September 18, 2020 What We Can Learn from Children About Mindfulness Are you interested in gaining a deeper understanding of how to practice mindfulness together with young children? Join Gryphon House on October 14 for their webinar, “What We Can Learn from Children About Mindfulness to Transform Our Learning Environments.” About During this webinar, Dr. Elizabeth Joy Erwin, Professor of Education at Montclair State University, will discuss why we have so much to learn from children, especially the youngest ones; how to develop and maintain a culture of mindfulness; and simple mindfulness practices to engage in starting now. By discovering how to integrate simple ideas and practical strategies to calm the body and quiet the mind, educators can select the exact tools they want to ensure all children learn and thrive. This webinar is best suited for PreK-5 teachers, librarians, therapists, and school and district leaders. Time for questions will be provided. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
September 15, 2020 Advancing Anti-Racist Instruction in K-12 Curriculum Are you interested in learning concrete strategies for implementing anti-racist content in your school or district? Join EdSurge on October 14 for their webinar, “Advancing Anti-Racist Instruction in K-12 Curriculum.” About In this webinar, participants will learn how educators, schools, and districts can and should intentionally interrogate representation within their curriculum and support anti-racism more broadly. In a time when actively anti-racist content is urgently needed in virtual and in-person classrooms alike, representative voices, diverse perspectives, and unheard narratives can still be hard to find in instructional content. Hear from a panel of experts and education leaders about concrete strategies for implementing anti-racist content in your school or district, across subject areas and grade levels. Participants will also hear from school and district leaders about strategies for taking a multi-pronged approach. Learning Objectives During this webinar, participants will learn how to: support anti-racism during remote learning; develop robust instructional content that promotes anti-racism; build an anti-racist culture and safe community in virtual and in-person spaces; support teacher training on anti-racism; and create buy-in for school and district-wide anti-racism efforts. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
September 14, 2020 CelebratED: 2020 Virtual Celebration Join the Grable Foundation on World Teachers’ Day to celebrate the wonderful educators of the Pittsburgh region and explore the future of education. This is a one-hour virtual event. Multiple viewing times available. About During the CelebratED: 2020 Virtual Celebration, the Grable Foundation will highlight the voices of educators, students, and parents as they describe the importance of educators and share their thoughts on how our communities can remake education. Highlights of the virtual event include the following: a keynote address by Deepak Ramola of Project Fuel; a DJ set by Pittsburgh Dilworth PreK-5 Teacher Joseph Wilk; storyteller Shannon Reed, author of “Why Did I Get a B?”; a performance by Alumni Theater Company; and soaring ideas, hard questions, and good thoughts expressed by innovators, agitators, and provocateurs. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
August 18, 2020 Virtual UnConference: Caring in a “New Normal” Join Trying Together from September 14–23, 2020 for our second free Virtual UnConference: Caring in a ‘New Normal’. PQAS and Act 48 credit hours will be available. Registration is required. About Virtual UnConference: Caring in a ‘New Normal’ will feature a panel discussion and three workshops on topics including finance, interacting with young children, and social-emotional health during the COVID-19 health crisis. This UnConference will build on guidance shared during our first Virtual UnConference: Re-Opening to Our ‘New Normal’. To watch a recording, visit our UnConference page. Featured Workshops Positive Interactions During the Pandemic Monday, September 14, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. | Register In this workshop, Sarah Grubb from ELRC Region 5 will walk early childhood educators through the essential elements of positive interaction, the educator’s role in co-regulation, and strategies for supporting children best through positive, day-to-day interactions. A Conversation on How to Support the Social/Emotional Needs of Children Thursday, September 17, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. | Register Join Diana Schwab for a conversation and Q&A focused on the social and emotional needs of children. In this workshop, participants will discuss early childhood social and emotional development with a particular focus on how children communicate social and emotional needs through behavior. This workshop will also discuss how to focus a child’s behaviors as a communication of developmental strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as mental health needs. Building a Foundation for Your Organization’s Financial Wellness Monday, September 21, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. | Register This workshop will discuss the importance of building a business plan and budget as the foundation of your organization’s financial wellness, especially during this time of changing external forces due to COVID-19. Presenter Chris Pentrack of Supporting Strategies will suggest beginner tools and methods to build these items, as well as resources for additional assistance. Presenters will discuss topics such as profit and loss statements, balance sheets, monitoring, and forecasting cash for the organization. Providing Safe and Healthy Care in Child Care Now and Beyond the Pandemic Wednesday, September 23, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. | Register This workshop will feature a panel of directors who will discuss the measurements currently being followed to prevent the spread of illness in their individual child care programs. A portion of the conversation will include health and wellness tips that can help support your staff and teachers during these challenging times. The discussion will conclude by identifying which health and safety practices will most likely be permanently incorporated into everyday practice moving forward beyond COVID-19. Registration Registration for this UnConference is being completed on the PD Registry. If you do not have a PD Registry account, please complete this online form to create one. If you are unable to create an account, please contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org for more information. Click the links below to register for each workshop you are interested in. Registration is required. Positive Interactions During the Pandemic Monday, September 14, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. A Conversation on How to Support the Social/Emotional Needs of Children Thursday, September 17, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Building a Foundation for Your Organization’s Financial Wellness Monday, September 21, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Providing Safe and Healthy Care in Child Care Now and Beyond the Pandemic Wednesday, September 23, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. More Information For questions, contact UnConference Director Yu-Ling Cheng at conference@tryingtogether.org.
August 17, 2020 Online CDA Credential Courses Available Are you an early educator who is working with young children? Are you looking to advance your career? Join Trying Together for our nine-month online CDA courses to complete coursework with an experienced instructor and receive a nationally recognized credential upon completion! Available Courses Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential Course (FULL) September 8, 2020 – May 31, 2021 | Online | This course is full. Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential Course: North Side* September 14, 2020 – May 31, 2021 | Online | This course is full. More Information For questions or more information, please contact Theresa Hetler at theresa@tryingtogether.org.
July 17, 2020 Antiracist Dialogues for Action: Antiracist Out-of-School Time Programs Are you interested in learning, sharing knowledge, and working together with fellow changemakers to dismantle racism and injustice? Join ELIE Circle on August 12 for “Antiracist Dialogues for Action: Antiracist Out-of-School Time Programs.” About On August 12, ELIE Circle will hold the second virtual meeting of the Antiracist Dialogues for Action – convenings for out-of-school time educators (e.g., afterschool staff, librarians, teaching artists, researchers) to learn, share knowledge, and work together to dismantle racism and injustice. The dialogues consist of the following: a 30-minute presentation providing context, research, and historical perspectives on main dialogue topics; a 45-minute small group dialogue on a related subtopic for participants to a) share collective knowledge and b) work with other educators to determine goals and next steps; and a 15-minute closing and larger group share out. All dialogues are designed for educators which includes those that are working directly with young people in any capacity and those at out-of-school-time organizations without direct contact. These dialogues are categorized in two categories: Educators and Youth Work. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
July 7, 2020 CDA Community of Practice Are you an early educator who is interested in advancing your career? Join Trying Together starting July 14 for our six-week online course, “CDA Community of Practice.” About This online course is intended for individuals who have completed the necessary hours and requirements for a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. During this community of practice, participants will explore the current theory, research, and best practices related to early childhood. Participants will focus on the completion of portfolio requirements, as well as preparation for the CDA credential exam. This course will be hosted on Zoom. Participants will receive the Zoom link via email from the course instructor. For questions, contact Theresa Hetler at theresa@tryingtogether.org. Course Details Timeline: July 14 – August 18, 2020 (Six Weeks) Sessions will be held every Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. Instructor: Theresa Hetler, Workforce Development Strategist Course Type: Online (Zoom Meetings) Registration Deadline: Friday, July 10 Registration To register for this course, contact Theresa Hetler at theresa@tryingtogether.org. Space is extremely limited. Registrations must be submitted no later than Friday, July 10. More Information For questions, contact Theresa Hetler at theresa@tryingtogether.org.
July 6, 2020 Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms Are you interested in learning how institutional racism becomes present in early childhood environments? Sign up to receive a recording of the live webinar “Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms: A Response to Racism in America” on July 8. About In this webinar, the lead authors of the newly released book, Don’t Look Away, Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms, will participate in a roundtable discussion on how to explore and address issues of bias, equity, low expectations, and family engagement to ensure culturally responsive experiences. Equipped with the tools and strategies to promote classroom change, educators will be empowered to do the following: learn how institutional racism becomes present in early childhood environments; discover how implicit bias, microaggression, and white privilege can play a role in undermining the learning experiences of marginalized Black and brown children and those who teach them; embrace anti-bias and anti-racist teaching approaches; and implement best practices for creating culturally-rich and supportive classroom environments that protect children from social-emotional and psychological trauma by affirming personal healing. This webinar will be of interest to pre-k through elementary teachers; school and district leaders; coaches; trainers; and child care providers, owners, and administrators. Registration Live access to this event is sold out. Sign up to receive the event recording by visiting edWeb.net.
June 29, 2020 Connections and Conversations: The Power of Self-Compassion Are you interested in learning about the important role authentic relationships play in the early learning and development of young children? Join Trying Together on August 5 at 6 p.m. for our online session, “Connections and Conversations: The Power of Self-Compassion.” About Connections and Conversations Virtual Check-Ins are interactive sessions that highlight topics of interest to the field of early childhood education. Participants will engage in virtual discussions via Zoom with child development experts while interacting with early learning practitioners to share questions, experiences, and expertise about the highlighted topic. This session will highlight how children benefit greatly from authentic relationships with the adults in their lives. It will explore how the critical messages we learned from our childhood affect our interactions and relationships with children in our care. We will utilize self-reflection as a tool to develop self-compassion to build our intentional use of compassion in early learning environments. Participants will receive the course Zoom link via email within 24 hours before the start date for the course. For questions, contact Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org or Sarah Grubb at sarah.elrc5@alleghenycounty.us. Session Details Session Date: Wednesday, August 5 | 6 – 7 p.m Instructors: Mimi Loughead CKC: K6.4 C2 CDA Subject Area: Supporting children’s social and emotional development. Registrations must be submitted by Monday, August 3. Space is limited. Sessions will be offered biweekly and will offer one hour of PQAS credit. Act 48 credit will not be offered. Registration To register and learn more, visit the course webpage. Session Rules and Guidelines These virtual discussions are designed to provide educators the opportunity to grow professionally and share knowledge on early childhood topics. During the meeting, participants should follow the guidelines below to ensure a successful virtual meeting for all participants. Please allow all participants a chance to speak. Listen respectfully and actively. Commit to learning about each other, not to debating the topic. Embrace differences of opinion as healthy and support each person’s authentic self-expression. Participants will be muted for the beginning portion of the session. Participants may use the “Raise Hand” feature in Zoom to request an opportunity to comment or ask a question. Individuals will be temporarily unmuted by the moderator. Participants may type a comment or question in the Chat or may send comments or questions directly to the moderator for them to share. To receive PQAS credit, you must complete an evaluation at the end of the session and include your PD Registry number. Have fun, make connections, and engage in the conversations! More Information For questions or more information, please contact Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
