Nathan Duke, Author at Trying Together

News

April 15, 2025

IECMH Offers Resources to Raise Awareness for National Child Abuse Prevention Month

The Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMH) has released resources and information in observance of April’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

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To honor the month – which raises awareness about child abuse and to promote prevention – IECMH’s latest newsletter explores what can be done to support families and children, from sharing resources on the importance of relationships and resilience to protect children from harm to supporting children who have experienced abuse or trauma.

One resource is a chart that focuses on ACEs – which stands for adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction. It is coupled with a description by the Ohio Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Prevention & Promotion of the differences between ACEs, PCEs (positive childhood experiences), and PACEs (protective and compensatory experiences). There is also further reading on PCEs by the American Psychiatric Association Foundation.

The IECMH also provides a section on resilience-building strategies by age groups. Promoting resilience, the IECMH writes, involves reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors. It lists resilience-building strategies for the following age groups:

Other topics of interest include protective factors for families by Pennsylvania Strengthening Families, a Sesame Street guide on working through difficult life challenges, a list of strategies on how to reduce the effects of ACEs and toxic stress, a description of what it means to be a mandated reporter in Pennsylvania, and information on how to report abuse or neglect.

News

Early Childhood Educators Can Gain Voice in Policy Decisions Through Teach Plus Fellowship

Early childhood educators can deepen their understanding of education policy and gain a voice in decisions that affect their students and profession by applying for the Teach Plus Pennsylvania Policy Fellowship.

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This summer, Teach Plus will launch its fifth cohort of teaching policy fellows. The leadership opportunity is for 30 teachers, who will receive a $1,500 stipend for taking part in the fellowship.

Guided work for the fellowship includes:

Two in-person training sessions, monthly virtual meetings, and issues-focused working groups
Expert-led training modules on such topics as storytelling for impact, policy 101, advocacy and organizing, evidence-based policymaking, testifying and meeting with decision makers, op-ed writing, and media relations
Direct engagement with stakeholders and policymakers
Pursuit of a policy research or advocacy project that addresses a pressing state-level policy issue

Some of the 2025-26 policy areas of focus include early childhood education, equitable funding, teacher preparation, advancing the science of reading, expanding and diversifying the teacher pipeline.

Qualifications and Applications Process

To qualify, applicants must be a current educator (early childhood to 12th grade) in a state public, charter, or early childhood setting with at least two years of teaching experience by June. Applicants must have a track record of success teaching students in Pennsylvania.

To apply, candidates must submit a written application prior to May 5. There will be a virtual session on applying on April 15 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Registration is open.

Candidates will then participate in an individual phone interview and a group activity via Zoom between May 19 and 22. All candidates will receive notification of their status by May 30.

For more information, visit the Teach Plus Pennsylvania Policy Fellowship website.

News

April 14, 2025

National Afterschool Association to Celebrate Week Honoring Out-of-School-Hours Professionals

The National Afterschool Association is celebrating Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week in late April to recognize those who work with young people during out-of-school hours.

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The week – which runs from April 21 to 25 – will be marked by celebrations, public relations, and advocacy efforts that encourage appreciation and support for afterschool professionals.

According to the National Afterschool Association, approximately 7.8 million young people participate in afterschool programs annually in the United States. More than 850,000 afterschool professionals work with children during out-of-school hours but, the association notes, they are often not recognized or appreciated for their work.

Research shows that afterschool programs result in increased social-emotional skills, school attendance, and academic performance, the association said.

The association developed articles, flyers, and graphics in a press kit as part of its Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week celebration. Its suggestions on how to show appreciation during the week include:

Posting on social media about how research shows that afterschool professionals make an impact on the lives of young people
Giving a hand-written card to the afterschool professionals who work with your child
Sending an email to an afterschool professional’s supervisor to describe why they are appreciated
Making healthy or non-food treats for the staff at your child’s afterschool program

For more information, visit the National Afterschool Association’s website celebrating Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week.

News

Indiana County Observed WOYC with Proclamation and Activities

Indiana County kicked off the Week of the Young Child on April 5 with a proclamation, activities, and a movie screening.

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The county’s Early Care and Education Committee (ECEC) of the Children’s Advisory Committee of Indiana County hosted the event, which began at the Indiana County Courthouse.

Providers from LOLA’s Early Care and Education Center, Indi Kids, and Grand Beginnings Children’s Center joined Indiana County Commissioner Michael Keith and state Rep. Jim Struzzi (R-62nd District) for the reading of the proclamation.

Families then headed to the Indiana Theatre for two screenings of the 2024 film “The Wild Robot” with discounted tickets and accompanying crafts.

Trying Together and the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC) provided advocacy activities for families, while Commonplace Coffee brought drinks and treats for attendees.

News

April 9, 2025

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C Application Review and Comment Period Open

The review and comment period is now open for the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C application for the Infant Toddler Early Intervention program.

The comment period will remain open through Wednesday, April 30.

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Each year, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) provides access and opportunity for families, early intervention providers, and other professionals to review and make comments on the federal IDEA Part C application. That period for the Infant Toddler Early Intervention program for fiscal year 2026 is now open.

Those who would like to review the proposed grant application can find the document on the right-side menu of the state’s Early Intervention Services and Early Intervention websites. Hard copies can be requested by emailing raocdintervention@pa.gov or by calling 717-346-9320.

Those interested in providing public comment can visit the Part C Grant Public Comment webpage. Or, they can submit written comments on the proposed grant application by emailing them to raocdintervention@pa.gov or by mailing them to:

Office of Child Development and Early Learning
Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports
ATTN: Public comments for Part C Grant Application
607 South Drive, 4th Floor Rotunda
Harrisburg, PA 17120

Comments will be accepted through April 30.

News

Small Business Administration Ends Hardship Plan for COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loans

As of March 19, the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) has ended its Hardship Accommodation Plan (HAP) for COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). Those seeking the one-time-only option will need to provide a written explanation of a temporary financial hardship. For more information, contact the SBA COVID EIDL Customer Service Center by email at CovidEIDLServicing@sba.gov or by phone at 1-833-853-5638.

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The program allowed EIDL holders to pay just 10 percent of their typical monthly payment – for example, a monthly loan of $10,000 would only be $1,000 – to provide near-term financial relief. The aim of the program was to help small businesses amid the pandemic’s financial challenges.

A 2023 survey conducted by CIVITAS in partnership with NAFCC found that 51% of surveyed family care providers had an EIDL.

A blog post on CIVITAS Strategies’ website noted that the SBA had sent an email about a new, one-time-only six-month payment assistance option for certain borrowers. Eligibility criteria for that option includes:

Never having enrolled in HAP
Being less than 120 days past due
Not being in charged-off status

The CIVITAS Strategies blog post noted that this option could not be confirmed on the SBA website.

News

OCDEL Releases Announcement on Curricula and Developmental Assessment Tools in Keystone STARS

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s (OCDEL) Bureau of Policy and Professional Development has released an announcement to provide information on approved curricula and developmental assessments for use by Keystone STARS 3 and 4 programs.

The release of Announcement ELRC #25-02, OCDEL Approved Curricula and Developmental Assessment Tools in Keystone STARS makes obsolete the previous announcement, ELRC Announcement 22 #07, immediately.

The announcement is aimed at all Keystone STARS providers, Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRC), and OCDEL’s early learning resource center program representatives.

Background

OCDEL has an established internal process for the approval of curricula and developmental assessment tools for use by Keystone STARS providers seeking to earn points toward their STAR 3 or 4 designation. A component of this approval process requires the completion of a crosswalk aligning the curriculum and developmental assessment tool with the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards (PA ELS).

In December 2022, OCDEL released the ELRC Announcement 22 #07, which outlined that only currently OCDEL-approved curricula and developmental assessments would be valid for meeting the requirements of STARS EC 3.4.1 and EC 3.4.2 for STAR 3 and 4 designations.

Historically, OCDEL released and maintained an annual listing of approved curricula and developmental assessment tools. The annual listing provided details of newly approved tools and those that were set to be discontinued at the end of the fiscal year.

Since the release of ELRC Announcement 22 #7, OCDEL has evaluated the curricula and developmental assessment tool approval process to determine its impact on early childhood providers. Internal discussions, ongoing reviews of updated tools, and feedback from stakeholders concluded that discontinuing a tool simply due to the release of an updated version by the vendor seemed unnecessary and posed a potential financial burden for providers.

In many cases, updates to previously approved curricula and developmental assessment tools that preserved the essential content and structure had no impact on the integrity of the material and alignment to the PA ELS. As a result, curricula and developmental assessment tools that were previously approved based on their alignment with the PA ELS will remain available for use by providers.

Next Steps

Moving forward, OCDEL will only discontinue approved curricula and developmental assessment tools under the following conditions:

The vendor fails to respond to OCDEL’s annual request to confirm the tool’s information on file
The PA ELS are updated, causing the curricula and developmental assessment tools to no longer align with the standards
The curriculum or developmental assessment tool is updated and the tool no longer aligns with the PA ELS

Keystone STARS providers should review the announcement with staff. Providers should subscribe to the PA EEN to receive updates to the approved listings of curricula and developmental assessment tools, and should refer to the listings on the PDE Early Learning Standards website to ensure the tools they are using continue to be approved as part of their annual Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) plan update and activities. Any questions should be directed to the local ELRC.

ELRCs should review and share the announcement with staff and refer to the listings on the PDE Early Learning Standards website to become familiar with the current approved tools.

News

April 8, 2025

Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center Hosts WOYC Open House

The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center held an open house event on April 7 as part of its Week of the Young Child (WOYC) activities.

The open house was held during WOYC’s Musical Monday and featured Operations Better Block – a Homewood-based community organization that enables residents to assume the primary role in formulating community development goals consistent with their perception of community needs – and Crescent Early Childhood Center.

Activities included a guitar craft, music and dancing, play, food, refreshments, and learning about the work that the event’s visitors provide for the community.

The Hub closed out its collaboration with Playnotes with a Tasty Tuesday Storytime event. On Work Together Wednesday, the Hub celebrated the WOYC with Reading is Fundamental’s Storymobile with a Storytime event that included playing with a parachute. The week was closed out with a Family Movie Night that included a screening of “Moana 2.”

The National Association of the Young Child first established the Week of the Young Child in 1971 as a week to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and recognize early childhood programs and services that are centered around those needs. Increased interest over time led Trying Together to designate the entire month of April as the Month of the Young Child.

ABOUT THE HOMEWOOD EARLY LEARNING HUB & FAMILY CENTER

The Hub supports the early learning needs of young children, families, and early educators in the Homewood community. It offers developmentally appropriate activities for children from birth to age 9, individual group support for parents to set and meet goals for their family, and professional growth opportunities for center-, family-, and home-based early learning programs and relative-providers.

The Hub is a community resource of Trying Together. For more information, contact Toni Beasley at toni@tryingtogether.org or visit the Hub’s website.

News

PA Promise for Children Releases List of April Books for Preschoolers

Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children has released its list of April books for preschoolers that includes eight books in four categories.

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The four categories under which PA Promise for Children has organized the books are: Language and Literacy Skills, Social and Emotional Development, Scientific Thinking and Technology, and Mathematical Thinking and Expression.

This month’s books includes:

Language and Literacy Skills

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (William Steig)
Three Pebbles and a Song (Eileen Spinelli)

Social and Emotional Development

A Day’s Work (Eve Bunting)
Families (Susan Kuklin)

Scientific Thinking and Technology

Me and the Measure of Things (Joan Sweeney)
What Will Hatch? (Jennifer Ward)

Mathematical Thinking and Expression

Kindergarten Count to 100 (Jacqueline Rogers)
How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? (Jane Yolen)

To find activities that accompany this month’s books or to print the booklist, visit PA Promise for Children’s website.

News

Learn & Earn Summer Youth Employment Program Application Process Open

The application process is open for Pittsburgh’s Learn & Earn Summer Youth Employment Program. Those interested in submitting must do so by Friday, June 6.

Higher Wages and Career Pathways

Pittsburgh County Executive Sara Innamorato, Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak, and Partner4Work CEO Rob Cherry launched the 2025 Learn & Earn program in mid-March.

The program, which debuted in 2014, has served more than 13,500 young people in the region and has invested more than $14.3 million in wages. The initiative has provided work experience for youth, helping them to build careers in such fields as healthcare, business, trades, and public service.

Learn & Earn has provided many participants with their first work experience and guided numerous young adults toward higher education.

This summer, 1,000 spots are available for youths across Allegheny County. Participants will be able to gain real-world experience and obtain essential career skills through the program.

Changes to the 2025 Program

In response to feedback from participants and business owners, several changes have been made to the program to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and the participant experience. These include:

A structured priority placement system
A centralized payroll process for timely compensation
Expanded work experience tiers for different age groups and career-readiness levels
A renewed focus on areas that will ensure the program’s long-term success

The program is also increasing wages to provide greater support for participants. In 2025, the starting wage has been raised $1 to $10 per hour. “Experience” participants will earn $12 per hour, and “Advancement” participants will receive $15 per hour. Partner4Work will implement centralized payroll services by paying via direct deposit.

The program will also offer every participant the opportunity to open a non-custodial bank account. Participants will receive mandatory financial literacy training and gain access to bank accounts, empowering them to manage their earnings effectively

The program’s three tiers are:

Discovery (ages 14-15) – focuses on career exploration, job shadowing, and work readiness training to help younger participants build a strong foundation
Experience (ages 16-18) – provides real-world work experience and college preparation activities
Advancement (ages 18-24) – connects young adults to apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and industry-led training programs

“The Learn & Earn Program is a game-changer for teens, offering an invaluable opportunity to gain their first work experience and develop essential career skills,” Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said. “It’s not just about earning a paycheck – it’s about building confidence, exploring career paths, and laying the foundation for success in a wide range of industries.”

The application period closes on June 6. Those interested can find eligibility requirements and the application at one of the in-person application support center locations in Allegheny County or online.