June 12, 2023 WIDA Early Years Program to Sunset in June WIDA and the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will sunset the WIDA Early Years Membership Program for Pennsylvania on June 30. Consequently, the four current, free, one-hour, self-paced, WIDA Early Years trainings in the PD Registry will no longer be available beginning July 1, and anyone completing WIDA Early Years training coursework must do so by July 1 to receive credit for the training. Still, trainers who completed the WIDA cohort may still offer in-person WIDA courses in the PD Registry for a fee. About the WIDA Early Years Membership Program WIDA Early Years Membership Program promotes equitable early care and education (ECE) opportunities for young, multilingual children through partnerships with state agencies. Though the program will end on June 30, WIDA will continue to make PreK–3 resources available on the WIDA website under “Early Language Development” or “Teaching in PreK–3.” Additionally, OCDEL will make dual language resources available on the Pennsylvania Key website. Future WIDA Offerings Beginning September 1, WIDA will offer two new PreK-3 resources: A new self-paced workshop, “Exploring the WIDA PreK-3 Essential Actions,” will introduce educators to the new WIDA PreK-3 Essential Actions. Educators will have an opportunity to build their knowledge and understanding of the Essential Actions and to reflect on their own ideologies, practices, and settings. Access to the course will require a WIDA Secure Portal account. Search the training calendar in the PD Registry for “Exploring the WIDA PreK-3 Essential Actions” or contact Barry Wiestling at bwiestling@pa.gov for information about how to set up a WIDA Secure Portal account and access this and other WIDA self-paced offerings. A new, “Are We Ready?” resource will support PreK–3 educators to promote and provide equitable transitions for multilingual children and their families. This resource will be available on the WIDA website. Learn More Please contact Barry Wiestling at bwiestling@pa.gov with questions. To learn more, visit the WIDA website.
March 2, 2023 Front Porch: Brilliant Bilingual Preschoolers Do you ever wonder how young children can learn, not only one, but two or more languages? Join the Office of Head Start and its National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning for this webinar, and learn about the human capacity to learn multiple languages in early childhood. Attendees will discover the cultural and cognitive benefits of bilingualism and explore strategies and resources that can help support children who are dual language learners during the preschool years. This webinar will have English and Spanish captioning. Session Details Thursday, March 16 | 3 – 4 p.m. Virtual Register Learn More This webinar will feature Marley Jarvis, Ph.D. from the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning, who will explore research findings on early language learning. To learn more about this webinar, visit the Office of Head Start website.
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.
