December 20, 2019 Insights & Innovations: Early Childhood Education Conference Early learning professionals are invited to join the Learning Lamp on March 14 for the Insights & Innovations Conference. The conference will feature insights on the latest ECE teaching and administration strategies and will offer 6 PQAS and Act 48 credits. Sessions Insights & Innovations will include a variety of session topics, including: Danielson Framework Training; Program-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PW-PBIS); Loving Spaces and Learning Spaces for Infants and Toddlers; Keys to Success: Recruiting, Onboarding, and Retaining Quality Staff; Everything You Need to Know about STARS; and more. Visit the conference Eventbrite page to view the full agenda, speaker list, and more. Registration To register, visit the conference Eventbrite page. Registration fees include light continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks. More Information For questions, contact Anne McGrath at 814.242.6079 or annefmcgrath@gmail.com. Share this flyer with your network.
November 6, 2019 T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Spring 2020 Deadline Early childhood education professionals interested in attending college for the spring semester (beginning January 2020) can submit applications to receive a T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education And Compensation Helps) scholarship. Eligibility The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a variety of T.E.A.C.H. scholarships to meet the needs of the early care and education workforce in center and home-based settings. Eligible applicants must: work a minimum of 25-30 hours per week directly with children in a DHS-certified child care program; make $19 or less an hour ($25 or less per hour for directors); be interested in pursuing coursework at a participating college toward a degree or credential in early childhood; and Bachelor’s degree applicants must meet additional eligibility criteria, which includes having at least 55 transferable credits towards a degree in Early Childhood Education or equivalent. Scholarship awards are dependent upon the availability of funds and priorities of funders. See the brochure. Application Details To be considered for the Spring 2020 semester, T.E.A.C.H. applications must be completed and submitted with all required documentation by Friday, November 15, 2019. PACCA will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration. New scholarship awards for the Spring 2020 semester will be dependent upon funding availability at that time. Interested applicants should also begin the college admissions process now and contact an early childhood education advisor at their intended college/university. This helps to ensure that scholarship applicants are admitted to their college/university and can register for courses if/when they receive a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship. T.E.A.C.H. can provide contact information for early childhood education advisors at partnering institutions if needed. Click here to download a scholarship application. More Information To learn more, visit the PACCA website. For questions, contact a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor at 717-657-9000 or teachinfo@pacca.org. *Information provided by PACCA
May 20, 2019 Development Through the Eyes of an ELL Child Join Professor Lois Wachtel in this edWebinar as she discusses early childhood developmental milestones through the eyes of a child, particularly an English language learner (ELL) child. Those who work with three- and four-year-old children will have the opportunity to take a closer look at their growth. About While we know all young children are amazing individuals, can you recall the vast amount of growth that is taking place in their world on a regular basis? At what age can we expect young children to be able to answer a simple question, name familiar colors, throw a ball, or demonstrate simple problem-solving skills? During this webinar, Wachtel will discuss all this and more, providing a well-rounded perspective of how young children are building language, physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and motor development skills. Specific examples will be provided with ELLs in mind. Time for questions will be provided. Continuing Education Credits available. Registration For more information and to register, visit the event website.
May 8, 2019 Behaviors: Ours & Theirs | WCCC Mini-Conference On behalf of OCDEL and hosted by WCCC’s Early Childhood Education/Pre-K – Grade 4 Program, the “Behaviors: Ours & Theirs” mini-conference will focus on improving practitioners’ knowledge and skill to support children’s social and emotional development through culturally relevant practices, as well as exploring how to apply these skills to practitioners’ CQI plans. About Early childhood professionals are invited to attend a personalized mini-conference experience. Attendees will split into two groups and presenters will offer each session two times so that each group will have an opportunity to participate in both sessions. Participants will be provided with a continental breakfast, welcome and introduction, two educational sessions (each including a bound notebook of instructional materials), and a tour of WCCC’s NAEYC accredited Campus Children’s center. This event includes 3 credit hours; PQAS approved. Participants should be familiar with the ECERS and other Keystone STARS CQI tools such as CLASS, PAS, and Good, Better Best. Learning Objectives Attendees will be able to: Discuss and recognize positive observation and interactions with children and families, Examine and organize their understanding of culture and how positive interactions can lead to solid relationships with children and families, Review commonly used Keystone STARS CQI tools to determine areas where changes or improvements can be made in their programs, Explain why these changes will enhance the positive social and emotional development of children, and Discuss how these changes will also help them recognize and value cultural diversity. Registration To register for this event, visit the registration document! Registration is required and is $15 for the first 50 registrants! This fee is due (paid by check) on the day of the event, June 1, 2019. To learn more about the event, visit the PD Registry website. Questions For questions, contact Vicki Hricik at hricikv@westmoreland.edu or 724.925.4023. Share this flyer with your network.
May 3, 2019 Pittsburgh Infant/Toddler Symposium Kaplan and YWCA Greater Pittsburgh PD/TA are partnering to provide a day of training and networking for area infant/toddler teachers. The day will consist of an opening keynote address, four hours of professional development training, resource tables. Lunch will be provided at no cost. This event is PQAS approved. CDA Content Areas The symposium will focus on the following CDA content areas: Principles of Child Growth and Development Social and Emotional Development Safe, Healthy Learning Environments Learning Objectives The students will be able to: Discuss and explain topics that are relevant to the care and growth/development of infants and toddlers. Participants will have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of courses related to infant/toddler caregiving. Courses offered at the Symposium will focus on topics such as; activities to stimulate brain development, social/emotional development, trauma-informed practice, and health/safety. Registration Registrations must be submitted by May 24, 2019 via the Symposium’s event page. Questions For questions, contact Tom Yeager at 412.255.1173 or tyeager@ywcapgh.org. To learn more, see their event page.
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.
December 12, 2018 Child Development Associate Courses Available In partnership with the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC) is offering a series of courses that fulfill the educational training requirements for the infant-toddler, preschool, or renewal Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials. Additionally, a series of professional development courses are available that can be taken individually for required DHS training hours or as a full 3-hour college credit course. Available Courses Child Development Associate Based on the CDA pursued, students may choose from the following courses, which will be offered at the Youngwood campus and by Web Conferencing (video conference) to all WCCC education centers: Child Health, Safety & Nutrition – ECE 190-CDA May 13 – July 29, 2019, Web Conference Observation & Assessment – ECE 191-CDA January 15 —April 30, 2019 Choose one: Infant & Toddler Development – ECE 179-CDA April 15—July 29, 2019 Child Growth & Development – ECE 180-CDA April 4—July 25, 2019 For more information, see this flyer. Early Childhood Professional Development Child Health, Safety & Nutrition – ECE 190-KU January 16 – May 1, 2019, Westmoreland-New Kensington For a listing of all available courses, see this flyer. Certification and Costs Each course is three college credits and can be applied towards an Associate degree at Westmoreland County Community College. The initial certifications require three courses, while renewal requires one course. The additional work experience, portfolio, and professional requirements required by the CDA Council must be completed independently by the candidates. Tuition is $210 per course (or $14 per class) and $100 for the textbook. Rising STARS Tuition Assistance and the TEACH Scholarship are both accepted. Registration To register, call 1.800.262.2103, ext. 4204. Questions Questions should be directed to: Dr. Brandi Weekley at 724.925.6715 or weekleyb@westmoreland.edu. Vicki Hricik at 724.925.4013 or hricikv@westmoreland.edu.
December 6, 2018 Dancing Our Way Through STEM Providing children with opportunities to explore creative movement can spark so many natural connections to STEM concepts. During this interactive workshop, educators will participate in a variety of dance-focused strategies that will deepen understanding in science, math, ingenuity, and other fundamental STEM concepts. Participants will have the opportunity to demonstrate their own creative movement techniques that can support student’s STEM learning. Act 48 and PQAS credit hours available. Registration is required. Objectives Through active participation and successful completion, participants will be able to: Define and discuss what “creative movement” means within an early educational experience and how children’s movements connect to STEM learning concepts. Brainstorm and share movement activities, targeting a multi-aged early education environment that focuses on the concepts of science, math, and other STEM learning concepts. Registration and Questions To register or ask questions, contact Rachelle Duffy at 412.421.3889 or rachelle@tryingtogether.org.
November 27, 2018 Dancing Our Way Through STEM Providing children opportunities to explore creative movement can spark so many natural connections to STEM concepts. During this interactive workshop, educators will participate in a variety of dance focused strategies that will deepen understanding in science, math, ingenuity, and other fundamental STEM concepts. Participants will have the opportunity to demonstrate their own creative movement techniques that can support student’s STEM learning. Register here. Act 48 and PQAS credit hours available.
November 12, 2018 Annual PENN SACCA Conference Join the Pennsylvania School-Age Child Care Alliance (PENN SACCA) on November 9 for their 22nd Annual Statewide Conference! This year’s theme: Afterschool time is STEM time! About Featuring keynote speaker Jeff Remington, this year’s theme will explore all things STEM in afterschool. As one of ten National STEM Teacher Ambassadors, an international STEM advocate, trainer, and consultant, Jeff has a unique perspective of how the daily practice of STEM impacts the big picture of educational systems tied to a global 21st Century economy. This year’s conference will be held at Toftrees Golf Resort in State College, PA. Click here to make reservations. Participants will receive PQAS hours, but must provide their Registry ID number upon registration. For Act 48 credits, participants must submit their PPID number, complete necessary paperwork, and pay a $10 fee. National and State Experts Will Discuss: STEM in afterschool STEM career readiness 21st-century skills Makerspaces Implementing STEM Registration To register for the conference, visit the event webpage. Group discounts are available for organizations registering four or more participants. To receive the group discount, all group attendees must be a PENN SACCA Comprehensive Member. Learn More For more information, visit the event webpage or contact
