September 11, 2020 Keystone Scholars Helps Families Save for Higher Education In 2019, the Pennsylvania Treasury Department started investing $100 for every baby born or adopted in Pennsylvania to be used for the baby’s future higher education expenses through a new program called Keystone Scholars. About the Program To encourage families to plan early for their child’s future education, Keystone Scholars will provide $100 to all babies born or adopted in Pennsylvania on or after January 1, 2019. With Pennsylvanians currently having the highest debt load per person of any state in the nation, Keystone Scholars is meant to help families jumpstart their education savings as soon as possible. Studies show that a child with education savings is three times more likely to enroll in a two- or four-year college and is four times more likely to graduate. The $100 will be invested by the Pennsylvania Treasury Department and will grow through the years right alongside your child. The Keystone Scholars account can be used for qualified expenses when your child pursues education after high school. These expenses include tuition, fees, books, and more at vocational and technical schools, community colleges, two-year colleges, and four-year colleges. Eligibility All children born to or adopted by a Pennsylvania family on or after January 1, 2019. Requirements The child must be a Pennsylvania resident at birth and at the same time that Keystone Scholars funds are used. For babies born in or after 2019, families must create a PA 529 College and Career Savings Program Account in their child’s name before using funds from their Keystone Scholar account. Funds not used by the beneficiary’s 29th birthday will be returned to Pennsylvania’s Treasury Department. Registration To register, visit the Keystone Scholars website. New and expecting parents will be able to register for online access within 3-4 months after the child’s birth using information from your child’s PA state birth certificate. Learn More To learn more about the program, visit the Keystone Scholars website or call 800.440.4000. The following recorded webinars are available as well to answer frequently asked questions. Share this informational PDF with your network.
June 17, 2020 Pittsburgh Families Invited to Receive Free Children’s Books Since the City of Pittsburgh’s Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launch in February 2019, the program has grown to include over 3,200 local children and recently sent its 30,000th book. Thanks to funding received from the Hillman Family Foundation and McCauley Ministries, the program will continue to sustain and grow services in Pittsburgh. About the Program The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a free program for any child who lives in the City of Pittsburgh age zero to five to receive one book a month in the mail until their fifth birthday. When they turn five, they will have their own library of up to 60 books. The City of Pittsburgh’s program is affiliated with the national initiative started by music legend Dolly Parton. Participating children will begin receiving books through the U.S. Postal Services approximately eight weeks after the registration form has been received. Eligibility To be eligible for the program, preschoolers must: be a resident of the City of Pittsburgh, have a parent or guardian fill out an official registration form, and notify the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania of any address changes. Registration To sign up for this program, register your child(ren) online via the Imagination Library website! Interested in mailing in or submitting your registration in person? See their webpage for more details. More Information For any questions, please contact Tiffini Simoneaux at tiffini.simoneaux@pittsburghpa.gov or 412.255.2505. To view the booklist, visit the Imagination Library website.
May 12, 2020 Working with Diverse Families: Supporting Dual Language Learners In this online course, participants will engage in an interactive session to build and strengthen knowledge working with diverse children ages birth to five and families. In order to support early childhood practitioners serving this population, this session will focus on current research, strategies when teaching dual language learners, and techniques to engage families. Limited spaces are available. All registrations must be submitted by May 26 at 5 p.m. Course Information Timeline: May 28 – June 18, 2020 Instructor: Mimi Loughead CKC: K3.1 C2 Keystone STARS Alignment: SQ. 3.4.3 CDA Subject Area: Building Productive Relationships with Families. Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available. Registration To register, please visit the event registration page. More Information For more information, contact Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
December 10, 2019 PDE Releases New Family Engagement Framework The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has released the Pennsylvania Family Engagement Birth through College, Career, Community Ready Framework. About The PDE Family Engagement Framework As a collaborative initiative between PDE’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), the Pennsylvania Family Engagement Birth through College, Career, and Community Ready Framework is a tool to guide learning communities in the implementation of effective practices, use of shared language, and application of a family engagement continuum for families across their child’s educational lifespan. With this, the framework includes Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)-aligned Family Engagement resources and information for local education agencies (LEAs). Beginning with early learning programs through K-12, effective family engagement is critical to supporting a child’s learning and development. In fact, research has demonstrated that regardless of socioeconomic background, when schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children perform better academically, enjoy school more, remain in school longer, and have better long-term outcomes such as higher graduation rates, improved post-secondary educational attainment, and increased career readiness. By establishing this framework, PDE seeks to foster a clear path by identifying a set of common standards of how learning communities can plan and implement family engagement practices. Members of Pennsylvania’s learning communities can employ this framework, with communities including programs and schools to which PDE provides funding, guidance, and monitoring. More Information For more information on the framework, visit the PDE’s website. *Information provided by the Pennsylvania Key
August 14, 2019 Working With Diverse Families: Supporting Dual Language Learners (Online) In this online course, participants will engage in an interactive professional development session to build and strengthen knowledge in working with diverse children ages birth to five and families. To support early childhood practitioners serving this population, this session will focus on current research strategies when teaching dual language learners, and techniques to engage families. Three PQAS and Act 48 hours will be awarded. Course Timeline This course will be available online from September 16 through October 4, 2019. More Information For more information, contact Jasmine Davis at 412.567.3933 or jasmine@tryingtogether.org. Registration To participate in this course, complete the registration process below.
May 14, 2019 Imagination Library Online Registration Now Open On April 27, 2019, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto announced that a new program will offer free monthly books to Pittsburgh children from birth to age five. The program is currently accepting applications from parents and guardians. About the Program The free book program – in conjunction with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the Benter Foundation, and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania – will mail all eligible children an age-appropriate book every month up until their fifth birthday. Participating children will receive their first book through the U.S. Postal Services six to eight weeks after the registration form has been received. Eligibility To be eligible for the program, preschoolers must: be a resident of the City of Pittsburgh, have a parent or guardian fill out an official registration form, and notify the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania of any address changes. Registration To sign up for this program, register your children online via the Imagination Library website! Interested in mailing in or submitting your registration in person? See their webpage for more details. More Information For any questions, please contact Tiffini Simoneaux via email (tiffini.simoneaux@pittsburghpa.gov) or phone (412.255.2505).
May 13, 2019 Unshakeable Motherhood | Resources & Learning Join Kangaroo Birthing and Maternity for the 1st Annual Unshakeable Motherhood event on May 28, 2019. About This one-day free evening opportunity is designed to help mothers feel confident about navigating pregnancy, labor and delivery, life with an infant, and the transition to motherhood. It’s a chance to explore new options and find resources on the aspects of pregnancy, birth, babies, or parenthood that are most important to mom and partner. You will have an eye-opening experience to experience dozens of vendors along with featuring doulas, midwives, and OBs, pediatricians, lactation consultants and IBCLCs, chiropractors, photographers, prenatal fitness experts, child care facilities, book shops, baby boutiques, early childhood programming. There’s a strong focus on education — there will be expert-led seminars, mini-classes, and panel discussions on topics related to pregnancy, childbirth, babies, and the transition to parenthood, as well as demonstrations designed to teach skills like babywearing and cloth diapering skills. Registration Registration for this event is free and may be completed via the event webpage. Your ticket includes: An opportunity to be selected to ask real-time questions with birth workers, Dinner and snacks, An “Unshakeable Motherhood” special gift bag, and An opportunity to connect with the birthing community. Questions To learn more and contact the host, visit the event webpage.
April 3, 2019 2019 P-3 Governor’s Institute Encourages Applications The Pennsylvania Department of Education Office of Child Development and Early Learning announced the 2019 Prenatal to Grade 3 (P-3) Governor’s Institute: P-3 Collaboration – Working Together for Student Success. Purpose The purpose of Pennsylvania’s P-3 Governor’s Institute is to help school districts, early learning providers, and community organizations throughout the Commonwealth make the vital connections and collaborations necessary for student success from prenatal through grade 3. The 2019 P-3 Governor’s Institute is being offered June 24- 25, 2019 in Hershey, PA. Application Details Participation in the 2019 Institute is limited to 22 teams that have not previously attended a P-3 Governor’s Institute. Participating teams will be selected through an application process. School districts, birth-5 early learning programs, and community organizations may submit an application. Applications may be submitted for more than one team from the same organization if each applying team represents a different elementary school and birth-5 feeder school/program. Teams should be built around a specific elementary school(s), its feeder early learning programs, and the local community. Selected teams will participate in this two-day event. Professional development will be offered to support team specific implementation of P-3 efforts. Most expenses, except meals, will be covered for participating teams using Preschool Development Grant funds. Act 48, and Act 45/PIL professional development credits and Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) hours will be offered. Required Agreements To be considered for participation in this event, participating teams must agree to the following: Participate in pre-conference assignment, webinar or call; Attend and actively engage in the entire two-day event; Bring a core team of no less than four educators (maximum participating team of eight members): a birth-5 administrator, a birth-5 teacher, a K-3 administrator, and a K-3 teacher. Preference will be given to applicants who include up to four of the following: family leader or family representative, Early Intervention representative, out of school time professional, community member, librarian, curriculum specialist, higher education partner, IU representative, Home Visiting, and Family Support; Applying team has not attended a past P-3 Governor’s Institute; Engage in continuous improvement via sharing and implementation of strategies/programs that will enhance student achievement; and Maintain an active role in the Governor’s Institute cohort subsequent to the event (e.g., professional learning community, webinars, monthly follow up). Application & Deadline Applications are being accepted via the Governor’s Institute P-3 2019 Application link until the April 30, 2019 deadline. Selected applicants will be notified via email by May 10, 2019. Questions For questions, contact Jolie Phillips at jolphillip@pa.gov. *Information provided by OCDEL’s PA Early Ed Newsletter
