July 9, 2019 New Clearance Required for Child Care Providers Due to a federal requirement under the reauthorization of the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), child care providers are required to complete a new clearance—the National Crime Information Center/National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR). About The NSOR clearance will verify that a check of the National Sex Offenders Registry was conducted and if the individual can or cannot work for a regulated child care provider. This clearance is required in addition to a Child Abuse History Clearance, Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check for Employment or Volunteers, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Fingerprinting. There is no fee for the NSOR clearance. Requirements The following individuals must complete the NSOR verification certificate by July 1, 2020: any individual 18 years or older residing in the child care facility; all individuals working for Regulated Child Care Providers; any individual with an ownership interest (corporate or non-corporate) in a Regulated Child Care Provider and who participates in the organization and management of the operation. Application Process By late summer/early fall 2019, there will be a paper application process for the NSOR clearance, and in late fall there will be an electronic process in place at keepkidssafe.pa.gov. Learn More For more information on required clearances, visit the Keep Kids Safe website. Share this handout with your network. *Information provided by the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning
July 3, 2019 Paid Opportunity: Baby Brain Emotion Study Are you the mother/caregiver of an infant age 0-3 months? If so, you and your baby may be able to participate in a Pitt+Me research study to help learn more about the ways in which infants’ emotions are connected to areas of the brain and how parenting behaviors might affect these connections. About The purpose of this study is to help researchers learn more about the ways in which infants’ emotions are connected to areas of the brain and how parenting behaviors might affect these connections. Researchers hope their findings will lead to a better understanding of emotional challenges in children in the future. Compensation provided. Study Eligibility Infant aged 0-3 months old Infant was born full-term (at least 37 weeks) Infant’s birth weight was more than 5.5 pounds Infant has not been in the hospital for any physical health issues, including neurological Infant does not have any metal in their body Mother/Caregiver did not use illicit substances during pregnancy and is not using them now Mother/Caregiver spends at least 2 hours per day caring for the infant Learn More For more information and to participate, visit the study webpage. *Information provided by Pitt+Me
July 1, 2019 Fred Rogers Educators’ Neighborhood to Launch Reflecting on a piece she wrote in December 2018, Melissa Butler identifies long-term benefits observed with the same group of children five months after the initial observation. Additionally, the Fred Rogers Center announced that they will be launching “Educators’ Neighborhood: Learning and Growing Together” in support of early childhood teachers. Overview In December 2018, Melissa Butler wrote a blog article named, “Beechwood Kindergarteners Learn with Mister Rogers,” observing LeeAnne Kreuger’s kindergarten classroom as they gathered every Friday morning to watch an episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Labeled “Mister Rogers Friday,” teachers selected an episode each week for their students based on key themes, needs, or interests expressed in the classroom. What they observed from April through June 2018 was that by the end of the school year, the children were actively singing along, naming characters, and making fun connections throughout the school day. In addition to this, teachers noticed benefits as well, having significant learning opportunities to reflect on child development, cultural relevancy, and ways to weave Fred Rogers’ lessons into the school day. Five months after, this same group of children continues to watch a new episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” every week. By doing so, they’re still observing significant impacts and benefits. Benefits for Children Butler highlights that this group of children: talk with each other during and after each Picture-Picture video because they have so many questions and connections; know the difference between real and make-believe; sing songs with confidence; answer Mister Rogers’ questions with eager attention; allow for the silence and slowness of episode moments; and have come to trust in the learning and joy each episode bring during and in the classroom. Benefits for Educators Teachers have also displayed key benefits, including: more trust in their instincts; more collaboration with each other; more sharing of personal stories with students; more confidence with developmentally appropriate practice; more improvisation with what they choose to do after each episode; and an overall approach that trusts in the larger picture of what they do as teachers. Conclusion Needless to say, the benefits of incorporating meaningful videos, especially those of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” are substantial. When educators and students are allotted a period to slow down, reflect, and talk with one another about influential topics, all parties benefit in and out of the classroom. For more, read Butler’s full blog piece. About Educators’ Neighborhood Educators’ Neighborhood: Learning and Growing Together is a place for educators to learn more and with each other, inspired by the life and work of Fred Rogers. Fred Rogers Center will grow an expanded community of educators to study episodes of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” read from the Fred Rogers Center Archive, and generate new ideas together connected with their daily practice with young children. If you’re interested in joining, sign up for news, register for Educators’ Neighborhood Online, or apply to be part of the local Educators’ Neighborhood Learning Community. More Information For more information, read Butler’s full blog piece. Share this flyer with your network.
June 4, 2019 Empowering and Strengthening Relationships Across Early Childhood Settings Join the Harvard Graduate School of Education on June 27 and 28 for “Empowering and Strengthening Relationships Across Early Childhood Settings,” a new program intended for early education leaders, principals, program directors, administrators, and teacher leaders. About “Empowering and Strengthening Relationships Across Early Childhood Settings” is offered as part of the Zaentz Professional Learning Academy, featuring the tools and resources of “Simple Interactions,” a collaboration between the Fred Rogers Center on Early Learning and Children’s Media and the Zaentz Initiative. Led by Faculty Co-Chairs Junlei Li, Nonie Lesaux, and Stephanie Jones, this two-day on-campus institute offers participants a combination of practice-based learning experiences, research and theoretical insights from both within and beyond the early childhood field, and community-supported problem-solving. Program Objectives Participants will: Define what is a developmental human interaction and how such interactions contribute to the full range of child development goals from language to social and emotional learning; Envision and plan how to support the development of young children’s helpers and empower adult-child human interactions; and Engage in practice-based conversations for professional learning settings and re-examine early childhood systems with a relationship-focused lens. Program Costs The program will be hosted on campus and will require a $199 tuition payment per person. Special rates are available for Program, Community, District, and Network Teams. Participants will receive a certificate of participation and a letter confirming clock hours of instruction. Tuition includes all instructional materials, however, participants will have to pay for associated travel expenses and hotel accommodations. For more information, visit their Payment page. Registration Registrations must be submitted by June 20, 2019, via the event website. More Information For more information, visit the event webpage or email ppe@gse.harvard.edu. Share this flyer with your network.
June 3, 2019 Implicit Bias, Cultural Humility, & Parent Engagement Workshop Join the Partnerships for Family Support Office of Child Development on June 27 for their Implicit Bias, Cultural Humility, & Parent Engagement workshop. This training is for staff of centers in the Allegheny County Family Support Network. About This interactive workshop explores various strength-based strategies to increase immigrant and refugee parent engagement. Participants attending this training will have the opportunity to reflect on their current practice, understand and apply the cultural humility perspective when designing and implementing parenting activities, and identify specific steps to enhance their knowledge and skills in working with diverse families. Learning Objectives Participants will: Reflect on how social stereotypes impact their work with immigrant and refugee families; Apply a cultural humility perspective to analyze scenarios and propose solutions that respond to the characteristics and interests of immigrant/refugee families; and Discover key strategies and best practices to develop relationships with diverse families, support families in their parenting, and advocate with them for culturally relevant services and resources. More Information To learn more and register, visit the Eventbrite page.
APOST Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time Join Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School-Time (APOST) on June 14 for their Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time. PQAS/Act 48 credit available upon request. About The APOST Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time is a professional development conference that shares best practices in youth development. This conference is open to youth practitioners who desire to increase their skills in working with youth in out-of-school time programs or in mentoring relationships. This year’s event will feature Keynote Speaker Timothy Jones, an expert in youth development and hip-hop culture/pedagogy who has developed, implemented, and evaluated out-of-school time programs inside and outside of schools for over 20 years. Limited free parking is available, but carpooling is recommended. More Information To learn more and register, visit APOST’s Eventbrite page. For questions, contact APOST via phone at 412.456.6876.
May 29, 2019 Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Sign Up Moving to PD Registry Beginning Fall 2019, applicants will apply for the Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Program through the PD Registry. About the Program The Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Program pays 95% of tuition costs for eligible college coursework taken by early learning professionals, with a maximum benefit of $6,000 per individual each fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). The program covers tuition costs only and does not include books, materials, or fees. Tuition costs net of other funding sources such as scholarships, stipends, discounts, or grants (except the Pell Grant) are used to determine the amount of assistance. It is recommended completed applications be submitted at least four weeks prior to the start of the course, or prior to the tuition due date, whichever is first. Access the Program Before Fall 2019 During the transition, The Pennsylvania Key is still currently accepting applications for the 2018-19 fiscal year and summer classes. Early learning professionals taking coursework beginning before fall semester are welcome to apply using the current process in the Portal. At this time, applications will not be reviewed for the fall semester. More Information For new eligibility requirements and to stay up-to-date on the ongoing changes, visit the Pennsylvania Key website. *Information provided by The Pennsylvania Key
Integrating Early Childhood Learning Standards into Curriculum & Assessment Do you need to learn about the PA Early Learning Standards for Early Childhood? Would you like to explore ways in which curriculum and assessment are linked to these Standards? Join Trying Together at The Homewood Early Learning Hub for two three-hour professional growth sessions that meet Keystone STARS Core Series requirements. Six hours of PQAS / Act 48 credits will be awarded to participants who attend both sessions. Register To register, visit the event webpages: June 10, 2019 June 17, 2019 More Information For more information, contact Theresa Hetler at 412.421.3889 or theresa@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network.
May 23, 2019 Addressing Domestic Violence in ECE Programs Join Promising Futures on May 30 for a webinar exploring ways in which early childhood professionals and programs can support children and families affected by domestic violence. About Domestic violence harms many families with young children. However, early childhood teachers and caregivers can help children heal. Further, early childhood programs can support healthy development and work to stop domestic violence in their communities. Join Promising Futures for this upcoming webinar to learn how early childhood programs can help families affected by domestic violence. Presenters will share strategies, tools, and resources created in partnership with The National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement. Presenters: Virginia Duplessis, MSW, Program Director, Futures Without Violence Mie Fukuda, MA, Senior Program Specialist, Futures Without Violence Registration To register for this event, visit their webinar page. Questions For more information, contact Graciela Olguin at golguin@futureswithoutviolence.org. Share this flyer with your network.
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.
