January 13, 2022 Parents as Allies Webinars Join The Center for Universal Education at the Brooking Institution and Kidsburgh for their upcoming event, “Parents as Allies Webinars: Transforming Education Systems Through Family-School Collaboration.” About the Series The COVID-19 pandemic thrust family engagement into the spotlight, presenting an opportunity to markedly shift the overall vision for family-school collaboration. The Center for Universal Education (CUE) at the Brookings Institution has been researching how families and schools can better work together to improve and transform how education is delivered and what it can achieve. In addition, Kidsburgh has been working with a cohort of school districts on different family engagement strategies, including conversations asking parents and caregivers on what schools and families can do together. All events are free and will be hosted via Zoom. Registration is required. Session Information Tuesday, January 25 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. This session is recommended for school leaders and teachers. Join lead author Rebecca Winthrop to explore CUE’s newly released playbook on family-school engagement, featuring key findings from a global survey of 25,000 parents and 6,000 teachers and a review of more than 500 effective family engagement strategies around the world. After a short presentation, attendees and educators will work in virtual breakout rooms to discuss insights from surveys across school districts in southwestern PA as well as create a shared vision for education that can lead to transformation. Wednesday, January 26 | 7:00 – 7:45 p.m. This session is recommended for parents and caregivers. In this virtual webinar, KDKA TV’s Kristine Sorensen moderates a presentation and discussion with CUE’s lead author Rebecca Winthrop and Kidsburgh’s Ambassador Yu-Ling Cheng. Parents and teachers will learn about the findings from CUE’s playbook on family-school engagement as well as on-the-ground strategies that are being implemented across local southwestern Pennsylvania school districts. The session ends with a Q&A.
January 31, 2020 Exceptional Care with a Team Approach to Inclusion Recorded Sessions From January 19 – 29, 2021, Trying Together hosted our free Virtual UnConference: Exceptional Care with a Team Approach to Inclusion. Recordings of each workshop have been added to this page for those who were unable to attend. <span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span> UnConference Details Young children thrive and grow in their natural learning environments, including children with developmental differences. Educators play a critical role in creating an inclusive and diverse environment for children to feel a sense of belonging, to feel valued as a member of the classroom, and to feel empowered to learn to their full ability. UnConference: Exceptional Care with a Team Approach to Inclusion dives into the importance of working together—with a collaboration between teachers, intervention specialists, and parents/caregivers—to provide this environment for children to learn and grow in differentiated ways yet feel included in the group. This is a free Virtual UnConference. What Do I Receive? PQAS and/or Act 48 hours. Networking with colleagues. Interactive workshop sessions. Refreshed or refined thinking about your work with young children. Featured Sessions Keynote: Exceptional Care with a Team Approach to Inclusion Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | 1:30 – 3 p.m. Presented by: Trying Together and Children’s Institute | Keynote Speaker: Wendy Pardee During the keynote session, Wendy Pardee, President, and CEO of The Children’s Institute will share how they created a collaborative environment that provides a positive view on early intervention in an effort to bring different parties together in the best interest of the child. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion featuring an educator, parent, and intervention specialist. Transition and Educational Support in the Early Childhood Environment Thursday, January 21, 2021 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. Presented by: Kristina Berg and Loreleigh Elders, DART Early Childhood Educators are an active and critical part of a child’s early intervention team that is often lost in the process of transition and service planning. This presentation will provide an overview of the early intervention process, as children age out of the Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Program and transition into Preschool Early Intervention Support. We will provide practical examples and resources of ways to support children and families through the transition process, as well as ways to adapt the preschool classroom environment in order for all children to be successful. Creating and Building Inclusive Support Teams for Children Friday, January 22, 2021, | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Presented by: Serena Washington, Trying Together When thinking about what a team/collaboration approach looks like when working with children and families we must be open to asking the following questions: Why is it important to build a team for a child(ren)? What does the team/collaboration approach look like? Who and what do we need on the team/collaboration? How do we work and communicate as a team? In this workshop, join us for a robust discussion and learn strategies for creating an inclusive team to support your children. How to Assess Your Students Needs: Using the ASQ through the Lens of Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Program Tuesday, January 26, 2021 | 1:30 – 3 p.m. Presented by: Gloria Rodriguez-Ransom, The Pennsylvania Keys Through the expertise of the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) program, participants will receive an overview of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires with a particular emphasis on assessing children’s social and emotional development. The developmental screening tools ASQ3 and ASQ:SE 2 are designed for children ages three months to five years and designed for use by early childhood educators and health care professionals. Attendees will learn how to administer and score the screener and share the results of the screener with families and professional colleagues. In addition, recommendations for suggested resources will be shared if additional services are needed. Overview of Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Services in Allegheny County Referral Through Transitioning Out of 0-3 Services Wednesday, January 27, 2021 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Presenters: Erica Balint and Vonna May-Miller, Alliance for Infants and Toddlers In this workshop, presenters will discuss how the child’s 0-3 Early Intervention (EI) team collaborates with families and child care staff so that all have an understanding of how the EI system in Allegheny County operates and supports children. This session will give an overview of how children are referred and become part of the EI system. Information will include how a child is referred, eligibility criteria, evaluation process, service planning, and implementation along with transitioning out of 0-3 services. Catering to The Whole Classroom: Lesson Development and Implementation That Speaks to Every Child Friday, January 29, 2021 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Presented by: Daile Fordoski, Lyasha Bishop, LaRae D. Cullens, The Learning Loft There is not one lesson in any learning environment that is one size fits all. It is the educator’s responsibility to develop ways in which a lesson can benefit every child in a classroom. This workshop examines strategies for planning and implementing inclusive activities for children of varying developmental levels. Participants will have the opportunity to practice these skills by dissecting a pre-made lesson and sharing ideas and strategies of accommodation that can be applied in their setting. Registration Registration for this event is closed. Recordings of each workshop session will be available on this webpage after the conclusion of each session. Please continue to monitor this page for updates. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How Do I Attend this UnConference Virtually? These sessions were hosted using the web-based video conferencing platform Zoom. Please download Zoom to your device of choice prior to the start of the UnConference. UnConference hosts sent out all workshop links via email at least 24 hours before the start of each event. How Do I Receive Credit? PQAS and Act 48 credits are available to professionals who registered for and completed these sessions. More information, including the online Attendance form, will be sent via email to individuals who registered. Once completed, Jasmine Davis, Professional Learning Program Manager at Trying Together, will process your credit. If you have questions specific to receiving credit, please email jasmine@tryingtogether.org. More Information For questions about the UnConference, contact Yu-Ling Cheng at conference@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network. About Wendy Pardee Wendy Pardee, President & CEO, The Children’s Institute Dr. Wendy Pardee joined The Children’s Institute as President and CEO in August 2017. She has led the 118-year-old nonprofit organization through transformational change in a short period of time thanks to her leadership, vision, and advocacy for our community’s youngest residents. Wendy has more than two decades of management experience in the healthcare, human services, and financial services sectors. Previously, she served as President and CEO of Skills of Central Pennsylvania, an organization with sites in 18 counties serving those with intellectual disabilities. She also served as CFO of the Community Guidance Center and began her career at First Commonwealth Financial Corporation. Wendy has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting and Management of Information Systems, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, and a Doctorate in Administration and Leadership Studies. She has served on community child care boards, community health councils, local YMCA boards, the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association board, the Center Area Transportation Authority Board, and the American Association of University Women. Thank You To Our Sponsors and Partners A huge thank you to our series sponsor PNC Group Up Great, our sponsor Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5, co-host The Children’s Institute, and workshop partners. Sponsors Co-Host About Trying Together Trying Together supports high-quality care and education for young children by providing advocacy, community resources, and professional growth opportunities for the needs and rights of children, their families, and the individuals who interact with them. Trying Together works regionally (in Southwestern Pennsylvania) and takes its expertise and models to statewide and national audiences.
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
March 29, 2019 Trauma-Informed Care: Training Session Our past experiences – personal, familial, societal – influence our brain development and shape how we interpret and respond to the world. Sometimes adults do not recognize how these experiences manifest as behaviors and they unintentionally harm children. This introductory session is designed to change participants’ approach to the behaviors children exhibit to decrease the likelihood of triggering them. Session Objectives Participants will be introduced to the Trauma-Informed Care framework. Participants will become familiar with the foundations of Trauma-Informed Care. Participants will understand complex trauma and the parts of the brain related to trauma. Participants will learn to recognize the impacts of trauma. To pre-register for this session, visit their Eventbrite page. *A certificate of participation will be given upon request. Session Focus Areas General Overview Trauma-Informed Care Framework Complex Trauma including Brain Development Impacts of Trauma What ELIE Circle Is Bringing Self-Reflection Self-Care Growth Mindset Intentionally Building Relationships Importance Barriers including Race and Gender Techniques Communication Importance Barriers Techniques including Motivational Interviewing, Empathic Communication, Restorative Practices About ELIE Circle ELIE Circle works to eliminate that through professional development training sessions that create trauma-informed communities – environments that focus on not re-traumatizing individuals and assist with development that may have been lost or delayed due to trauma – emotion regulation and empathy for example. ELIE Circle provides the following professional development services: Collaboration to create training sessions for organizations Consultation on creating trauma-informed out-of-school programs Facilitation of discussions with Q&A *Each customer receives a free consultation meeting to discuss organizational needs. Questions & Concerns For any questions or concerns, contact Debralyn Woodberry-Shaw, MSW, LSW at eliecircle@gmail.com.
March 18, 2019 Rube Goldberg: Painting on the Floor Embrace Rube Goldberg’s innovative and wacky ways of utilizing everyday objects to complete a task. Join the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh to create a collaborative work of art using unexpected objects and invent our own “Epic Way to Paint a Picture.” This program is inspired by the Rube Goldberg exhibit but will take place in the Nursery. This program is designed for our youngest learners (0-5) but is suitable for all ages. The event is drop-in, so guests may come and go as they please! For more information, visit the event page!
January 16, 2019 Digital Tools for School Leaders As a school leader, you time is divided among many tasks during the day. Some of those tasks can be automated or made more efficient with web tools and applications. This session will be hands-on and scenario based, allowing you the opportunity to experience the applications in situations you encounter in your daily work. We’ll work with tools on laptops and smartphones that can: promote collaboration increase communication with school community without increasing workload provide meaningful feedback on teacher lesson plans build consensus and community for school initiatives model use of digital tools for your staff manage your personal productivity and efficiency (Shared via Center for Creativity)
