January 27, 2025 Child Mind Institute Shares Resources on Teen Depression The Child Mind Institute recently shared a variety of resources on how to combat teenage depression, which it noted has been on the rise. Learn More According to the institute, prolonged sadness or irritability has become more prevalent among teenagers. Its resources tackle antidepressant medication, dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and behavioral activation, which uses activity to combat depression. The Child Mind Institute also explores the recent increased use of ketamine to alleviate depression symptoms when used in a controlled setting. It also writes about the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation, a noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic impulses to stimulate a brain region that is underactive with those suffering from depression. The full list of resources includes: What to Do If You Think Your Teenager is Depressed Depression and Anger Medication for Kids with Depression Acceptance and Commitment Therapy What is Behavioral Activation? Ketamine Treatment for Depression TMS Treatment for Depression
Fred Rogers Institute Guide Provides Guidance on Children Dealing with Difficult Situations The Pennsylvania Key has shared a guide from the Fred Rogers Institute about how to support children during difficult moments in life. Learn More “When Difficult Things Happen” is a PDF that shares kind words that adults can say to children who are experiencing loss. It also lists various things for adults to do to support children during this process. Among the items listed on how to support children facing a loss include: Being there for them without judgment while the child experiences whatever feelings come up Helping them to know that their feelings are valid and accepted Sharing some of your own feelings Aiming to keep routines and expectations consistent, or letting them know what has to change and why Letting them know that difficult feelings don’t last forever Making space for play For more information or to read other methods to help children cope with difficult situations – such as loss – read the Fred Rogers Institute guide.
January 21, 2025 Crayola to Host ‘Imagination in Action’ in Late January Crayola will host “Imagination in Action,” one of its biggest celebrations of the year, from late January through early February. Learn More The weeklong virtual event is designed to inspire and engage through: Celebrity appearances Hands-on activity videos Downloadable creative resources Daily giveaways An online gallery to showcase student artwork Sessions The event will hold one session per day for all seven days. The sessions include: Life Lessons (with actor Matthew McConaughey and illustrator Renee Kurilla): Monday, January 27 Change & Collaboration (with actor Henry Winkler, author Lin Oliver, and illustrator Dan Santat): Tuesday, January 28 Abstract Thinking (with children’s author, illustrator, and artist Mo Willems): Wednesday, January 29 Confidence Soars (with author and actor Phillipa Soo, author Maris Pasquale Doran, and illustrator Qin Leng): Thursday, January 30 Flows Like Water (with author and U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon, illustrator Peter Sis and NASA scientists): Friday, January 31 Bee-Lieve in Your Future (with author and entrepreneur Mikaila Ulmer): Saturday, February 1 Conquer Fears (with author and actor Max Greenfield and illustrator James Serafino) Registration for the event is now open.
January 20, 2025 OCDEL: There’s Still Time to Complete Early Childhood Education Survey Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is reminding early child care facility workers that they still have time to complete a survey for early childhood professionals. Learn More The deadline to fill out the survey for Pennsylvania early childhood professionals is Friday, January 31. Those who can take the survey include any childhood education professional at a state child care facility, including Head Start and Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts. The survey is being conducted on behalf of OCDEL, The Pennsylvania Key, and the Institute of State and Regional Affairs (ISRA) at Penn State Harrisburg. The aim is to learn about and identify solutions related to staffing, retention, and professional development resources throughout the state. The survey is open to teachers, assistant teachers, classroom aids, directors, owner-operators, administrative staff, and other staff at all state child care facilities. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. Those who take it can enter a drawing for the chance to win one of 50 Amazon e-gift cards for $50. The survey is offered in English and Spanish. It is now available on Penn State Harrisburg’s site.
6×6 Assemble Show Seeks Art Submissions with ‘Play’ Theme The 6×6 Assemble is seeking submissions from artists for its third annual show. This year’s theme is PLAY. Learn More Artists is called upon to think of how they play and create something. Creating a piece itself could be an act of play. Or, it could be a sport, video game reference, board game, pictorial hide and seek, or something you play with and touch. Play is how humans learn about their environments as children and is a critical element for confidence building, problem solving, imagination, stress management, and socialization. Those interested in participating should fill out a form that should be dropped off to Assemble – located at 4824 Penn Avenue – by Friday, January 24. Each piece in the show will be sold for $25. All ages are welcome to participate. All funds raised will go to support Assemble’s free STEAM programs, although pieces that don’t sell will be returned to the artists. Pieces in the show should be no larger than 6”x”6×1’. Artists will be invited to a VIP reception on Thursday, February 6. Those interested should RSVP now. The public Unblurred Gallery Opening is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, February 7.
Nomination Process Open for Ron Cowell Award The State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) for Early Intervention is seeking nominees for the Ron Cowell Award for excellence in service to young children with disabilities and their families. Learn More Any individual who has a significant impact on early intervention public policy, development, practices, or staff development is eligible to be nominated. Past honorees include parents, service providers, advocates, local administrators, and state leaders. All nominations are due by Friday, February 14. The award will be presented at the Thursday, April 3 SICC meeting. The nomination form is available on the SICC page of the EITA Portal.
PA Child Care Facilities Can Apply for Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Pennsylvania child care facilities are invited to apply for the Voluntary School and Childcare Lead Testing and Reduction Grant, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) said. Who Should Apply Pennsylvania childcare facilities with lead in drinking water sample results within 36 months of the application date showing water fixtures exceeding the remediation trigger level of 5 ppb (parts per billion) are invited to apply for the grant. The WIIN 2107: Voluntary School and Childcare Lead Testing and Reduction Grant is offered through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Reduction activities may include purchasing and installing hydration stations, point-of-use devices designed to remove lead, or replacement of faucets. The primary goal of the grant program is to reduce children’s exposure to lead in drinking water. Funding under the grant has been appropriated under 1464(d) of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Funding provided will be up to $3,000 per hydration station per 100 students in one building. Up to $30,000 may be awarded per building/child care facility or $100,000 per school district. Applicants are encouraged to schedule a pre-application meeting to discuss their lead reduction plans to ensure they meet applicable program criteria. Meetings can be scheduled by emailing RA-EPWIINLEAD@pa.gov.
January 15, 2025 Power Kids Website Offers Information Videos, Books on Various Topics Children and their caregivers can do everything from watching videos and reading books to learning about a variety of topics through Power Kids, Pennsylvania’s electronic library. Learn More Power Kids is broken down into 12 e-resources that cover a variety of topics and formats. The electronic library enables children to access videos, books, information on how to be a safe and responsible citizen with eBooks, chat with a librarian, and resources that helps them to learn about everything from history to science. The e-resources available on the Power Kids site include: BookFlix: children can watch videos and read books about animals, celebrations, nature, music, and other topics, some of which are also available in Spanish Britannica School for PreK-5: inspires learners to create, play, and explore, this tool offers nonfiction articles across various subjects Cricket Media Collection: includes hundreds of e-books that can help to build literacy skills in students from grades pre-K through eighth by offering digital access to short-form fiction and nonfiction Discover PA for Kids: provides state symbols, facts, and figures Elementary: provides information such topics as animals, arts, geography, health, literature, people, social studies, and technology True Flix: visitors can learn about people, places, nature, history, and science through e-books on topics such as American Indians, ancient civilizations, the Civil War, the U.S. government, and more KidSpeak – Chinese/Mandarin, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish/Castilian: learn words and phrases suitable for learners’ age, needs, and interests; includes more than 40 activities, puzzles, and songs For more information on the various resources, visit the Power Kids website.
January 14, 2025 PA Promise for Children Releases Farm Show-Themed Book List for Kids To celebrate the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, which took place earlier this month, Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children has compiled a list of books for children with farm show themes. Learn More For those who couldn’t attend the farm show in Harrisburg from January 4 to 11, PA Promise for Children has provided a long list of extracurricular reading to get children in the spirit of the event. The list covers 19 topics, each of which contains a number of children’s books that relate to the topic. Search at the Farm Show sheets are also provided to help children look for and find items within the books. PA Promise for Children also enables participants to explore the Pennsylvania Farm Show through a printable one-pager about using the five senses. The 19 topics included on PA Promise for Children’s list of books include: alpacas, bees, butterflies, chickens, cows, donuts, ducks, farms, fish, goats, horses, leaves, mushrooms, pigs, police, rabbits, school buses, sheep, and tractors.
Connect Cards Aim to Make Allegheny Go Enrollment Easier Enrolling in Allegheny Go, the mass transit discount program for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) users, will soon become easier. Learn More On February 1, the process for enrollment in the 50% discount program will become smoother through the use of new Connect Cards. The card is a reusable plastic smart card that makes paying fares faster, easier, and more secure than paying with cash. The cards are being reintroduced to combat barriers that Allegheny Go participants face when enrolling through the required Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s (PRT) Ready2Ride smart phone app. A number of groups – including Just Harvest, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, Equitable and Just Greater Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council – advocated for the return of the cards. About Allegheny Go Those receiving SNAP benefits can get 50% off transit fares for buses, light rail, and other PRT services through Allegheny Go. To qualify, one must: Reside in Allegheny County Be between the ages of 12 and 64 Have been receiving SNAP benefits for at least three months; this can also include family members receiving the benefits Have a mobile device and are able to access the Ready2Ride app To sign up for Allegheny Go, users must download the app, apply for it, and then buy fares. More information on the program is available on the Allegheny Go website.
