April 9, 2019 Month of the Young Child: Celebrating Early Childhood With Trying Together having designated April as the Month of the Young Child (MOYC), Kidsburgh asked Executive Director Cara Ciminillo to explain why access to high-quality early childhood care and education is so vital for our youngest generation. Overview In the article, Ciminillo explains why access to early learning and care is critical and moves on to discuss the roles of advocacy, policy, and investments. Identifying connections to Trying Together’s public policy agenda, Ciminillo explains that by successfully advocating for increased investments in early childhood, we’re working to ensure that all young children have access to affordable, high-quality programs; that all early childhood professionals are being compensated appropriately; and that all early childhood programs have access to the support they need to provide high-quality services. Article To read the full article, visit Kidsburgh’s website!
April 3, 2019 PAsmart Announces Grant Awardees In February 2019, Governor Tom Wolf announced funding for PAsmart Apprenticeship and Next Generation Industry Partnerships grants which will connect Pennsylvanians with the information needed to succeed in our evolving economy. About PAsmart PAsmart is focused on ensuring Pennsylvania students and workers have the skills and abilities to meet the economic needs of the 21st century. This initiative aims to do this by expanding access to STEM education in Pennsylvania schools, embracing the Next Generation Industry Partnership model, and creating the Apprenticeship and Training Office to increase apprenticeship opportunities within a variety of industries. OCDEL’s Role The Office of Child Development and Early Learning supports the efforts of PA’s Department of Labor and Industry and is working with them to professionalize the early education field. Efforts include increasing access to a career pathway that results in stackable, portable credentials, and providing relevant, developmentally and culturally appropriate content to support educators working with young children to advance their individual career and education progression. Organization Grantees The following organizations will be supported through PAsmart funds: 1100c Training and Upgrading Fund: Will expand their apprenticeship model in Southeastern Pennsylvania Partner4Work: Will establish a regional hub for Early Childhood Education registered apprenticeships in the Pittsburgh Metro Area Keystone University: Will partner with Lackawanna Trail High School, Luzerne County Community College, and Wilkes University to build an Early Childhood Education (ECE) pipeline through a competency-based apprenticeship that leads to an entry-level ECE credential Shippensburg University: Will design curriculum and develop advanced competencies to expand the Philadelphia ECE apprenticeship to four-year programs Arcadia University: Will expand their RA program for ECE First Up and its partners: Will expand upon apprenticeship supports and program to provide career paths in ECE Learn More For more information, visit pasmart.gov. * Information provided by OCDEL’s PA Early Ed Newsletter
March 29, 2019 Trauma-Informed Care: Training Session Our past experiences – personal, familial, societal – influence our brain development and shape how we interpret and respond to the world. Sometimes adults do not recognize how these experiences manifest as behaviors and they unintentionally harm children. This introductory session is designed to change participants’ approach to the behaviors children exhibit to decrease the likelihood of triggering them. Session Objectives Participants will be introduced to the Trauma-Informed Care framework. Participants will become familiar with the foundations of Trauma-Informed Care. Participants will understand complex trauma and the parts of the brain related to trauma. Participants will learn to recognize the impacts of trauma. To pre-register for this session, visit their Eventbrite page. *A certificate of participation will be given upon request. Session Focus Areas General Overview Trauma-Informed Care Framework Complex Trauma including Brain Development Impacts of Trauma What ELIE Circle Is Bringing Self-Reflection Self-Care Growth Mindset Intentionally Building Relationships Importance Barriers including Race and Gender Techniques Communication Importance Barriers Techniques including Motivational Interviewing, Empathic Communication, Restorative Practices About ELIE Circle ELIE Circle works to eliminate that through professional development training sessions that create trauma-informed communities – environments that focus on not re-traumatizing individuals and assist with development that may have been lost or delayed due to trauma – emotion regulation and empathy for example. ELIE Circle provides the following professional development services: Collaboration to create training sessions for organizations Consultation on creating trauma-informed out-of-school programs Facilitation of discussions with Q&A *Each customer receives a free consultation meeting to discuss organizational needs. Questions & Concerns For any questions or concerns, contact Debralyn Woodberry-Shaw, MSW, LSW at eliecircle@gmail.com.
Hello Robo: Early STEM Robotics Robots provide unseen services across industries, including transportation, medical, and manufacturing. Early learners need the foundational STEM skills that allow them to imagine and build the robots of the future. About the Event Join the Carnegie Science Center Teaching Excellence Academy for a professional development workshop where participants will use resources from NAEYC and other STEM experts to examine developmentally appropriate concepts to prepare students for robotics technologies. Educators will discover hands-on, standards-aligned activities they can do right away, even if they don’t have a robot — yet! This professional development opportunity is for pre-K through 2nd-grade teachers. About the Academy Carnegie Science Center’s Teaching Excellence Academy offers opportunities for educators in all grade levels, with specific workshops in STEM, early learner education, and digital fabrication. Act 48 credit is provided upon successful completion of each workshop. In addition to onsite workshops, the Science Center offers multiple opportunities for professional development to be delivered at local sites throughout the academic year. For more information, visit their website. Registration & Questions To register or ask questions, contact Toni Stith at StithT@CarnegieScienceCenter.org or 412.237.1616.
March 27, 2019 P.R.I.D.E. Seeks Early Educators & Artists for Upcoming Art Festivals Recently, the Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education program (P.R.I.D.E.) announced a call for submissions to Pittsburgh-based early childhood educators and Africana artists for the P.R.I.D.E. Pop Up Mini Art Festivals. About the Festivals Modeled after children’s activities offered during the popular Harambee || Black Arts Festivals, P.R.I.D.E. Pop Ups are small, half-day, outdoor art festivals hosted in three Pittsburgh communities: East Liberty, Homewood, and the Hill District. At the festivals, artists and educators engage young children (ages 3 to 8) and their families in hands-on activities. The goal is for adults to use art activities to teach children about their race and culture while building their positive racial identity. To see important dates and learn more, visit the P.R.I.D.E. website. Who Can Apply This call for submissions is open to early educators teaching grades Pre-K to 3rd grade and Africana artists working in the following disciplines: Literature, Performing Arts, Visual Arts & Crafts, and/or Multidisciplinary Arts. Applications are open to early childhood educators from all neighborhoods, schools, and child care settings, including public, private, charter, etc. Educators working in East Liberty, Homewood, and Hill District schools/settings are highly encouraged to apply. Participating educators and artists will receive the following compensation: Educator and Artist Cross-Training Compensation: $275 Educator and Artist Festival Participation Compensation: $260 per event ($780 total) End-of-Project Focus Group Participation Compensation: $25 Artist Material Stipend: $400 Application & Deadlines If you’re interested in applying or signing up as a volunteer, please visit the P.R.I.D.E. website. All applications must be submitted by Friday, April 5 at 11:59 p.m. About P.R.I.D.E. As a part of the University of Pittsburgh School of Education’s Office of Child Development, P.R.I.D.E. is a multifaceted program designed to help young African American children (ages 3 to 8) develop a positive racial identity, support teachers and parents by building their racial knowledge, and raise awareness of the impact of race on young children. The program provides a range of services, such as training opportunities for educators and artists, Parent Village sessions for Black children, and art festivals created to immerse young Black children in a space designed to celebrate them. See the P.R.I.D.E. Pop Up Mini Art Festivals flyer. *Information provided by the P.R.I.D.E. Program
March 15, 2019 Engaging Early Learners with Technology: Sharing Research and Best Practices About In this edWebinar, the presenters will discuss the best practices for technology use with young children (birth through age five) and their families. They will also discuss how to support early childhood educators in grades K-3 with effective technology strategies. Research on technology use in early childhood education from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Common Sense Media will provide the framework for this discussion. With digital devices becoming more readily available in school settings, the logistics of implementing technology in the classroom as a tool for learning must be examined in order to utilize emerging technology most effectively. Roundtable The edWebinar will also share insights from a roundtable facilitated by Hi5!, a kindergarten readiness and registration campaign in the Greater Pittsburgh Region. The roundtable served as a professional development and networking event for over 20 school districts to share best practices for how they are using technology to support the transition to kindergarten for students and families. The discussion included developmentally appropriate technology use across the early childhood continuum. Audience This presentation will be of interest to preK-3 teachers and school leaders. There will be time to get your questions answered at the end of the presentation. Be sure to view and share this event flyer (PDF) with your network. For more information and registration, click here.
ADP Symposium 2019: Multilingual and Multicultural Education for Young Children Join Trying Together and the University of Pittsburgh School of Education for the annual ADP Symposium. This year’s topic is on multilingual and multicultural education in early childhood, featuring keynote presenter Dr. Beth Sondel from the University of Pittsburgh, and panelists Dr. Vincenne Revilla Beltran from Point Park University, Dr. Xia Chao from Duquesne University, Stephany McMullen from the AIU Latino Family Center, and Dr. Shannon Wanless from the University of Pittsburgh. Monday, April 1, 2019 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. University of Pittsburgh David Lawrence Hall Purpose This symposium aims to explore the importance of multilingual and multicultural education for young children and educate current and aspiring teachers and childcare workers on how to engage in multilingual and multicultural developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood classrooms. It also touches on building inclusive and diverse curricula for all classrooms. Pittsburgh is on the rise as one of the most diverse cities and has an increasing population of immigrant and refugee families over the past few years. This creates need for equal representation of languages and cultures in educational settings, and for this curriculum to be included in childcare institutions and homes. Opportunity By joining Trying Together—which serves young children and families in supporting education—and the Pitt School of Education, we see this as an opportunity for an open dialogue about educational growth for young children from the perspective of a culturally responsive approach. It will also promote awareness of the benefits of multilingual and multicultural education for young children, neurologically, psychologically, and socio-emotionally. Register This event is sold out and is no longer accepting registrations.
March 12, 2019 The P.R.I.D.E. Speaker Series: Nurturing Black Children About Join The P.R.I.D.E. Program for an evening of engaging discussions on Thursday, May 2 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Library – Homewood Auditorium. Keynote This event features Muffy Mendoza. Mendoza is an author, parent, and founder of Pittsburgh Brown Mamas, a support from for mothers of color. Her keynote will focus on how parents and educators can team together to nurture young Black children. Following the keynote, she will join a panel discussion of strategies that support young children’s positive racial identity. Schedule 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. Doors open 5:30 – 6:00 p.m. Keynote Speech, Muffy Mendoza 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. Panel Discussion 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. Book Signing, The Brown Mama Mindset CHILD CARE: Child care will be available for parents and caregivers. Please make sure to register for child care when you register for the event. CAN’T GO?: We’ll miss you- but please let us know! You can cancel your order on Event Brite, or send us a message so your ticket can go to the next guest on the waitlist. Meet the Speaker Muffy Mendoza, Author, Speaker, Parent, and founder of BrownMamas. Muffy Mendoza is a mother of three boys, an author, an entrepreneur, and a dynamic speaker. Her 2018 book blueprint The Brown Mama Mindset, serves as a guidebook for Black moms on life, love, and home and was featured at the 2018 Essence Festival. She also founded Pittsburgh Brown Mamas, a support group for mothers in Pittsburgh, and has been featured as TEDx speaker.
March 7, 2019 9th Annual Student Affiliate Dinner About This event celebrates local early childhood education students and the community as we explore the power and necessity of equity in education. A panel of students from diverse backgrounds will share their stories of the educators who have impacted their educational journeys. Dr. Melissa Sherfinski, a scholar in the field of early childhood education, will invite guests to share in the conversation and explore how educators can empower students. Details Tickets are $20 per person. Guests may access Commissioners Hall through one entrance where a registration table will be located. The event will take place in: Rooms 2303 and 2304; and the Laurel, Vidmer, and Mon Valley Dining Rooms. The buffet dinner will include gluten-free and vegetarian options. In keeping with tradition, attendees are asked to bring a basket donation for the event. Registration for this event is closed. Questions Vicki Hricik, Education/Pre-K-Grade Program Support 724-925-4013 hricikv@westmoreland.edu
Annual Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference About NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania’s annual Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference is Friday, March 8, 2019, at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott. This event will offer skills needed to improve the lives of children with mental health needs and give better understanding of best practices and research in children’s mental health. Who Should Attend? This event is for parents and caregivers, health professionals, health care providers, and educators. Registration Registration is now closed. Walk-ins are welcome. For questions, email Sara Levine Steinberg at slsteinberg@namikeystonepa.org. For more information, please go to: https://www.namikeystonepa.org/education/conferences/2019-child-and-adolescent-mental-health-conference/
