January 21, 2021 Helping Children Befriend Their Emotions Join Youth Yoga Project and the Children’s Museum in a two-hour workshop to learn how to support the emotional health of children ages three and up. This workshop will help educators build a greater understanding of the important role of emotions and imagination in the classroom. About By becoming more familiar with their emotions, and learning an emotional vocabulary, students are able to process and manage their emotions instead of allowing their emotions to overwhelm them. Through mindfulness, children learn accessible ways to befriend their emotions. This workshop is open to all educators who would like to learn strategies to incorporate these concepts into their work with students. Learn how mindfulness can be used as a practical tool for pre-k-12 students to build emotional awareness in children and teens. Educators will leave with specific strategies to empower their students to develop emotional awareness and emotion processing tools through mindfulness. Registration To register, visit the online registration page. Registration closes on January 29, 2021. Each participant will receive electronic workshop materials from Youth Yoga Project prior to the workshop. Two hours of Act 48 credit will be available for Pennsylvania educators. More Information For questions, please contact Taylor Dozier at tdozier@pittsburghkids.org.
September 1, 2020 Stress Management Tools and Techniques Are you interested in learning evidence-based tools parents, teachers, and children can use to self-soothe and regulate their emotions? Join Coach Troy Byer on September 22 for “Stress Management Tools and Techniques.” About In this webinar, Mind Care & Emotion Regulation Expert Troy Byer will highlight tools and tips parents, teachers, and children can use to self-soothe and regulate their emotions – especially when confronted with stressors, threats, or challenges. Coach Troy will help participants learn exercises focused on self-soothing and emotion regulation techniques that address confusion, anger, anxiety, depression, and help children regulate their behavior. Participants will complete this webinar with a toolbox of organic, quick, effective, and fun techniques. Featured Topics This webinar will feature the following topics: how to use Emotion Regulation Finger Holds, how they work, and why they work so well; how to distinguish emotional triggers and how to deactivate a trigger before it is expressed negatively; and the importance of maintaining a state of peace and right brain/left brain coherence and how to organically regulate the experience. Registration To register, visit the event webpage.
August 11, 2020 Free Virtual PD Sessions Available Are you interested in hearing guidance from child development experts? Join Trying Together on August 19 and September 2 for our free virtual professional development sessions! Each session will offer one PQAS credit hour. Both sessions are a part of our interactive Connections and Conversations Virtual Check-In series that features guidance from child development experts, information on the highlighted topic, and opportunities for early learning professionals to share questions, experiences, and expertise. Available Sessions Magda Gerber’s Philosophy of Care for Infants & Toddlers Wednesday, August 19, 2020 | 6 – 7 p.m. Join Trying Together on August 19 to explore the core principles of Magda Gerber’s RIE philosophical approach to educaring for infants and toddlers in the early childhood setting. Participants will have an opportunity to engage in conversations around developmentally appropriate practice for infants and toddlers while reflecting on how to best create a safe, challenging, predictable environment for all children. Supporting Children’s Emotional Wellness with Digital Technologies Wednesday, September 2, 2020 | 6 – 7 p.m. More than ever before, early childhood practitioners play a critical role in supporting children’s social and emotional wellness. Join Trying Together on September 2 for a conversation on promoting children’s communication skills and emotional development through the use of technology and media. Participants will engage in discussion and reflection on their current practice and the impact of COVID-19. More Information For questions or more information, please contact Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
August 4, 2020 Supporting Children’s Emotional Wellness with Digital Technologies More than ever before, early childhood practitioners play a critical role in supporting children’s social and emotional wellness. When used intentionally, digital technologies can serve as tools to help children navigate emotions and express thoughts and feelings. Join Trying Together on September 2 for a conversation on promoting children’s communication skills and emotional development through the use of technology and media. Participants will engage in discussion and reflection on their current practice and the impact of COVID-19. 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. 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. Session Details Session Date: Wednesday, September 2 | 6 – 7 p.m. Instructor: Katie Gullone CKC: K1.4 C2 Registrations must be submitted by Monday, August 31. Space is limited. Sessions will be offered biweekly and will offer one hour of PQAS credit. Act 48 credit will not be offered. Learning Objectives Identify strategies to address children’s social and emotional development through the use of technology and media. Reflect on current practice and the role of technology tools in early childhood environments. Registration To register for this session, complete our online registration form. 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.
June 29, 2020 The Mindful Mindset Are you interested in learning how to incorporate mindful practices into your early learning classroom? Join Trying Together for our three-week, self-paced course, “The Mindful Mindset.” About Through this three-week online course, participants will learn about incorporating mindful practices into their early learning classrooms. Mindfulness has been shown to improve children’s attention spans, social skills, and emotional coping skills. It is also an imperative tool for educators to improve their practice by being more present and understanding with their learners. Even as we face the everyday onslaught of stimuli and emotion, we all possess the capacity for mindfulness. All registrations must be submitted by Wednesday, July 15. Space is limited. Course Details Timeline: July 20 – August 10, 2020 (Three Weeks, Self-Guided) Instructor: Sarah Byrne-Houser and Mimi Loughead CKC: K6.4 C2 CDA Subject Area: Maintaining a commitment to professionalism. Three PQAS and ACT 48 hours available. Registration To register and learn more, visit the course webpage. Please note that participants will not have to attend the virtual course every day during the three-week period. Rather, participants can log on to the virtual course platform at any time during the three-week period to complete the session. More Information For more information, contact Community Engagement Assistant Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
May 27, 2020 Connecting with Families Around What They Care About Are you interested in learning family engagement strategies that value families’ passion for the success of their young children? Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center on June 8 for their course, “Valuing Passion: Connecting with Families Around What They Care About.” About Families demonstrate a wide range of emotions, both positive and negative, as they navigate through their ever-changing experiences with their child. The negative emotions that families sometimes show can be challenging for providers to manage. Reframing these emotions as coming from a family’s passion for their child can strengthen provider’s partnerships with families. In this webinar, presenters will explore ways that providers can value families’ passion. Registration To access the course and learn more, visit the Brazelton Touchpoints Center website. *Information provided by Brazelton Touchpoints Center
May 5, 2020 Managing Mental Health During COVID-19 Join HiMama on May 7 for their HiMama Helps webinar, “Managing Mental Health During COVID-19.” About This online session will cover the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis on well-being, as well as practical strategies to manage mental health. Presenters will discuss the following: the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, why and how to prioritize well-being during this time, practical exercises to do when feeling overwhelmed, and additional tips through a creative Q&A session. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
March 23, 2020 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.
May 7, 2019 Parents Moving Forward Together | Conference Join the Allegheny Family Network for “Parents Moving Forward Together,” a one-day mental health conference focused on supporting our region’s children, caregivers, and educators. Workshops Legislative Panel with Rep. Dan Miller Building Leadership Qualities Connecting Trauma Through Stories Dissecting the IEP Teens: Intense Emotions and Suicidality Registration This event is free, but registration is required for lunch and child care. To register, call 412.246.2030. See the event’s Facebook page. Transportation Buses are available for specific areas. See the bus schedule here. Parking will be available onsite for $5. Free parking is available for Allegheny Family Network families. Share this flyer with your network.
