June 22, 2020 WIDA Communication Strategies to Support Multilingual Children Are you interested in learning developmentally appropriate strategies to support multilingual children in your early learning program? Join Trying Together Innovative Learning Strategist Mimi Loughead from July 13 through August 3 for a three-week online course, “WIDA Communication Strategies to Support Multilingual Children.” About During this three-week online course, participants will identify and apply developmentally appropriate academic language demands of routines, social interactions, and learning experiences for multilingual learners. Also, participants will learn about language supports to use in their environments to provide multiple meaningful opportunities for multilingual learners to use their own languages through the use of WIDA Early Years resources. Course Details Timeline: July 13 – August 3, 2020 (Three Weeks, Self-Guided) Instructor: Mimi Loughead CKC: K5.3 C2 and K5.7 C2 Keystone STARS Alignment: SQ. 3.4.3 CDA Subject Area: Understanding principles of child development. Three PQAS and ACT 48 hours available. Registration To register, visit the event webpage. All registrations must be submitted by Friday, July 10. Space is limited. More Information For more information, contact Community Engagement Assistant Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
Everyday Interactions Matter: Noticing the Simple and Ordinary Are you interested in learning how to maintain essential interactions with young children during this difficult time of masks and physical distancing? Join Trying Together on July 8 for our free online session, “Everyday Interactions Matter: Noticing the Simple and Ordinary.” About The primary ingredient of early childhood quality begins with the “everyday interactions” between educators and children. These simple and ordinary interactions that take place during play, transition, and daily routines form the very foundation of learning and growing. How can educators uphold these essential interactions with children during this challenging time of masks and physical distancing? Early learning professionals are invited to join Trying Together on July 8 at for our online module “Everyday Interactions Matter: Noticing the Simple and Ordinary” to engage with the Everyday Interactions Matter approach through a process of careful observation, discussion, and self-reflection. As a part of the “Connections and Conversations: Virtual Check-Ins” series, this session will encourage educators to recognize powerful moments of connecting, sharing, growing, and belonging in their everyday interactions with young children. Learning Objectives Observe video footage of children and their caregivers in authentic settings and describe positive interactions. Recognize moments of connecting, sharing, growing, and belonging in everyday moments in the early childhood setting. Registration To register, visit the event webpage. Registrations must be submitted by July 6, 2020. Space is limited. Participants will receive the course Zoom link via email within 24 hours before the start date for the course. For questions, contact Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org or Sarah Grubb at sarah.elrc5@alleghenycounty.us. Virtual Series Overview Connections and Conversations: Virtual Check-Ins are interactive sessions that highlight topics of interest to the field of early childhood education. Participants will engage in virtual discussions via Zoom with child development experts while interacting with early learning practitioners to share questions, experiences, and expertise about the highlighted topic. Sessions will be offered biweekly and will offer one hour of PQAS credit. Act 48 credit will not be offered. Session Rules and Guidelines These virtual discussions are designed to provide educators the opportunity to grow professionally and share knowledge on early childhood topics. During the meeting, participants should follow the guidelines below to ensure a successful virtual meeting for all participants. Please allow all participants a chance to speak. Listen respectfully and actively. Commit to learning about each other, not to debating the topic. Embrace differences of opinion as healthy and support each person’s authentic self-expression. Participants will be muted for the beginning portion of the session. Participants may use the “Raise Hand” feature in Zoom to request an opportunity to comment or ask a question. Individuals will be temporarily unmuted by the moderator. Participants may type a comment or question in the Chat or may send comments or questions directly to the moderator for them to share. To receive PQAS credit, you must complete an evaluation at the end of the session and include your PD Registry number. Have fun, make connections, and engage in the conversations! More Information For questions or more information, please contact Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
June 17, 2020 Parenting in Support of Black Lives | Webinar Are you interested in hearing practical, how-to advice for talking about race and inspiring kids to fight for racial equity? Join Common Sense and the Inforum of the Commonwealth Club on June 18 for their webinar, “Parenting in Support of Black Lives: How to Build a Just Future for Kids (and How Media Can Help).” About Through 400 years of systemic oppression and racism, our nation has failed to protect and value Black children and families. How do we support a future where all children are valued? And when we’re parenting amid crisis and trauma, how can we find support for ourselves and our kids? This conversation will center on these important questions and provide practical, how-to advice for talking about race and inspiring kids to fight for racial equity. The event will feature Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, leading scholar on race in America, in conversation with child psychologist Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith, moderated by Julie Lythcott-Haims, New York Times bestselling author and activist. Registration To register and learn more, visit Common Sense Media’s website. This event will be recorded and will be available on the Conversations with Common Sense YouTube page.
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.
June 16, 2020 Allegheny Child Care Tool Expands Services Are you interested in learning about child care, after-school, out-of-school, and summer programs in Allegheny County? Visit the Allegheny Child Care website to search for available child care spots at programs near you! What is Allegheny Child Care? Allegheny Child Care is a unique pilot project that has been developed to support the child care needs of families. Through this online tool, parents and caregivers can search for available child care spots at all Allegheny County early learning programs, including after-school, out-of-school, and summer camps. To search for a program near you, visit the Allegheny Child Care website! Information for Early Learning Professionals If your organization provides child care, after-school, out-of-school, and/or summer programming, update your listing as soon as possible on the Allegheny Child Care website. By updating your information, the Allegheny Child Care tool will assist you in promoting and marketing your program(s) to families. In turn, this will allow your program to expedite the process of getting children enrolled, thus making an often stressful task less burdensome for families. For questions or concerns, please read the FAQ guide or email info@alleghenychildcare.org. Additional Resources Trying Together developed the following resources to assist families in identifying high-quality early learning programs, as well as what questions to ask to better understand their program’s COVID-19 procedures. How to Find, Choose, and Pay for High-Quality Child Care: A Guide for Families Family Checklist: Questions to Ask Your Early Learning Provider During COVID-19 For additional support in finding child care and/or funding your child care needs, visit the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 website or call 412.350.3577. More Information The Allegheny Child Care initiative is managed by Trying Together in partnership with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, and Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST, an initiative of the United Way of Southwestern PA); with additional support from the City of Pittsburgh; and was developed in collaboration with Child Care Aware of America, The Heinz Endowments, and technology partners Bowtie, BrightHive, and BridgeCare. To learn more and search for programs near you, visit the Allegheny Child Care website.
June 12, 2020 Allegheny Child Care is Growing As of this week, we are excited to announce that we have expanded the Allegheny Child Care search tool to include: after-school; out-of-school; and summer programs! If you provide one or more of these services and have not already confirmed your information, we ask that you update your listing as soon as possible at providers.alleghenychildcare.org. Promote Your Out of School & Summer Programs Now If your program re-opened as part of Allegheny County’s move to the “green phase” last week, we hope that your first week back has been a welcomed return for you and your children, families, and staff. By updating your information, the Allegheny Child Care tool will assist you in promoting and marketing your program(s) to families. In turn, this will allow you to expedite the process for getting children enrolled, thus making an often stressful task less burdensome for families especially at this time. If you have any questions or issues please: email us at info@alleghenychildcare.org; review our FAQ guide; or join us for our next Virtual Director Roundtable discussion on Tuesday, June 16 at 6:00 p.m. when we will share details on the recent updates to the Allegheny Child Care tool and answer questions. Thank you for your assistance. Updating Your Information In order to add the after-school, out-of-school, and summer-time programs to the platform, we pulled public data currently available from our partners at Allegheny Partners for Out of School Time (APOST) and United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. As information may have changed due to COVID-19, we would appreciate you taking a few minutes to review the information listed for your program(s) on the platform and then updating it accordingly at providers.alleghenychildcare.org. In particular, please update your: current operational status (open/closed and availability); age group(s) served; and basic profile information. You will receive regular email reminders to update your vacancy information so parents searching for care can find your program. More Information From the COVID-19 crisis, Allegheny Child Care is a unique pilot project that has been developed to support the child care needs of families. Caregivers and parents of young children can now search available child care spots at Allegheny County early learning programs in real-time with the Allegheny Child Care tool.
June 9, 2020 Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Medical Clinic Don’t let your child fall behind on their needed immunizations. Visit the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile to access vaccinations for children ages two months through high school, receive WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) form assistance, learn important health and safety information, and more. About the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics, and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown are partnering to bring needed vaccines, safely, to western Pennsylvania communities through the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. Appropriate physical distancing measures will be maintained. Please give yourself adequate time in case of a wait. Adults and children over age two are asked to arrive wearing a mask. A mask will be provided if you do not have one. Children must be accompanied by one parent or legal guardian. Services Provided The following services will be available: vaccinations, ages two months through high school; WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) form assistance; health and safety information; kindergarten registration information; at-home activities for summertime; and food and infant formula resources. Available Dates and Locations The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is scheduled at the following locations and times: Chartiers Early Childhood Center June 10 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 3799 Chartiers Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15204 Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh June 17 and July 15 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 10 Children’s Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Penn Hills Family Care Connection June 18 and July 31 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 10 Duff Rd, Penn Hills, PA 15235 Valley Points Family YMCA June 22 and July 16 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 800 Constitution Blvd, New Kensington, PA 15068 Homewood-Brushton YMCA June 25 and July 23 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 7140 Bennett St, Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Allegheny Valley YMCA July 2 and August 6 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 5021 Freeport Rd, Natrona Heights, PA 15065 New Castle Jr/Sr High School July 20 and August 19 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 300 E Lincoln Ave, New Castle, PA 16101 Steel Valley Middle School July 27 and July 29 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 3114 Main St, Munhall, PA 15120 Cornell School District August 31 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 1099 Maple St, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Always call the Care Mobile prior to coming to any clinic at 412.352.1059 or 412.352.1060 for updated information about any weather or mechanical difficulties. No appointment is necessary at most sites. More Information For questions, contact the Care Mobile at 412.352.1059. To view the updated schedule, please visit the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh website. Share this flyer with your network.
June 4, 2020 Taking Personal and Professional Responsibility for Anti-Racism Work As caregivers, community members, and early childhood educators, we have a responsibility to ensure each child, family and caregiver is safe from racism and discrimination and has equitable opportunities to thrive. In order to do this, we must begin with ourselves. Set aside time in your day to do a personal inventory. What thoughts, feelings, and behaviors have you contributed to upholding systems of racism? What assumptions are you making? What actions or inactions have you taken that contribute to systems of oppression? Next, consider your family and your friends—what behaviors, statements, or jokes have gone unchecked? What actions or inactions have you taken within your interpersonal relationships that have contributed to an unsafe community for our black and brown children, neighbors and colleagues? How might you begin to lead by example within your own family or community? Anti-racism work is something that has to be attended to an ongoing way. In order to support you in this work, we have compiled a new webpage of resources to combat racism. Learn More with Upcoming Discussions June 5, 2020 at 8:30 p.m. | “I [STILL] can’t breathe”: Supporting kids of color amid racialized violence June 6, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. | CNN and ‘Sesame Street’ to host a town hall addressing racism June 9, 2020 at 3:30 p.m. | Virtual Parents Event: Talking to Children Authentically About Race and Racism June 10, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. | Race, Police, and Unarmed Civilian Deaths: What Can Be Done?
Questions for Your Early Learning Provider During COVID-19 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, early learning programs across Pennsylvania are adding new operating procedures (as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) to maintain the health and safety of their staff and the families they serve. To help parents and caregivers better understand these changes, Trying Together developed a Family Checklist that features questions families can ask their early learning providers. Access the Checklist The Family Checklist features fifteen questions caregivers can ask, including questions on how programs plan to communicate with families, meet the developmental needs of children, implement health screenings, and more. To see the full list of questions, view the Family Checklist: Questions for Your Early Learning Provider During COVID-19. [En Español] Additional Resources In addition to the Family Checklist, Trying Together developed the following news posts to answer common questions and highlight resources for families, caregivers, and early learning professionals: COVID-19: Resources for Parents and Caregivers COVID-19: Resources for Early Learning Programs New Portal Helps Allegheny County Families Find Child Care Summer Camp and Recreation Guidance During COVID-19 Changes Made to Summer Activities During COVID-19 Pandemic Guidance for Businesses in Counties Moving to Green Phase More Information For more information about COVID-19 and to view current case counts in Pennsylvania, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Health website. To view current guidance for child care programs that remain open, please visit the CDC website.
“I [STILL] can’t breathe”: Supporting kids of color amid racialized violence Join EmbraceRace on June 5 for their webinar, “‘I [STILL] can’t breathe’: Supporting kids of color amid racialized violence.” About Black, Brown, Native, and low-income individuals talk with children about how to interact with police. They file formal complaints against abusive officers, take cellphone videos that go viral, share their stories with media outlets, file lawsuits, and protest with allies at their side. With COVID-19 as a backdrop, some predict a “long, hot summer.” Others see a promising new determination by many white individuals to become a vigorous part of the solution. In this complicated context, what conversations about policing, violence, safety, justice, and race should parents and caregivers be having with their children of color? Join EmbraceRace on June 5 for that discussion. Questions and insights are encouraged. Registration To register, visit the event webpage. More Information Please note that this event is high in demand. Those who are unable to get onto Zoom will be direct to the live broadcast on EmbraceRace’s Facebook page. A recording of the event will be available at a later date for those who are unable to attend. For questions, please contact EmbraceRace through their contact form or on Facebook.
