January 20, 2023 Nominations Open for Francine Bunch Memorial Award Celebrate the successes of your Head Start or Early Head Start program by nominating a Head Start parent or staff member for the Francine Bunch Memorial Award. Learn More The Francine Bunch Memorial Award is awarded to one parent and one staff person, each with a Pennsylvania Head Start Association (PHSA) member organization, who displays the qualities of the late Francine Bunch, who started as a parent and ultimately became a Parent Involvement Coordinator with the Lancaster Child Development Program’s Head Start . Learn more about Bunch. Eligibility This honor may be awarded to one parent and one staff person each year. They must meet the following criteria: The nominee(s) is a parent, staff member or former parent who is affiliated with a dues paying member program of the Association. The nominee(s) is actively involved with their local program and the program clearly benefits from their involvement. The nominee(s) takes initiative in growing her/his professional development while involved in the local program. The nominee(s) is involved in other local community activities. The nominee(s) serves as a positive role model for parents and staff alike. The nominee(s) promotes positive working relationships between parents, staff and friends at the local, state or federal level. Nominations Staff from a PHSA dues paying program may nominate a parent, former parent and/or coworker for the Francine Bunch Award. To nominate a candidate, staff must complete the Francine Bunch Nomination Form in full and attach a narrative that describes how the nominee meets the six criteria above. Each nomination form and accompanying narrative will be evaluated by the PHSA Scholarships and Awards Committee, and one parent and one staff person will be selected to receive the award. Award winners are recognized with a commemorative plaque during PHSA’s Annual Spring Conference. Deadline The application packet is available at the PHSA website. All applications must be received by 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 2, 2023.
January 13, 2021 Q&A: Child Care COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Award ELRC Region 5 will host Q&A sessions to help child care providers through the Child Care COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Award application process. Sessions will be held at various times from January 13 to January 22, 2021. About Child care providers can now apply for a $600 Pandemic Relief Award on behalf of their eligible child care employees and child care support employees currently working directly with children as of January 1, 2021, and working a minimum of 20 paid hours a week. Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 will host Q&A sessions to help providers through the application process. To learn more about the Child Care COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Award, read our news post. Session Dates Wednesday, January 13, 2021 | 6 – 7 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83501876140 Thursday, January 14, 2021 | 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85892778291 Thursday, January 14, 2021 | 6 – 7 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85395777828 Friday, January 15, 2021 | 6 – 7 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85633658557 Saturday, January 16, 2021 | 10 – 11 a.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81099626792 Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Stay on the Virtual Director Roundtable Call Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | 3 – 4 p.m. Stay on the Virtual Director Roundtable Call Wednesday, January 20, 2021 | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84668436877 Thursday, January 21, 2021 | 6 – 7 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88072361423 Friday, January 22, 2021 | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81460465998 More Information For questions, contact ELRC Region 5 at 1.888.340.3572 or elrc5@alleghenycounty.us. Share this flyer with your network.
November 13, 2020 2021 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards: Apply Do you know an exceptional child care professional or are you one yourself? Apply for the 2021 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards to nominate that person for a chance to win the Helene Marks Award, a $1,000 cash prize, and more! About In collaboration with the Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation (TLLCCF), First Up is hosting the 2021 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards to honor exceptional child care professionals. In 1987, Kay and Fred Lokoff formed the TLLCCF to honor the memory of their daughter. Terri was a passionate child care teacher who knew the incredible value of Early Childhood Education and was committed to making a difference by giving children a strong start in their lives. Applications for the 2021 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards are now available. Child care teachers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and on U.S. Military bases and installations around the world are invited to apply. Fifty awards are presented each year. What Will Recipients Win? Every award recipient receives: a $1,000 cash prize, a trip to Philadelphia for the award ceremony (COVID permitting), and a chance to win the Helene Marks Award with the additional honor of being named the National Child Care Teacher of the Year. Application To apply, complete the online application. For those who would like to print and mail their completed application, a downloadable PDF version is available. Applications are due by January 29, 2021. More Information For more information, please contact Sharon Bell at Sharon.Bell@firstup.org.
January 23, 2020 2020 VOICE for Children Awards Celebration To protect the health and safety of their honorees and guests, the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC) has decided to host their 2020 VOICE for Children Award Celebration on Friday, November 6 as a virtual event. About PennAEYC recognizes the critical role advocacy plays in high-quality early learning settings and celebrates those who speak on behalf of Pennsylvania’s children. As the voice for early care and learning, community advocates play an important role in assuring all Pennsylvania’s children get the start that they deserve in school and in life. The VOICE for Children Award is the only statewide award in Pennsylvania recognizing the grassroots leaders whose work impacts the quality of care for young children. Now in its 10th year, the VOICE Award celebrates not only individual award recipients, but the early childhood profession. Join PennAEYC in celebrating grassroots advocates and individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment and innovation to support high-quality early childhood across Pennsylvania. Registration To register, visit the event webpage. For questions or more information, call 888.272.9267.
May 28, 2019 Cast Your Vote: 2019 WQED Reader’s Choice Award Community members are invited to take part in selecting the 2019 WQED Reader’s Choice Award Winner by casting their votes by Friday, May 31. About For the past 10 years, WQED has partnered with The EQT Corporation to present the Writers Contest to children throughout their viewing area. Through the support of EQT, WQED has been able to reach out directly to schools, libraries, and families throughout Pennsylvania and West Virginia to encourage children to submit their original stories and illustrations. In the 10 years of sponsorship from EQT, WQED has received over 12,000 story entries, communicated with hundreds of teachers and librarians to provide them with resources, impacted thousands of WQED viewers with messages about the contest, and provided a website full of information that encourages students and arms adults with relevant literacy information. Cast Your Vote Voting is now open and will end on Friday, May 31st at 12:00 p.m. The Reader’s Choice Award Winner will be announced on Monday, June 3. To learn more and cast your vote, visit the WQED website. *Information provided by WQED
May 3, 2019 Call for Nominations: 2019 PACCA Awards PACCA is accepting nominations for the 2019 Educator of the Year and the Award of Excellence. The awards recognize contributions made by PACCA members to the early care and education profession. Members and non-members may make nominations. About the Awards The Educator of the Year Award The Educator of the Year Award honors outstanding service and accomplishments in the delivery of services to children. It is given to an individual at a PACCA member agency who has contributed significantly to the direct care and education of young children. We are seeking nominations for both center-based and family child care educators. It is suggested that the person has been a teacher for at least three years. The Award of Excellence The Award of Excellence honors outstanding service and accomplishments in the field of administration. The award is presented to a member of PACCA who has demonstrated qualities of vision (ability to see possibilities for making things happen and communicating this vision to others), teamwork (ability to work with and support others) and leadership (willingness to reach out to benefit the child care community). It is suggested that the person has been a director, executive director, administrator, or owner for three years. Eligibility In order to receive an award, nominees must meet specific eligibility guidelines that vary by award. To see these guidelines, visit PACCA’s website. Benefits In addition to receiving the award, awardees will receive the following benefits: Complimentary registration and hotel accommodations for the Early Childhood Education Summit, October 21-23, 2019 in State College Honored during the official awards presentation at the 2019 Early Childhood Education Summit Recognition in PACCA’s newsletter, website, and Facebook page How to Nominate To nominate a colleague, complete the nomination form and include a written description of why this person deserves the award. PACCA encourages testimonials from children, fellow staff, colleagues, and parents to illustrate your nominee’s exceptional work. Nomination Deadline: June 30, 2019 More Information For more information on the awards, nominating, and eligibility, visit PACCA’s website. *Information provided by PACCA
December 20, 2018 PA Wins Brandon Hall Group Excellence Bronze Award In August 2018, the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and PA Key course, Assessment: Beyond the Basics of Observation and Data Utilization, won the prestigious Brandon Hall Group Excellence Bronze Award for best in Custom Content. The Excellence Awards The Excellence Awards recognize the best organizations that have successfully deployed programs, strategies, modalities, processes, systems, and tools that have achieved measurable results. Award entries were evaluated by a panel of veteran, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts, and executives based upon the following criteria: Fit the need Design of the program Functionality Innovation Overall measurable benefits. See the full list awardees. About the Course The winning self-paced online course for early learning teachers provides an overview of classroom assessments of young children and how information from assessments can be used to inform instruction. The course was developed in collaboration with CyperhWorx, Inc. and was made possible through Pennsylvania’s Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant. Professional Development To register for the winning course (and others), visit the PA Professional Development Registry. *Information provided by the PA Early Ed News
November 29, 2018 The VOICE for Children Awards Celebration The Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC) announced that their 2019 VOICE for Children Award Celebration will be held at the historic Hotel Hershey on April 5, 2019. About the Award PennAEYC recognizes the critical role advocacy plays in high-quality early learning settings and celebrates those who speak on behalf of Pennsylvania’s children. As the voice for early care and learning, community advocates play an important role in assuring all Pennsylvania’s children get the start that they deserve in school and in life. The VOICE for Children Award is the only statewide award in Pennsylvania recognizing the grassroots leaders whose work impacts the quality of care for young children. Now in its 9th year, the VOICE Award celebrates not only individual award recipients, but the early childhood profession. Hotel Reservations If you plan to stay at the Hotel Hershey, reserve your room online or call (855.729.3108) today as rooms are limited. If calling, ask for the room block for the PA Association for the Education of Young Children at The Hotel Hershey, April 5-6, 2019. Other area hotels are also available. Questions For more information, contact Rose Snyder via email (rsnyder@pennaeyc.org). *Information provided by PennAEYC*
