esteem, better academic performance, and greater resilience.

In the article, Jackson makes suggestions for caregivers on how to talk to children about race and shares some resources for further reading.

She broke down the method for approaching the topic with children into three strategies:

  • Be proactive
  • Be responsive
  • Be reflective

To learn more about Jackson’s strategy, check out Kidsburgh’s article.

Trying Together Invites Community to Complete Survey

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July 24, 2025

Trying Together Invites Community to Complete Survey

Trying Together is asking for the communities it serves to take a survey to help the organization provide the best resources and opportunities. 

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The survey aims to collect up-to-date information for those it serves and includes such questions as:

  • Demographic and Identity
  • Preferred language
  • Necessary accommodations to participate fully in Trying Together events and activities
  • Dietary preferences or restrictions

It also provides the opportunity to sign up for seven e-communication subscriptions, such as the Trying Together and ELRC Region 5 newsletters and public policy alerts.

The survey only takes a few minutes to complete and those who fill it out will be automatically registered for a chance to win a gift card.

Take the survey now.

Deadline to Submit RFP for DHS Out-of-School Time, Teen Programming is July 31

News

July 23, 2025

Deadline to Submit RFP for DHS Out-of-School Time, Teen Programming is July 31

The deadline to submit an Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) request for proposal (RFP) for additional out-of-school time and teen programming is Thursday, July 31.

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The DHS is seeking proposals from qualified proposers to provide on or both of the two following types of youth programming for the 2025-26 school year:

Out-of-School Time Programming – The DHS is seeking up to three proposers for additional out-of-school time programs, which offer a safe place for students to go after their school day ends or during the summer.

Teen Programming – The DHS is seeking up to three proposers for teen programming for creative programming that occurs outside of traditional school hours for school-age teens.

Proposals must be submitted electronically on DHS’s Bonfire Portal by 3 p.m. on July 31. For more information, check out the DHS’s RFP.

APOST Seeking Presenters in Southwest PA to Facilitate OST Workshops

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APOST Seeking Presenters in Southwest PA to Facilitate OST Workshops

Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST) is seeking presenters from Southwest Pennsylvania to facilitate workshops on topics relating to out-of-school time (OST) for its 2025 conference.

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The conference, which will be held in partnership with the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, will be held on Monday, Sept. 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, located at 475 E. Waterfront Drive in Homestead.

APOST is currently looking for local presenters who are interested in facilitating one-hour workshops on any OST-related topic through the lens of or in connection to “partnerships in OST.” These can include:

  • Interactive learning experiences that are creative in their engagement of the audience
  • What an organization has to offer as a partner to OST organizations (and how the organization has worked in partnerships with others)
  • Multiple organizations presenting together or leading a panel discussion on partnerships in action

The deadline to submit a topic is 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 4. All submitters will be contacted and notified whether their proposed workshop was selected by Aug. 11. APOST will offer a $400 honoraria per workshop.

Workshop topics can be submitted online.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Offers Monthly Virtual Storytime

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July 22, 2025

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Offers Monthly Virtual Storytime

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will release a new Virtual Storytime every month on its website that also includes songs and activities.

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This month’s storytime discusses the library’s summer reading challenge, features two books, some book recommendations, two songs, and other activities.

The storytime, which also provides an option for captioning, starts with an introduction and is followed by the reading of Susan Stockdale’s “Line Up: Animals in Remarkable Rows.”

Then, viewers can follow a felt-board story and take part in a sing-a-long of “Clap and Sing Hello.” The second book during the storytime is “Papa’s Magical Water Jug Clock” by Jesus Trejo.

The second story is followed by a song involving egg shakers and the storytime closes out with a goodbye.

At the end of the video, children and their caregivers are given two book recommendations for  those who enjoyed the selections read during the virtual storytime – Joshua David Stein’s “Solitary Animals: Introverts of the Wild” and Hannah Eliot and Jade Orlando’s “Who Takes Care of You?”

To view the monthly virtual storytime, visit the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s website.