News

October 28, 2020

Listen to Black Women: What’s it like to be a Black Woman in Pittsburgh?

Are you a Black woman in Pittsburgh who is interested in sharing your experiences with other Black women in Pittsburgh? Join the Black Women’s Policy Agenda on November 14 for “Listen to Black Women: What’s it like to be a Black Woman in Pittsburgh?

About

Fixing Pittsburgh’s problems starts with listening to Black women! That’s why the Black Women’s Policy Agenda has launched a survey and is facilitating a series of community conversations where Black women share their experiences with other Black women. This event is designed to elevate the voices and experiences of Black women in Pittsburgh. It’s the first step to building collective power among Black women, advocating for the needs of Black women, and advancing policy to achieve racial and gender justice in this region.

Take the Survey

The Black Women’s Policy Agenda is conducting a survey to hear from 250 women in the Pittsburgh region to discover how they are dealing with the double crisis of COVID-19, anti-Black violence, and being a Black woman overall. To complete the survey, visit the Black Women’s Policy Agenda website.

Registration

To register, visit the event webpage. Participants will receive a $25 gift card.

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News

February 25, 2019

Trying Together 2019-2020 Public Policy Agenda Released

Trying Together is pleased to announce the release of its 2019-2020 Public Policy Agenda. The objectives listed build upon our successes and expand to include new areas of focus.

The 2017-2018 agenda called for several action items which were positively advanced in the past two years. While there is still work to do, Trying Together helped to achieve several key accomplishments in support of these goals including:

Advance the use of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP).

End early childhood suspensions and expulsions*:

*Notably, Pittsburgh Public Schools ruled in 2017 that suspensions and expulsions for minor, non-violent infractions for K-2 students would be ended, after which Philadelphia followed. Additionally, The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) released a policy announcement and provided resources on how to do reduce suspensions and expulsions. 

Increase access to high-quality pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs.

  • partnered on the Pre-K for PA campaign which successfully advocated for an increased investment of $55 million dollars in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 budgets collectively.

Increase access to high-quality infant toddler care.

  • successfully advocated for an increased investment of $26.8 million dollars in child care services as of the 2018-19 budget;
  • and convened and partnered on a workgroup to launch the Start Strong PA campaign in January 2019 to advocate for high-quality child care for infants and toddlers.

Transform the early childhood profession.

  • provided several dozen Level 1 Teachers their Induction program;
  • hosted the ECE Advocacy Fellowship for more than 20 early childhood professional;
  • and successfully updated language state statute and regulations to use the term ‘child care’ instead of ‘day care’.

Leverage resources and partnerships.

  • has continued its partnership with the CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University to provide professional development to 1,000 early care and education professionals who utilize the Message From Me digital tool, allowing 20,000 children to consistently communicate about their day with caregivers. In 2019, we, along with our partners, will develop an Advisory Board to bring this to PNC markets nationwide;
  • and partners with the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU3) to lead the Hi5! Kindergarten Readiness and Registration campaign – working with nearly all 43 school districts in Allegheny County to facilitate roundtables and networking for best practices in supporting young children as they transition into kindergarten.

As a leading advocate for high-quality early childhood care and education in Pennsylvania, Trying Together educates and engages regularly with policymakers on access, affordability, and quality policies that affect the lives of children, families, and professionals throughout the state. Partnering with education, government, business, nonprofit, and philanthropic stakeholders, Trying Together advocates for public policy changes throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania, with an emphasis in the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Visit tryingtogether.org to view the full 2019-2020 Public Policy Agenda.

Advocates are invited to sign on support for the 2019-2020 Trying Together Public Policy Agenda at tryingtogether.org to begin engaging their legislators today.