May 14, 2019 Come Play! Guided by the staff at Trying Together, Come Play! is a weekly opportunity for family and group child care providers to bring their enrolled children for hands-on professional development. Provider Benefits By participating, providers will receive: PQAS / Act 48 Hours Mentoring Program Resources Questions For more information or to ask questions, contact Theresa Hetler at 412.421.3889 or theresa@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your networks.
May 7, 2019 Email Congress in Support of the FAMILY Act This week, the House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on paid family and medical leave, with testimony from expert witnesses, including advocates, a business owner, a state official, and researchers. But without your expertise, they will miss the voice of crucial stakeholders – babies! What You Can Do In advance of the hearing, babies need you to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to support comprehensive paid leave for working families – the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act. The Family Act is: Inclusive: Provided to all working people, no matter where they live or the nature of their job; Comprehensive: Offers extensive coverage of personal family caregiving and medical needs; Meaningful: Gives a meaningful duration of leave to allow people sufficient time to meet their care and health needs – at least 12 weeks – and a wage replacement rate and benefit level that makes taking leave financially possible for everyone; Sustainable: Funded in a way that is affordable for workers, employers, and the government without harming other essential programs; and Secure: Protects workers from retaliation or adverse employment consequences for requesting or taking leave. With public demand for comprehensive national paid leave stronger than ever before, now is the time to urge your Members of Congress to cosponsor the FAMILY Act. Take Action Email your Members of Congress now in support of our nation’s babies and families! *Information provided by Zero to Three
April 15, 2019 Sign-On to Support Families Impacted by Postpartum Depression Understanding the Need Postpartum depression can strike any new mother. Research shows that approximately 15 percent of new mothers suffer from postpartum depression. In Pennsylvania, this means about 21,000 infants and moms are affected each year. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that when a mother suffers from postpartum depression, both mothers and babies experience negative effects, including: adverse effects on the baby’s brain and development, increased danger of child abuse and neglect, and increased medical care costs. Will you sign-on to support Pennsylvania’s mothers and infants? What is #StrongMomStrongBaby? #StrongMomStrongBaby is a statewide effort to amend the existing early intervention law (Act 212 of 1990) to add postpartum depression as an at-risk condition allowing infants to undergo assessments, parents to receive assistance in bonding with their babies, and if needed, Early Intervention services to ensure moms and babies have the best start together. To learn more and stay up-to-date, follow the campaign’s Facebook page. Take Action Show your support for Pennsylvania’s mothers and infants by adding your name to the #StrongMomStrongBaby petition.
April 2, 2019 Español + Arte = Fun | Workshop Young children are quick learners and avid to explore. This workshop focuses on developing visual art strategies to engage children in a fun and playful way when introduced to a second language. Through exploration of Spanish and bilingual stories, collaboration with peers, and making connections to real-life experiences, educators will be able to develop their own visual-arts strategies and activities to teach a second language to young children. This event is intended for early childhood educators. Act 48 and PQAS credit hours available. Registration To register, visit the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s website. Accessibility For personal assistance selecting accessible seats or for more information about accessibility for a person with a disability, please contact Customer Service at 412-456-6666.
December 6, 2018 Dancing Our Way Through STEM Providing children with opportunities to explore creative movement can spark so many natural connections to STEM concepts. During this interactive workshop, educators will participate in a variety of dance-focused strategies that will deepen understanding in science, math, ingenuity, and other fundamental STEM concepts. Participants will have the opportunity to demonstrate their own creative movement techniques that can support student’s STEM learning. Act 48 and PQAS credit hours available. Registration is required. Objectives Through active participation and successful completion, participants will be able to: Define and discuss what “creative movement” means within an early educational experience and how children’s movements connect to STEM learning concepts. Brainstorm and share movement activities, targeting a multi-aged early education environment that focuses on the concepts of science, math, and other STEM learning concepts. Registration and Questions To register or ask questions, contact Rachelle Duffy at 412.421.3889 or rachelle@tryingtogether.org.
November 27, 2018 Dancing Our Way Through STEM Providing children opportunities to explore creative movement can spark so many natural connections to STEM concepts. During this interactive workshop, educators will participate in a variety of dance focused strategies that will deepen understanding in science, math, ingenuity, and other fundamental STEM concepts. Participants will have the opportunity to demonstrate their own creative movement techniques that can support student’s STEM learning. Register here. Act 48 and PQAS credit hours available.
