August 20, 2018 CDA Renewal Available at WCCC This Fall In partnership with the PA Key, Westmoreland County Community College is offering a series of courses that will fulfill the educational training requirements for the infant/toddler, preschool, or renewal CDA credentials. The additional work experience, portfolio, and professional requirements required by the CDA Council must be completed independently by the candidates. Based on the CDA pursued, students may choose from the following courses, which will be offered at the Youngwood campus beginning in October 2018: ECE 190-CDA – Child Health, Safety & Nutrition – October 3, 2018 —May 1, 2019 (every other week) ECE 191-CDA – Observation & Assessment – January 15 —April 30, 2019 Choose one: ECE 179-CDA – Infant & Toddler Development – April 15—July 29, 2019 ECE 180-CDA – Child Growth & Development – April 4—July 25, 2019 Each course is 3 college credits and can be applied towards an Associate degree at Westmoreland. The initial certifications require 3 courses, while renewal requires 1 course. Tuition is $210 per course and $100 for textbook. Rising STARS Tuition Assistance and the TEACH Scholarship are both accepted at Westmoreland and can be used towards the cost of the courses. Questions should be directed to Dr. Brandi Weekley at 724.925.6715 or Vicki Hricik at 724.925.4013. For more information, download this flyer. Call 1-800-262-2103 ext. 4204 to register. An orientation and welcome session will be held on September 29, 2018 @ 9:30 a.m. for all CDA candidates and their directors on the Youngwood Campus. The welcome session will include an orientation to the process and a time to meet fellow cohort members. Refreshments will be served.
January 28, 2018 CDA Credential Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential A Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential is the most widely recognized credential in the early childhood field and is a key stepping stone on the path to career advancement. The CDA Credential is based on a core set of competency standards that guide early learning professionals in their work to build on their professional experience and expertise. As a nationally recognized credential, a CDA Credential enables early learning professionals to work in Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms, in addition to early learning programs across the United States of America. Several topics are studied in a CDA program, including, but not limited to: A healthy and safe learning environment Physical, cognitive, language and creative development Social and emotional development Positive guidance Creating positive relationships with families Program and classroom management Observation and assessments Professionalism in early childhood education By earning a CDA Credential, early learning professionals strengthen their professional skill sets, gain opportunities to advance their careers, increase their confidence in the classroom, and reinforce their commitment to support young children and families. Trying Together CDA Credential Preparation Program Trying Together’s Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential Preparation Program offers 135 hours of professional development over the course of approximately six months, focused on practice knowledge and skills early learning professionals need to become credentialed. Program participants can matriculate up to nine course credits at Carlow University or Community College of Allegheny College (CCAC) once they obtain their CDA credential. This program is intended for early learning professionals in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Trying Together offers this program at a community-based level with the support of various funding and development partners including the PDO at PASSHE, The Buhl Foundation, and The Pennsylvania Key. Program Details Through the program, early learning professionals choose the CDA Credential in their desired age group. Center-based Infant and Toddler CDA – The Infant-Toddler CDA is for educators who work with children from birth through 36 months. Center-based Preschool CDA – The Preschool CDA is for educators who work with children 3 to 5 years of age. Family Child Care CDA – The Family CDA is for educators who work with children ages birth through 5 in a family child care home setting. Home Visitors CDA – The Home Visitor CDA is for educators who visit with families of children age 5 and younger in their homes. They support parents, meet the needs for their child, and visit regularly to provide early education to the child and family. Through the Trying Together CDA preparatory course, educators attend live Zoom sessions and complete self-paced online coursework, receive support from an experienced instructor, and are eligible to apply to receive a nationally recognized credential after their exam and observation. A limited number of computers are available through the Trying Together technology lending program for individuals who qualify. These devices must be returned at the end of the program. Eligibility Requirements To be eligible for this program, individuals must: reside in the state of Pennsylvania, have obtained a high school diploma or GED, work in a Keystone STARS early learning program, and work a minimum average of 25 hours per week over an entire work year (during non-COVID times). Request More Information If you are interested in participating in Trying Together’s CDA Credential Preparation Program, please complete our CDA Credential Program Interest Form. Please note that this form is utilized for inquiry purposes only and is only available to professionals in Pennsylvania. After completing the form, a member of our staff will contact you to determine your eligibility and identify a CDA pathway that works best for you. Requests for information are answered on a first-come, first-served basis. Questions For general questions about the program, contact Judy Graca at judy@tryingtogether.org or Mikaela Nagg at mikaela@tryingtogether.org. CDA Credential Renewal Program Trying Together offers guidance to questions that support the CDA Credential Renewal by visiting the The Council for Professional Recognition website. If you have any additional questions, contact Judy Graca at judy@tryingtogether.org or Mikaela Nagg at mikaela@tryingtogether.org. Professional Development Organization (PDO) The Professional Development Organization (PDO) is a grant-funded educational collaboration among four universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and numerous partner universities, colleges, and community programs across the state to advance the career pathways of the early childhood workforce. PDO funding covers tuition, expenses, and other supports to help eligible early childhood educators earn credit-bearing Child Development Associate (CDA) Credentials, Associate’s Degrees, and Bachelor’s Degrees. Tuition-Free Courses Tuition-free courses are eligible for early childhood professionals who: are Pennsylvania residents, work in a Keystone STARS program, and work a minimum average of 25 hours per week over an entire work year (during non-COVID times). To determine your eligibility, complete the online application. Once your eligibility is confirmed, a PDO Liaison from your region will contact you to discuss your professional development options. Our Work Trying Together and ELRC Region 5 are partnering with the Early Childhood Education PDO at PASSHE to provide community-based CDA programming. Trying Together provides an Early Childhood Liaison as a member of the PDO Liaison Network to establish and maintain relationships and connections with our region’s early childhood educators, programs, and professional preparatory organizations. More Information For more information, contact Lindsey Vicoria-Bucki at lindseyv@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network. All projects featured on this webpage are supported by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) of Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS) and Pennsylvania’s Department of Education (PDE). For more information, visit dhs.pa.gov and education.pa.gov.
January 9, 2018 Request for Professional Services Trying Together delivers custom professional growth services and public courses to early childhood professionals in home, center, and school-based settings. Custom Professional Development Custom professional development can be created to target individual/group goals, interests, and needs. In-person and virtual opportunities are available. Submit a Request To request professional services, complete the form below. Requests must be submitted at least eight weeks before your preferred start date. For questions, email Paige Kizior at paige@tryingtogether.org. If you are interested in Trying Together’s Child Development Associate (CDA) program, please visit the CDA page. Password Organization/Program Organization/Program Name * Organization/Program Address Organization/Program City Organization/Program Zip * Organization/Program County * Contact First Name * Last Name * Phone * Email * Preferred method of contact Phone Email Address City State/Province * AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamMarshall IslandsNorthern Mariana IslandsPalauPuerto RicoU.S. Minor Outlying IslandsVirgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces Europe, the Middle East, anArmed Forces PacificAlbertaBritish ColumbiaManitobaNew BrunswickNewfoundland and LabradorNova ScotiaNorthwest TerritoriesNunavat TerritoryOntarioPrince Edward IslandQuebecSaskatchewanYukon Territory Zip Verify ELRC Region 5 Quality Coach (if you have one) Holly Cessna Elizabeth Foreman Jillian Miller Shawna Preston Nicole Paulovich Perrinda Sandiford Katie Streiff Kathy Wolfe I don’t have a coach Have you or your staff participated in Trying Together professional development before? Yes No Unsure I am requesting Custom PDTeacher EvaluationMessage from MeEveryday Interactions MatterOther/Unsure All courses provide PQAS and Act 48 credits/hours. Custom professional development requests should be submitted at least one month in advance. If you are seeking a presentation or professional development, please complete the following information before clicking ‘submit’. If you are requesting accreditation assistance, induction support, or other/unsure, please use the text box at the bottom of the page to include any special circumstances and then click ‘submit’. Presentation/Professional Development Professional Standard Area or topic of presentation or professional development requested? Standard Area 1: Child Development and Learning in ContextStandard Area 2: Family–Teacher Partnerships and Community ConnectionsStandard Area 3: Child Observation, Documentation, and AssessmentStandard Area 4: Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching PracticesStandard Area 5: Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Academic Content in the Early Childhood CurriculumStandard Area 6: Professionalism as an Early Childhood EducatorStandard Area 7: Health and SafetyStandard Area 8: Organization and Administration Keystone STARS Indicator(s) One-time or multi-session professional development series? IndividualMulti-Session Facilitation Virtually via ZoomOnline via SchoologyFace-to-Face Desired date of presentation or professional development? Desired date Desired start time Desired end time Location or address of presentation/professional development (if different from above) Estimated Attendance Use this space to tell us more about the professional development session(s) you are interested in.
