Are you interested in engaging with early childhood thought-leaders and gaining knowledge through online professional development? Attend the Virtual Early Childhood Education (ECE) Summit from October 18 – 21, 2020. PQAS and Act 48 credit will be available.
About
The ECE Summit features 12 sessions, 60 workshops, and four online specialized networking opportunities that offer early learning professionals opportunities to learn, dialogue, and share information on a vast array of current topics to support their professional learning goals.
This is a fully virtual event. Each day will feature a Keynote presentation and four tracks of workshop sessions. Opportunities to connect with peers will be available through live chat. Sessions will be recorded. Paid attendees will be able to view sessions after the Summit and earn PQAS and Act 48 credit.
Featured Topics
The Summit features a wide range of workshops, including, but not limited to, the following:
Emotionally Safe Environments for Infants and Toddlers
Yoga and Mindfulness for Preschoolers
Trauma-Informed Assessment in Early Childhood
Family Engagement Through a Strengths-Based Lens
Designing Classrooms with the Brain in Mind
Getting Little Hands on the Land
Supporting Infant Teacher Degree Attainment
Advocacy 201: Crafting and Sharing Your Message
Managing Challenging Behavior
Registration
To register for the Conference, visit the event webpage. A Summit Schedule and workshop descriptions are available on the Early Childhood Education Summit website. View the schedule.
PACCA Zoom Series: Racial Equity in Early Learning
Are you interested in learning how to embed racial equity into your early learning program? Join the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) on Fridays from July 10 – 24 for their Zoom Series, “Racial Equity in Early Learning.”
About
This three-part professional development series is designed to help early learning and school-age programs embed racial equity from recruiting, hiring, and on-going training offerings for staff to interactions with children of color. After defining key racial justice terminology such as implicit bias, cultural competency, race, racism, antiracist ally, etc., participants are encouraged to identify concrete ways to embrace racial equity personally and professionally.
These Zoom meetings will be informative and interactive, and will provide participants with real resources and supports for classroom situations. Individuals who participate in all three meetings will receive 4.5 hours of PQAS credits and/or 4.5 Act 48 hours.
Zoom links will be sent in a confirmation email when your registration is received. If you do not receive confirmation, please check your Junk inbox or contact maureen.murphy@pacca.org.
News
January 31, 2020
Exceptional Care with a Team Approach to Inclusion
Recorded Sessions
From January 19 – 29, 2021, Trying Together hosted our free Virtual UnConference: Exceptional Care with a Team Approach to Inclusion. Recordings of each workshop have been added to this page for those who were unable to attend.
UnConference Details
Young children thrive and grow in their natural learning environments, including children with developmental differences. Educators play a critical role in creating an inclusive and diverse environment for children to feel a sense of belonging, to feel valued as a member of the classroom, and to feel empowered to learn to their full ability. UnConference: Exceptional Care with a Team Approach to Inclusion dives into the importance of working together—with a collaboration between teachers, intervention specialists, and parents/caregivers—to provide this environment for children to learn and grow in differentiated ways yet feel included in the group.
This is a free Virtual UnConference.
What Do I Receive?
PQAS and/or Act 48 hours.
Networking with colleagues.
Interactive workshop sessions.
Refreshed or refined thinking about your work with young children.
Featured Sessions
Keynote: Exceptional Care with a Team Approach to Inclusion
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | 1:30 – 3 p.m. Presented by: Trying Together and Children’s Institute | Keynote Speaker: Wendy Pardee
During the keynote session, Wendy Pardee, President, and CEO of The Children’s Institute will share how they created a collaborative environment that provides a positive view on early intervention in an effort to bring different parties together in the best interest of the child. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion featuring an educator, parent, and intervention specialist.
Transition and Educational Support in the Early Childhood Environment
Thursday, January 21, 2021 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. Presented by: Kristina Berg and Loreleigh Elders, DART
Early Childhood Educators are an active and critical part of a child’s early intervention team that is often lost in the process of transition and service planning. This presentation will provide an overview of the early intervention process, as children age out of the Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Program and transition into Preschool Early Intervention Support. We will provide practical examples and resources of ways to support children and families through the transition process, as well as ways to adapt the preschool classroom environment in order for all children to be successful.
Creating and Building Inclusive Support Teams for Children
Friday, January 22, 2021, | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Presented by: Serena Washington, Trying Together
When thinking about what a team/collaboration approach looks like when working with children and families we must be open to asking the following questions: Why is it important to build a team for a child(ren)? What does the team/collaboration approach look like? Who and what do we need on the team/collaboration? How do we work and communicate as a team? In this workshop, join us for a robust discussion and learn strategies for creating an inclusive team to support your children.
How to Assess Your Students Needs: Using the ASQ through the Lens of Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Program
Tuesday, January 26, 2021 | 1:30 – 3 p.m.
Presented by: Gloria Rodriguez-Ransom, The Pennsylvania Keys
Through the expertise of the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) program, participants will receive an overview of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires with a particular emphasis on assessing children’s social and emotional development. The developmental screening tools ASQ3 and ASQ:SE 2 are designed for children ages three months to five years and designed for use by early childhood educators and health care professionals. Attendees will learn how to administer and score the screener and share the results of the screener with families and professional colleagues. In addition, recommendations for suggested resources will be shared if additional services are needed.
Overview of Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Services in Allegheny County Referral Through Transitioning Out of 0-3 Services
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Presenters: Erica Balint and Vonna May-Miller, Alliance for Infants and Toddlers
In this workshop, presenters will discuss how the child’s 0-3 Early Intervention (EI) team collaborates with families and child care staff so that all have an understanding of how the EI system in Allegheny County operates and supports children. This session will give an overview of how children are referred and become part of the EI system. Information will include how a child is referred, eligibility criteria, evaluation process, service planning, and implementation along with transitioning out of 0-3 services.
Catering to The Whole Classroom: Lesson Development and Implementation That Speaks to Every Child
Friday, January 29, 2021 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Presented by: Daile Fordoski, Lyasha Bishop, LaRae D. Cullens, The Learning Loft
There is not one lesson in any learning environment that is one size fits all. It is the educator’s responsibility to develop ways in which a lesson can benefit every child in a classroom. This workshop examines strategies for planning and implementing inclusive activities for children of varying developmental levels. Participants will have the opportunity to practice these skills by dissecting a pre-made lesson and sharing ideas and strategies of accommodation that can be applied in their setting.
Registration
Registration for this event is closed. Recordings of each workshop session will be available on this webpage after the conclusion of each session. Please continue to monitor this page for updates.
PQAS and Act 48 credits are available to professionals who registered for and completed these sessions. More information, including the online Attendance form, will be sent via email to individuals who registered. Once completed, Jasmine Davis, Professional Learning Program Manager at Trying Together, will process your credit. If you have questions specific to receiving credit, please email jasmine@tryingtogether.org.
Wendy Pardee, President & CEO, The Children’s Institute
Dr. Wendy Pardee joined The Children’s Institute as President and CEO in August 2017. She has led the 118-year-old nonprofit organization through transformational change in a short period of time thanks to her leadership, vision, and advocacy for our community’s youngest residents. Wendy has more than two decades of management experience in the healthcare, human services, and financial services sectors. Previously, she served as President and CEO of Skills of Central Pennsylvania, an organization with sites in 18 counties serving those with intellectual disabilities. She also served as CFO of the Community Guidance Center and began her career at First Commonwealth Financial Corporation.
Wendy has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting and Management of Information Systems, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, and a Doctorate in Administration and Leadership Studies. She has served on community child care boards, community health councils, local YMCA boards, the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association board, the Center Area Transportation Authority Board, and the American Association of University Women.
Thank You To Our Sponsors and Partners
A huge thank you to our series sponsor PNC Group Up Great, our sponsor Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5, co-host The Children’s Institute, and workshop partners.
Sponsors
Co-Host
About Trying Together
Trying Together supports high-quality care and education for young children by providing advocacy, community resources, and professional growth opportunities for the needs and rights of children, their families, and the individuals who interact with them. Trying Together works regionally (in Southwestern Pennsylvania) and takes its expertise and models to statewide and national audiences.
News
January 7, 2020
2020 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference
Resilient Youth: Strategies to Overcome Adversity is one of the only events in the region specializing in youth mental health. Participants from all over the country attend to learn about the newest research and best practices to assist and advance the mental health needs of young children, adolescents, and young adults. With this, the conference will explore how families and mental health professionals can work together to support young people dealing with mental health challenges using an evidence-based model built on strengthening relationships.
Registration price varies depending on registrant type. Free parking, a continental breakfast, and lunch included. To register, visit the conference event page.
Insights & Innovations: Early Childhood Education Conference
Early learning professionals are invited to join the Learning Lamp on March 14 for the Insights & Innovations Conference. The conference will feature insights on the latest ECE teaching and administration strategies and will offer 6 PQAS and Act 48 credits.
Sessions
Insights & Innovations will include a variety of session topics, including:
Danielson Framework Training;
Program-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PW-PBIS);
Loving Spaces and Learning Spaces for Infants and Toddlers;
Keys to Success: Recruiting, Onboarding, and Retaining Quality Staff;
This course is designed to provide early educators with the basic tools of communication, using online technology. Electronic communication and organizational applications such as email, social media, internet research, and basic computation skills will be discussed and contextualized to the early learning environment. Sample templates and resources will be distributed throughout the session to allow participants to continue practicing and strengthening their electronic communication skills upon completion of the course.
Refugee Education Workshop Series: Working with Refugee Students
Join Dr. Xia Chao for the third of four interactive workshops in a series dedicated to helping educators understand the cultures, needs, and assets of the Pittsburgh area’s refugee communities.
About
Through a grant from the National Geographic Society, Dr. Chao has conducted research over the past several years that explores the experiences and narratives of local refugee communities including the Nepali, Karen, and Somali Bantu.
This workshop series seeks to incorporate the findings of Dr. Chao’s research in order to offer local educators insight into working with students from these communities and resources for supporting immigrant and refugee families in their interactions with the American educational system. This session will help educators learn classroom practices to create an engaging and inviting classroom.
Using Ages and Stages Questionnaires as a Screening Tool
Are you interested in learning how to use Ages and Stages Questionnaires®, including Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional, as a screening tool for children ages three months to five years old?
Join Trying Together for a three-hour professional growth session that provides information on how to administer, score, and share the results of the screener with families. The session will include resources for making referrals to additional services.
This course will be instructed by Carlow University’s Coordinator of Undergraduate Education Programs, Pamela Zimmerman. PQAS and Act 48 hours available.
