December 23, 2024 Professional Development Institute to Offer Series on Awe in Nature for Early Childhood Settings Early childhood professionals can take part in an upcoming seven-part series offered by the Professional Development Institute (PDII) program focused on exploring awe in nature in the early childhood setting. Learn More The free class will examine awe and its relationship to nature. Participants will learn about the benefits of awe in nature for staff, families, and children. They will also learn ways to incorporate awe and nature into the early learning classroom setting. Accepted participants will be asked to complete at least one series offering for the greater early childhood professionals in their community. The seven-session series takes approximately eight hours to complete. A two-day Professional Development Institute will take place at Berks Nature, located at 575 Bernardine St. in Reading, on April 3 and 4. Attendances is required for those participating in the series. For those who participate: Hotel rooms will be provided for trainers. Lunch will be provided on both days of the training. A one-time stipend of $350 will be provided to trainers. Transportation is the responsibility of each trainer. Application Requirements Those who apply must currently hold approval as a Professional Development instructor in the Pennsylvania Registry. During the application process, applicants must: Describe their experience with instructing nature in early childhood education and include specific programs and methods they’ve used (300 words max) Share examples of how they have incorporated reflective practices into their teaching (300 words max) Describe why they are interested in the Professional Development Institute opportunity, including what motivates them to focus on awe in nature for early childhood education (300 words max) Provide two letters of professional reference that speak about their qualifications and experience in this area of focus Those interested should apply now. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on Friday, January 24.
December 17, 2024 PACCA Releases Report on 2023-24 T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) released its annual report on the scholarships it provided to early learning professionals during the 2023-24 Fiscal Year. Learn More The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Pennsylvania Scholarship Program offers early learning professionals a debt-free higher education. The scholarship aims to raise the quality of care and education that teachers provide to children in their classrooms. In the 2023-24 Fiscal Year, PACCA provided scholarships to 910 early learning professionals who were employed in 560 child care programs in Pennsylvania. Recipients earned 13 to 15 credits last year, with an average 3.34 GPA (for associate degrees) and 3.6 (for bachelor’s degrees). Associate degree scholars increased their salaries by 14.6%, while bachelor’s degree scholars increased theirs by 12.6%. Sponsoring employers experienced a 95% retention rate of scholarship recipients. The full report on the impact of the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship on early childhood education professionals and programs is available on PACCA’s website.
November 18, 2024 OCDEL Calls for Early Childhood Education Professionals to Take Survey Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is calling on early childhood education professionals to take a survey regarding staffing, retention, and professional development resources. Learn More The survey is being conducted by the Institute of State and Regional Affairs (ISRA) at Penn State Harrisburg on behalf of OCDEL and The Pennsylvania Key. The purpose is to learn about and identify solutions relating to staffing, retention, and professional development resources in the state. The survey is open to all Pennsylvania early childhood education professionals at any child care facility, including Head Start and Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts. Those who should take the survey include teachers, assistant teachers, classroom aids, directors, owner-operators, administrative staff, and all other staff. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. Those who participate can enter an optional drawing for the chance to win a $50 Amazon e-gift card. The survey is available in English or Spanish. It will close in January. For more information, email ChildCareResearch@psu.edu.
April 24, 2024 Study with Questionnaire Explores Field of Play A new study is exploring the current state of the field of play, specifically in games and related areas. Areas covered by the exploratory, qualitative study include mixed reality, themed entertainment, and tech. The study, led by Carnegie Mellon University’s Drew Davidson, also includes a questionnaire in which anyone can participate. Learn More The study’s aim is to define and reflect on the field of play. ETC Press will publish the results. The concept of play is broad and diverse, so the study is less a focus on a specific discipline and more an exploration of the extensive ideas around play. The questionnaire asks participants where they are located, what type of work they do, and what they believe is going on in the field of play. All responses are anonymous, and only a few of the questionnaire’s 16 questions are required. It should take between 20 to 25 minutes. More Details The study incorporates assistance from such groups as the Pittsburgh Remake Learning Initiative, Pittsburgh Technology Council, and the Connected Learning Alliance. Participating organizations will form a committee to provide local focus on regions to help ensure an inclusive process that offers perspectives from the diverse groups engaged in the field. The study includes questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and community participation. It aims to find patterns, commonalities, and differences across various regions amongst the education, industry, professional, foundation, and government groups involved in the field of play. The goal will be to collaboratively produce a white paper with the help of the committee. The final report’s aim is to document the global state of play. It will also serve as a reference for current practices and problems. Those who are interested in participating can take the questionnaire or contact the study team for more information.
April 22, 2024 Rapid Survey Project Fact Sheet Examines Postpartum Parents’ Well-Being The RAPID Survey Project, based at the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, has released a new fact sheet examining how postpartum parents’ emotional well-being and physical health affect their caregiving abilities. Learn More The experience of having a new baby in the home is an exciting time for most families, but caring for a newborn can also be stressful, the fact sheet says. As parents navigate having to care for themselves and new family members, stress can affect their overall health and well-being. This can lead to anxiety and stress and, in turn, drive increases in children’s levels of distress. According to the fact sheet, data showed that many parents are having positive experiences bonding with and caring for their new babies. A vast majority of them said they were interested in and enjoyed interacting with their child. However, data also indicated that there’s more that can be done to ensure postpartum parents are connected to resources and support. Three common feelings among new parents were being tired, disorganized, and isolated, according to the fact sheet. While most of those interviewed believed they were managing stress and maintaining a healthy diet, many were not getting exercise and a majority said they were not getting enough sleep. As a result, half of postpartum parents interviewed said their emotional well-being and physical health affected their caregiving abilities. To compile the fact sheet, researchers sought to get a better sense of the experiences of those parenting new babies by surveying them within the first two months after their child was born. For more information on the RAPID Survey Project’s findings and how it conducted the study, view the fact sheet.
April 9, 2024 State Releases Meaningful Family Engagement Tool Kit The state Department of Human Services Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF) has released a collection of resources to strengthen engagement in child welfare. The Pennsylvania Meaningful Family Engagement Toolkit is a web-based resource that was developed through statewide quality improvement efforts. It was designed to improve safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes for children, youth, and families served by the state’s child welfare system. The toolkit includes resources for a variety of topics. Learn More Meaningful engagement in child welfare, as defined by OCYF, is an active, ongoing, and genuine curiosity about an individual’s history, perspectives, challenges, and accomplishments. It involves the proactive partnership between caseworkers and families to increase safety for children by using inquiry to identify service needs and available supports and to work together to define achievable goals. The objective is to develop family plans, address challenges, achieve goals, form new connections, and strengthen existing supports. This involves ensuring that families have an active role by empowering them to make joint decisions to ensure a child’s safety, permanency, and well-being. Topics covered in the toolkit include: Cultural awareness and responsiveness Engagement models and strategies Engagement of incarcerated parents Engagement of out-of-state parents Engaging youth Father engagement Leadership Legal Parenting resources Teaming with extended family and kin The toolkit’s development was guided by data and information gathered through the state’s Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) efforts. These were designed to evaluate and improve how the state’s Child Welfare Practice Model is demonstrated at the system level and through daily practice behaviors and skills of professionals. The OCYF said data provided evidence of the benefits of strong engagement behaviors and skills. However, it also drew attention to populations needing additional support for engagement, such as fathers and incarcerated or out-of-state parents. Explore the Pennsylvania Meaningful Family Engagement Toolkit online.
April 8, 2024 Family Child Care Awareness Day Home-based educators will gather in Harrisburg on April 30 to celebrate Family Child Care Awareness Day. The event will recognize the impact of home-based child care programs. It will include a visibility event, during which attendees will be able to showcase to legislators and the public what it means to be a home-based child educator. Participants can showcase their programs through posters that highlight the learning that occurs in their program or recognize the families they serve and include their testimonies. Those interested in participating should register by April 10. The event will be held at the state capitol, located at 501 N. 3rd Street in Harrisburg. For those who cannot attend the April 30 event, Trying Together is leading capitol caravans from Pittsburgh on May 7, May 22, June 4, and June 25.
April 3, 2024 Week of the Young Child: Self Care for Superheroes The National Association for the Education of Young Children is inviting early child care professionals to attend a webinar in April on self-care strategies for early childhood education providers. The webinar is hosted by Walden University. Learn More Week of the Young Child: Self Care for Superheroes will explore strategies to address early childhood providers’ numerous challenges. The three core concepts are mindfulness, thought awareness, and self-compassion. Attendees will gain tools to navigate the current teaching terrain. The webinar’s objectives are to: Harness mindfulness to cultivate presence and reduce stress from being overwhelmed in daily teaching routines Enhance the ability to identify and respond to thought patterns that impact interactions with children and colleagues Embrace self-compassion practices to sustain passion and energy while nurturing young minds The webinar’s speaker is Sally Arnold, RN, BSN, MA, a registered nurse with a master’s in psychology and extensive mindfulness training. More Details The webinar will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 10. Registration for the event is now open.
Inside a Child’s Mind The Brazelton Touchpoints Center is hosting a workshop in September that explores how caregivers and early education professionals can understand the unique experiences and developmental processes of children. Learn More Inside a Child’s Mind will explore how, from birth, children bring their own unique contributions to their development. Children’s temperaments, individuals competencies, and cultures all influence a child’s experience of themselves in their development process as well as their experience of the people and world around them. This workshop will explore children’s perspectives on their own developmental process from birth through preschool. Who Should Apply The course is aimed at professionals who work with young children. This includes early care educators, family child care providers, mental health consultants, home visitors, pediatricians, and early interventionists. More Details Certificates will be provided at the end of the six-hour course. The cost of the course, which begins Sept. 6, is $140 per seat. Each 90-minute live, interactive workshop will take place at 1 p.m. ET and 10 a.m. PT on Thursdays. Sessions will be recorded, and live Spanish translation and closed captioning will be available. The dates and subject matter for the series include: Sept. 5 – The Child’s Contribution to Their Developmental Process Sept. 12 – Inside a Baby’s Mind: The Touchpoints of Infancy Sept. 19 – Inside a Toddler’s Mind: The Touchpoints of Toddlerhood Sept. 26 – Inside a Preschooler’s Mind: The Touchpoints of Preschool Registration and other information can be found on Brazelton Touchpoints Center‘s website.
Inside a Child’s Mind The Brazelton Touchpoints Center is hosting a workshop in September that explores how caregivers and early education professionals can understand the unique experiences and developmental processes of children. Learn More Inside a Child’s Mind will explore how, from birth, children bring their own unique contributions to their development. Children’s temperaments, individuals competencies, and cultures all influence a child’s experience of themselves in their development process as well as their experience of the people and world around them. This workshop will explore children’s perspectives on their own developmental process from birth through preschool. Who Should Apply The course is aimed at professionals who work with young children. This includes early care educators, family child care providers, mental health consultants, home visitors, pediatricians, and early interventionists. More Details Certificates will be provided at the end of the six-hour course. The cost of the course, which begins Sept. 6, is $140 per seat. Each 90-minute live, interactive workshop will take place at 1 p.m. ET and 10 a.m. PT on Thursdays. Sessions will be recorded, and live Spanish translation and closed captioning will be available. The dates and subject matter for the series include: Sept. 5 – The Child’s Contribution to Their Developmental Process Sept. 12 – Inside a Baby’s Mind: The Touchpoints of Infancy Sept. 19 – Inside a Toddler’s Mind: The Touchpoints of Toddlerhood Sept. 26 – Inside a Preschooler’s Mind: The Touchpoints of Preschool Registration and other information can be found on Brazelton Touchpoints Center‘s website.
