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Tag: early childhood educators

News

July 8, 2025

The Mentoring Partnership Series to Focus on Caring for Young People and Caregivers

The Mentoring Partnership will offer a two-session series in August and September that will enable attendees to brainstorm, share, and learn from each other to make sure young people feel cared for and supported while also taking care of themselves and other early childhood educators.

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Discussions in the Mentoring in the Moment Collaborative Series will be facilitate by The Mentoring Partnership and include participatory methods and activities to dive deeper into topics and encourage collaboration.

A portion of each session will be focused on a topic chosen by participants and partners. The sessions will provide opportunities to engage with topic experts, learn new information and skills, and share access to resources and follow-up support.

The sessions will take place at The Mentoring Partnership, located at 4165 Blair St. in Pittsburgh on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, Aug. 12 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Registration for the sessions is now open.

News

March 24, 2025

ECE Professionals Must Submit T.E.A.C.H. Applications for Summer by April 11

Early childhood education (ECE) professionals interested in attending college for summer semesters should apply to T.E.A.C.H. prior to the April deadline.

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T.E.A.C.H. applications must be completed and submitted with all required documentation and information by Friday, April 11 to be considered for the summer semesters beginning in May and July.

PACCA will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis. However, incomplete applications and applications received after the April date will not receive priority for consideration.

New scholarships awards for the summer semester will depend on funding availability. Applications should begin the college admissions process now and contact an ECE advisor at their intended college or university. This helps to ensure that scholarship applicants are admitted and can register for courses if they receive a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship. T.E.A.C.H. can provide contact information for ECE advisors at partnering institutions if needed.

Information on availability and program requirements are available on PACCA’s website, where scholarship applications can also be downloaded. Applicants can contact T.E.A.C.H. counselors on PACCA’s website.

PACCA has also established new partnerships with Alvernia University and Gwynedd Mercy University to offer T.E.A.C.H. bachelor’s degree scholarships.

PACCA will hold its annual ECE Workforce Day on Tuesday, June 10 at the Capitol in Harrisburg. More information will follow as details are available.

News

March 12, 2025

PD Registry to Debut New Home Page This Spring

The PD Registry will unveil a redesigned homepage in May that is aimed at streamlining the profile-building process for early childhood educators.

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Those who currently have a profile with the PD Registry will transition into the new version of the website and all previous information will be saved. This includes users’ current emails and passwords.

The registry system will remain the same, and the new website will only involve changes to its design. Its aim is to have a sleeker design and straightforward steps in terms of its usage. It is intended to make the profile-building process for the ECE field more user friendly.

The updated site that will debut in May will only apply to the Individual Profile. Other aspects of the system – for example, the Organization or Trainer profiles – will undergo updates in the future.

Users will be able to update their personal information at any time by clicking the Edit Personal Information button at the top of the PD Registry homepage. Any questions about the redesign should be sent to registry@pakeys.org. 

For more information on the homepage redesign, read the announcement on the Pennsylvania Key website.

News

May 1, 2023

EITA Offering Professional Development Opportunity on the Growing Brain

Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) is offering early childhood professionals a professional development opportunity to learn about brain growth in children from birth to five years of age.

Aptly named, “The Growing Brain: From Birth to 5 Years Old,” this virtual series details child brain development and shares ways to encourage healthy growth in young children.

About “The Growing Brain”

Decades of research indicate that the early years of life are a period of exponential brain development, characterized by great opportunity and vulnerability dependent on child relationships and environment.

In this series, participants will develop skills and strategies to:

  • understand the architecture and neurobiology of brain development
  • support language, cognition, prosocial behavior, and social-emotional development
  • and reduce toxic stress that can negatively influence brain development in very young children

Session Details

“The Growing Brain” is offered in several, progressive sessions. Each session is offered twice, and interested individuals can register and attend as many or as few sessions as they like. One PQAS credit is available for each session. Sessions include:

Factors Affecting Brain Growth & Development

In this session, participants will identify factors that negatively impact brain development, understand the impact of stress on the developing brain, and learn about strategies for supporting healthy brain growth and development.

Offered:

  • Thursday April 27 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday April 28 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Communication & Language Development

In this session, participants will understand communication milestones, learn strategies for supporting early communication skills, and understand multi-language learning.

Offered:

  • Thursday May 4 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday, May 5 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Cognition & Executive Function

In this session, participants will review and summarize key cognitive milestones in brain development, as well as explore the layers of executive function and its importance in child development.

Offered:

  • Thursday, May 18 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday, May 19 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Social-Emotional Development

In this session, participants will review key social emotional development milestones in children, as well as connect which areas of the brain are involved in social interactions and examine the role that relationships and attachment play in social-emotional development.

Offered:

  • Thursday, May 25 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday, May 26 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Understanding Behavior

In this module, session leaders will discuss approaches for identifying the root cause of young children’s behavior and demonstrate effective strategies to address challenging behaviors in very young children.

Offered:

  • Thursday, June 1 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday, June 2 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Everyday Play

In this session, participants will learn to understand the stages and types of play that unfold in early childhood, the role of the brain in this process, and how to maximize children’s learning through play.

Offered:

  • Thursday, June 8 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday, June 9 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Register for any or all sessions on the PD Registry.

Learn More

This series is presented by EITA Consultants certified in “The Growing Brain” curriculum, which was developed by Zero to Three Professional Development and Workforce Innovations (PDWI). PDWI aims to elevate the knowledge skills and abilities of early childhood professionals.

For additional information on this offering, view the flyer. For additional information on “The Growing Brain,” visit www.zerotothree.org/growingbrain or the PD Registry.

News

April 27, 2023

Resources for May Observances

Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate them.

Here is a list of resources for May observances:

Month-Long Observances

May is National Foster Care Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month

Weeks of Recognition

May 1 – 7 is Children’s Book Week

May 8 – 12 is National Teacher Appreciation Week

Days of Recognition

May 7 is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

May 12 is National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day

May 14 is Mother’s Day

May 28 is World Hunger Day

News

April 5, 2023

Applications Open for Educators’ Neighborhood 2023-24 Cohort

The application for the 2023-24 cohort of the Fred Rogers Institute Educators’ Neighborhood is now open.

Educators’ Neighborhood is a community of educators who learn together through the life and work of Fred Rogers by studying artifacts from the Fred Rogers Archive and connecting ideas to daily practice.

All applications must be submitted by May 26 at 5 p.m.

About Educators’ Neighborhood

This year-long opportunity brings together a cohort of educators from across the world who learn together, primarily through virtual meetings, and consider how to deepen their application of Fred Rogers’ work and theory to their work with children.

The Fred Rogers Institute defines “educators” as any adult who directly serves children, youth, families, and/or other educators.

Members of the 2023-24 cohort will have opportunities to participate in community discussion, present to other educators and leaders in the community, and attend:

  • monthly whole community meetings to connect with educators across different contexts
  • monthly small group meetings with other educators from similar contexts
  • an opening and closing community convening to prepare for and reflect on learning from the year
  • a mid-year community convening featuring presentations from educators within the community

Application Process

Before completing the application, applicants may want to consider and prepare responses to the open-response questions. Those questions include:

  • Why do you want to be part of the Educators’ Neighborhood community? (50-100 words)
  • What questions and topics would you like to explore with others in the community? (25-50 words)
  • “There’s a world of difference between insisting on someone’s doing something and establishing an atmosphere in which that person can grow into wanting to do it.” What comes to mind as you reflect on this quote in the context of your work? (50-100 words)

To apply, visit the Fred Rogers Institute website and complete the online application.

Learn More

To learn more, visit the Fred Rodgers Institute website or sign up for the Educators’ Neighborhood newsletter.

News

NAEYC Sponsoring Week of the Young Child Sweepstakes

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is sponsoring a Week of the Young Child (WOYC) Sweepstakes.

Week of the Young Child is the first week of April, and NAEYC is offering prizes to seven lucky parents, caregivers, and early childhood educators who participate in the sweepstakes, which runs March 31 through April 14.

WOYC Sweepstake Prizes

  • Three people will win a free one-year Entry Level Membership ($30 value)
  • Two people will win a free NAEYC Book Bundle ($70 estimated value)
  • Two people will win a free module of Each and Every Child Training ($120 estimated value)

Participate

All parents, caregivers, and educators are invited to participate in the sweepstakes. To participate, simply visit the NAEYC website and complete the participation form.

Learn More

To learn more, visit the NAEYC website.

News

May 5, 2022

New Commission Releases Call for Applications from Early Childhood Educators

Early childhood educators are invited to apply to serve on national a new Commission on Professional Excellence in Early Childhood Education.

About the Commission

Seventeen organizations – including the National Education Association (NEA), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and ZERO TO THREE – dedicated to young children formed the commission “to develop and promote the framework for a unified, cohesive, and equitable early childhood education profession informed by and in partnership with early childhood educators across states and settings,” according to a news release.

The Commission is guided by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council’s Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 report, the Power to the Profession Task Force’s Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession, and The Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators.

Eligibility

The Commission is opening an application process for individual early childhood educators to apply to be co-equal, full voting members. Eligibility and criteria information for applicants are available online.

Apply

The application is available in English and Spanish. Applications are open until Friday, May 27. The Commission will appoint up to seven early childhood educators, representing a diverse cross-section of the profession.