March 24, 2020 Questions Answered for Families During Time of Uncertainty Join the PEAL Center on Wednesday, March 25 for their webinar, “Questions Answered for Families During Time of Uncertainty.” About In this webinar, PEAL Center team members will review the latest information and identify key information for families who have children with IEPs. Their goal is to ensure that families understand their rights under IDEA while encouraging collaborative problem solving and creative solutions. By attending, participants will hear about critical and timely information, including evolving guidance, resources for families, strategies for progress monitoring at home, and answers to questions you may have. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
March 23, 2020 No Small Matter – Virtual Screening Join co-hosts Trying Together and Start Strong PA on Friday, April 17, 2020 for a virtual screening and discussion of No Small Matter, a documentary film that highlights the importance of high-quality early education and its impact on all Americans. This event will be hosted on Zoom. Digital access links will be emailed to all attendees during the week of the event. Registration is required. Itinerary 11:00 – 11:45 | Documentary Screening 11:45 – 12:15 | Discussion* 12:15 – 12:30 | Action Item and Wrap Up *Additional time may be included for further discussion. Registration To save your spot, complete this registration form! Questions For questions, contact: Cristina Codario | Trying Together | cristina@tryingtogether.org Lindsey Ramsey | Trying Together | lindsey@tryingtogether.org About No Small Matter No Small Matter is the first feature documentary to explore the most overlooked, underestimated, and powerful force for good in America today: early childhood education. Through poignant stories and surprising humor, the film lays out the overwhelming evidence for the importance of the first five years, and reveals how our failure to act on that evidence has resulted in an everyday crisis for American families, and a slow-motion catastrophe for the country.
Mindfulness in Early Childhood: Practical Strategies for Immediate Use Join the Office of Childhood Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) for their webinar “Mindfulness in Early Childhood: An Overview with Practical Strategies for Immediate Use” to learn about key phrases and techniques that reduce stress and increase awareness in early childhood education. About This webinar will provide a general overview of mindfulness with a strong focus on how you can use key phrases and techniques in your professional life and in working with families to support stress reduction and an increase in awareness. In addition, the intent is to provide access to these same tools to reduce the burdens and stressors faced by the families with whom you work. The key component will be to focus on “attention” and “the now” as it pertains to the space between what is happening in the moment and your response. The ability to become aware of our emotions and regulate the manner in which we respond will support the work that you do on a daily basis. Opportunities will be afforded for self-reflection and the application of these tools in the future. You will leave this webinar with practical strategies and resources that you can implement immediately. Additional resources will also be shared that will enable you to move forward in your own journey of exploring mindfulness. Registration Interested individuals can register to attend the live webinar on the following dates: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Thursday, April 23, 2020 | 1 – 3 p.m. To register and learn more, visit the event webpage. Both webinars will be recorded and made available for viewing on the Pennsylvania Family Support Programs website.
March 20, 2020 Literacy in a Time of Rapid Change: Strategies & Resources for Virtual Learning Join literacy experts, authors, and experienced virtual educators, Dr. Troy Hicks and Shaelynn Farnsworth, for the webinar, “Literacy in a Time of Rapid Change: Strategies and Resources for Virtual Learning,” as they discuss resources and strategies to best support remote teaching and learning. About In this webinar, presenters will explore ways to virtually teach and engage students in literacy learning by sharing curricular content, edtech tools, resources, communities, and tips to get participants thinking critically and creatively in this time of crisis. As educators are working to meet the needs of all students virtually, it is important to also be mindful of issues related to equity, accessibility, and student populations with special needs. This webinar will be of interest to kindergarten through higher education teachers, librarians, school and district leaders, curriculum and instruction, TOSAs and coaches, assistant superintendents, and tech directors. There will be time to have your questions answered at the end of the presentation. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
March 17, 2020 Bullying Prevention and SEL: What Can I Do Now? Are you interested in learning best practices in social-emotional learning and bullying prevention? Join Leah Galkowski from the Center for Safe Schools on March 24 for her webinar, “Bullying Prevention and SEL: What Can I Do Now?” About The research tells us that evidence-based practices in social-emotional learning and bullying prevention help students to be successful in school. The question is: “What does that look like?” This interactive webinar will provide a brief overview of best practices in social-emotional learning and bullying prevention. Participants will be provided with some simple, hands-on strategies to implement in their schools and classrooms that will support students and teachers in building a positive, cohesive, and welcoming environment. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage!
Social-Emotional Learning and Equity: Follow the Data Join Education Week on March 25 for their webinar, “Social Emotional Learning and Equity: Follow the Data.” About Providing equitable opportunities for young people’s social, emotional, and academic growth is paramount. Equity in education goes deeper than providing equal education to all students. Equity in education is providing each student with the education they need to live and thrive. Hear the most recent findings of ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning and how SEL can be leveraged to promote equity. Get a first-hand look at some of the most recent data compiled, using measures of SEL achievement across diverse populations, and an understanding of which approaches yield the most substantive results. And briefly preview ACT’s SEL Solutions—evidence-based K-12 student curriculum, a suite of ELL options, educator professional development, and assessment—that align with CASEL’s 5 core competencies. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage. *Information provided by Education Week
March 16, 2020 Strategies for eLearning Days in the Wake of COVID-19 With many schools and learning centers closing for a period of time due to coronavirus (COVID-19), educators are utilizing technology to offer learning opportunities to students at home. Join the State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA) on March 17 for their webinar to learn more about implementing “eLearning Days.” About In this webinar, presenters will provide essential resources for state, district, and school administrators and teachers as they prepare for eLearning Days in the wake of school closings related to the COVID-19 virus. Launched by SETDA with the support of AT&T, the SETDA Coalition for eLearning will compile and provide resources on eLearning for state education agencies and school districts at no cost. The Coalition will also support leaders and spark innovation around eLearning related to the COVID-19 virus, as well as inevitable inclement weather and other disruptive events. A school-based experience in eLearning Days will provide first-hand experience of planning and implementing eLearning Days. This webinar is suitable for kindergarten through high school teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders. Time for questions will be provided. Register To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
March 6, 2020 Washington County Focus Week Urges Increased Investments In March 2020, Trying Together, Pre-K for PA, and Start Strong PA are co-hosting the Washington County Focus Week to highlight the need for increased child care and pre-kindergarten investments in future Pennsylvania budgets. About Taking place from March 9 through March 13, 2020, the Washington County Focus Week seeks to: highlight quality infant and toddler child care in Washington and Allegheny County; thank state policymakers for investments in high-quality early learning programs; document continued unmet need for high-quality child care and pre-k in Washington and Allegheny County; and urge state policymakers to make high-quality child care and pre-k top priorities in future state budgets to increase access to and the affordability of these critical programs. The Washington County Focus Week is one of many to come. Pre-K For PA, Start Strong PA, and campaign partner organizations like Trying Together will host additional Focus Weeks in districts across the Commonwealth throughout the year. These weeks were developed, in part, due to the need for increased child care funding in the Pennsylvania state budget, as 73 percent of eligible children under the age of five are not receiving high-quality child care services. Why It Matters According to the Committee for Economic Development’s 2019 Child Care in State Economies Fact Sheet, the average annual cost of child care for an infant in Pennsylvania is $11,560 in a child care center. That is roughly 21 percent of the state’s median income and 80 percent of the cost of tuition and fees at a four-year state college in Pennsylvania. These costs remain a major barrier for many parents and caregivers, especially those who are seeking to enter, re-enter, or remain in the workforce. Issues of access are not limited to child care, however, as 56 percent of eligible three- and four-year-olds in Pennsylvania do not have access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-k according to recent data from KIDS COUNT: Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. Locally, 55 percent of eligible children in Washington County do not have access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-k. Both Pre-K For PA and Start Strong PA commented on the most recent 2020-2021 Pennsylvania State Budget proposal, stating, “Although the Governor’s budget proposal utilizes $15.3 million in federal funding toward child care subsidy base rates, this proposal will have no impact in addressing the list of children waiting to gain access to subsidized care or improve the quality of that care.” No Small Matter Screening On March 12 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Collier Community Center (which lies on the border of Washington and Allegheny Counties in Oakdale, Pennsylvania) Washington County constituents are invited to attend a free screening and panel discussion of the early childhood documentary, No Small Matter. Through poignant stories and surprising humor, No Small Matter lays out the overwhelming evidence for the importance of the first five years of life and reveals how our failure to act on that evidence has resulted in an everyday crisis for American families, and a slow-motion catastrophe for the entire country. These crises are playing out in Pennsylvania, as families and caregivers across the Commonwealth are struggling to access high-quality pre-kindergarten and child care programs. Panelists will include: Senator Camera Bartolotta Representative Jason Ortitay Representative Timothy J. O’Neal Donna Shriver, SmartKids Child Care & Learning Center Audra Redick, The University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development Visit our event webpage to register and learn more! More Information For more information about the Washington County Focus Week and the additional early learning advocacy efforts of Trying Together, contact Cristina Codario, Public Policy Regional Coordinator at 412.567.3673 or cristina@tryingtogether.org. For more information about Pre-K For PA or Start Strong PA, visit www.prekforpa.org and www.startstrongpa.org online respectively.
March 5, 2020 New Early Childhood Mental Health Survey Available The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) invites early childhood education professionals, family members, higher education staff, and mental, physical, and oral healthcare professionals to take a brief survey regarding their experiences and communications around early social-emotional development. Survey results will be used to assist the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMH) Project in developing tools for families and professionals to use in understanding and obtaining supports around early childhood social-emotional health. Take the Survey Click here to complete the survey. All surveys must be submitted by April 7, 2020. More Information on Early Childhood Mental Health For more information about the IECMH Project, visit the Pennsylvania Key website. For more early childhood related news, please visit Trying Together’s News Section here. *Information provided by The Pennsylvania Key
March 3, 2020 Managing Infectious Diseases in Early Education and Child Care Settings Join the national American Academy of Pediatrics on March 11 for a one-hour webinar to learn more about two new tools that help professionals meet national early education and child care training requirements for managing infectious diseases. Included Topics Participants will learn about the following: the important role managing infectious diseases training plays in early childhood settings; a free, new online managing infectious diseases module for any early learning provider; a free, fully downloadable managing infectious diseases training curriculum that can be tailored for your audience’s needs; and training tips that can help you share information about managing infectious diseases with your early care and education community. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage. More Information For more information, contact Eleni Victoria at evictoria@aap.org.
