December 10, 2019 PDE Releases New Family Engagement Framework The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has released the Pennsylvania Family Engagement Birth through College, Career, Community Ready Framework. About The PDE Family Engagement Framework As a collaborative initiative between PDE’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), the Pennsylvania Family Engagement Birth through College, Career, and Community Ready Framework is a tool to guide learning communities in the implementation of effective practices, use of shared language, and application of a family engagement continuum for families across their child’s educational lifespan. With this, the framework includes Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)-aligned Family Engagement resources and information for local education agencies (LEAs). Beginning with early learning programs through K-12, effective family engagement is critical to supporting a child’s learning and development. In fact, research has demonstrated that regardless of socioeconomic background, when schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children perform better academically, enjoy school more, remain in school longer, and have better long-term outcomes such as higher graduation rates, improved post-secondary educational attainment, and increased career readiness. By establishing this framework, PDE seeks to foster a clear path by identifying a set of common standards of how learning communities can plan and implement family engagement practices. Members of Pennsylvania’s learning communities can employ this framework, with communities including programs and schools to which PDE provides funding, guidance, and monitoring. More Information For more information on the framework, visit the PDE’s website. *Information provided by the Pennsylvania Key
August 9, 2019 Involve Parents for Greater English Learner Success Encouraging parents to become involved is the first step toward bringing parents and educators closer together on behalf of their English Learners. From organizing workshops for parents to developing classroom language learning assignments that include families, the process to boost involvement takes commitment—and an action plan. About In this edWebinar, presenters will discuss: the six categories of parental involvement; how educators can incorporate those categories into an effective action plan; best practices and real-world examples from districts around the country; common roadblocks and strategies to overcome the challenges they present a break down of the action plan to help participants begin to incorporate action steps; and strategies of what to do if the action plan falls off track. This edWebinar will be of interest to preK-12 teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders. Register To register for this webinar, visit the EdWeb event page.
July 1, 2019 Theiss Community Resource Fair Join the Family Engagement Team of the Matilda H. Theiss Early Childhood Behavioral Health and Trauma Treatment Center on August 23 for the Theiss Community Resource Fair. About Held at the Hill House Association, the Theiss Community Resource Fair seeks to provide families and the community with information about local organizations and opportunities to engage with Allegheny County Community Providers that serve families and children. More Information For more information or to host a table, contact Ms. Dee Burgess at 412.383.1557. Share this flyer with your network.
June 14, 2019 Family Involvement Conference XLV Join the Pennsylvania Coalition for Parent Involvement this October for the Family Involvement Conference. About The Family Involvement Conference is presented to you by the Pennsylvania Coalition for Parent Involvement Ltd. in collaboration with the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE). This conference is based upon the premise that active family involvement in the education process is the key to effective schools and student achievement. Its goal is to bring together, in a common forum, school administrators, teachers, community members, and parents, to interact and address issues that are vital to academic success and the well being of our children. This includes afterschool and out-of-school-time programs, special needs children and early childhood education. Join with colleagues and parents to share ideas about how to make this partnership a reality in your school. Registration Fees Registration fees vary depending on selected type: Individual Rate with Meals: $450 per person Individual Rate without Meals: $220 per person Group Rate with Meals (5+): $425 per person Group Rate without Meals (5+): $180 per person Day Attendees (with lunch): $135 per person, per day Registration Participants must register for this event, and forms may be submitted via mail, email, or fax. To learn more about how to register, visit the Family Involvement Conference website. Learn More For questions, call 610.250.9455 or visit the Family Involvement Conference website. Share this flyer with your network.
June 3, 2019 Implicit Bias, Cultural Humility, & Parent Engagement Workshop Join the Partnerships for Family Support Office of Child Development on June 27 for their Implicit Bias, Cultural Humility, & Parent Engagement workshop. This training is for staff of centers in the Allegheny County Family Support Network. About This interactive workshop explores various strength-based strategies to increase immigrant and refugee parent engagement. Participants attending this training will have the opportunity to reflect on their current practice, understand and apply the cultural humility perspective when designing and implementing parenting activities, and identify specific steps to enhance their knowledge and skills in working with diverse families. Learning Objectives Participants will: Reflect on how social stereotypes impact their work with immigrant and refugee families; Apply a cultural humility perspective to analyze scenarios and propose solutions that respond to the characteristics and interests of immigrant/refugee families; and Discover key strategies and best practices to develop relationships with diverse families, support families in their parenting, and advocate with them for culturally relevant services and resources. More Information To learn more and register, visit the Eventbrite page.
December 20, 2018 OCDEL Reports Progress on Infant/Toddler Policies In 2017, the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and stakeholders completed a policy scan with National State Capacity Building Center that identified short, medium, and long-term policy goals to support infants and toddlers in Pennsylvania. Goal Progress OCDEL is proud to report progress on those goals: Short-Term Goal The short-term goal to “adopt a shared definition of relationship-based care” across the ECE system is underway. OCDEL and Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) staff, in partnership with the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement, are focusing on Relationship-Based Competencies and developing shared definitions and language across systems. Medium-Term Goal The medium-term goal is to “develop a triaging protocol that creates a system akin to Early Head Start that will connect families of infants and toddlers in child care with comprehensive health (including oral) and family support services in their community.” This goal is reflected in the work of the ELRCs which are charged with ensuring all families have access to needed services beyond child care, such as CHIP, WIC, and family supports, including home visiting. Long-Term Goal The long-term goal is to “explore vouchers and contracts that fund the true cost of serving infants and toddlers.” Through the Infant/Toddler Contracted Slot Pilot, OCDEL is piloting contracted slots for infants and toddlers in Keystone STAR 3 and 4 programs. The pilot seeks to understand how contracted slots can support continuity of care for infants, toddlers, and their families and the financial impact on high-quality providers interested in seeking financial stability for the classrooms serving their youngest learners. More Information Additional details will be released in later editions of the PA Early Ed News. *Information provided by the PA Early Ed News
October 10, 2018 Community Health Advocate Training Program for Fathers The Community Health Advocate Training Program is a three-week training, one Saturday per week, that will prepare you to make lasting change in the health of families and communities! Take this opportunity to learn more about advocacy and community engagement, gain skills in self-care to help you be at your best to care for your family, and learn how to use your own experiences to make changes in your community. You will receive: 25 hours of paid training Free meals and child care during the training A netbook – yours to keep after the training This program runs from November 3 – November 17. Space is limited. For more information, contact Shannon Lawhorn at (412) 723-1342. Share this flyer with your networks.
September 21, 2018 Trying Together Introduces Social Media Policy Today, Trying Together released a Social Media Policy. The purpose of this policy is to establish a set of guidelines for the public to address user expectations, guidelines, and appropriate conduct while engaging with page administrators and fellow fans and followers on Trying Together’s social networking platforms. Through this policy, Trying Together aims to ensure our social media communications build community and provide a space for respectful dialogue. Furthermore, we aim to maintain our brand, identity, and integrity. Please take a moment to review our policy and follow us on our social media platforms: Facebook Twitter Instagram Vimeo Pinterest LinkedIn If you have questions, please contact Maria Pisano, Director of Communications, by email: maria@tryingtogether.org or by phone: 412.421.3889.
