October 28, 2020 Listen to Black Women: What’s it like to be a Black Woman in Pittsburgh? Are you a Black woman in Pittsburgh who is interested in sharing your experiences with other Black women in Pittsburgh? Join the Black Women’s Policy Agenda on November 14 for “Listen to Black Women: What’s it like to be a Black Woman in Pittsburgh?” About Fixing Pittsburgh’s problems starts with listening to Black women! That’s why the Black Women’s Policy Agenda has launched a survey and is facilitating a series of community conversations where Black women share their experiences with other Black women. This event is designed to elevate the voices and experiences of Black women in Pittsburgh. It’s the first step to building collective power among Black women, advocating for the needs of Black women, and advancing policy to achieve racial and gender justice in this region. Take the Survey The Black Women’s Policy Agenda is conducting a survey to hear from 250 women in the Pittsburgh region to discover how they are dealing with the double crisis of COVID-19, anti-Black violence, and being a Black woman overall. To complete the survey, visit the Black Women’s Policy Agenda website. Registration To register, visit the event webpage. Participants will receive a $25 gift card. Share this flyer with your network.
September 9, 2020 Connections and Conversations: Infant Sensory Experiences Are you interested in learning about the importance of sensory development in infants and toddlers? Join Trying Together on September 16 for our online session, “Connections and Conversations: Infant Sensory Experiences.” About Connections and Conversations Virtual Check-Ins are biweekly interactive sessions that highlight topics of interest to the field of early childhood education. Participants engage in virtual discussions with child development experts while interacting with early learning practitioners to share questions, experiences, and expertise about the highlighted topic. Sessions offer one hour of PQAS credit. Act 48 credit will not be provided. This session will define and explore the processes of sensory integration and the importance of sensory development in infants and toddlers. Participants will receive an overview of infant sensory development and ways to contribute to children’s learning within classroom settings as well as adaptations that can be made for students with behaviors due to the way they process sensory experiences differently. Participants will be lead in creating various developmentally friendly sensory toys with objects found in their own homes. Session Details Session Date: Wednesday, September 16 | 6 – 7 p.m Instructors: Jennifer McKain and Alicia Sebastian CKC: Child Growth and Development CDA Subject Area: Principles of Child Growth & Development Registration Deadline: Tuesday, September 15 Registration To register, visit the course PD Registry page. Space is limited. Participants will receive the course Zoom link via email within 24 hours before the start date for the course. For questions, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org. 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 Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org.
May 7, 2020 Help Allegheny County Plan for the Future The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of all Allegheny County residents. While we cannot be certain what the future holds, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (ACDHS) is looking to prepare for different contingencies. By beginning their preparation now, ACDHS seeks to ensure its systems are ready to adapt quickly as the situation continues to progress. With this, ACDHS is seeking community survey responses to better understand residents’ experiences and challenges during this difficult time. Survey Opportunities ACDHS has created several opportunities for community members to share their ideas on how to help people in Allegheny County during COVID-19 and beyond. Opportunities include the following: How can ACDHS make the system better? What matters most? Is remote help working for you? More Information To learn more, visit their survey webpage. For more information on COVID-19, please visit our regularly updated COVID-19 news-feed.
February 20, 2020 (re)Designing Space(s) Recognize that your space isn’t fitting your organization’s needs as well as it could be? Have you or your team thought about making changes, imagined improvements, or started a plan? Join APOST and their guest presenter Heather Mallak of PUBLIC STUD/O at Sarah Heinz House for this interactive workshop aimed to support your space design efforts! About In this training, participants start with a tour of Sarah Heinz House’s facilities to see how rethinking space design has improved their program, then review some examples of low to high budget, high impact transformations that focus on supporting the identified “design drivers” in your space to help you better mold it to fit the needs of your youth. Participants will gain insights from collaborating professionals—architects, designers, and informal learning space providers–who have undertaken larger scale redesign efforts. You’ll leave this session with insights, techniques, and resources for use in co-designing with your intended audience to improve experience. Lunch will be provided and free parking is available. Registration To register, visit the Eventbrite page. More Information For more information, contact APOST at 412.456.6876.
June 14, 2019 Center for Urban Education Summer Educator Forum Join the Center for Urban Education from July 18 to July 20 for their 2019 Summer Educator Forum. About The Center for Urban Education Summer Educator Forum (CUESEF) is a professional learning experience for education professionals, including pre- and practicing educators in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region, that focuses on Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline. Act 48 credits are available. During this intensive forum, participants from PreK-12 from all subject areas will deepen their knowledge and understanding of the topic, while experiencing a series of workshops and keynote speakers, including Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: The Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. Registration Registration is required; fees vary. To register, visit the CUESEF event page. Learn More To learn more and see the forum schedule, visit the Center for Urban Education website. Share this flyer with your network.
December 12, 2018 Child Development Associate Courses Available In partnership with the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC) is offering a series of courses that fulfill the educational training requirements for the infant-toddler, preschool, or renewal Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials. Additionally, a series of professional development courses are available that can be taken individually for required DHS training hours or as a full 3-hour college credit course. Available Courses Child Development Associate Based on the CDA pursued, students may choose from the following courses, which will be offered at the Youngwood campus and by Web Conferencing (video conference) to all WCCC education centers: Child Health, Safety & Nutrition – ECE 190-CDA May 13 – July 29, 2019, Web Conference Observation & Assessment – ECE 191-CDA January 15 —April 30, 2019 Choose one: Infant & Toddler Development – ECE 179-CDA April 15—July 29, 2019 Child Growth & Development – ECE 180-CDA April 4—July 25, 2019 For more information, see this flyer. Early Childhood Professional Development Child Health, Safety & Nutrition – ECE 190-KU January 16 – May 1, 2019, Westmoreland-New Kensington For a listing of all available courses, see this flyer. Certification and Costs Each course is three college credits and can be applied towards an Associate degree at Westmoreland County Community College. The initial certifications require three courses, while renewal requires one course. The additional work experience, portfolio, and professional requirements required by the CDA Council must be completed independently by the candidates. Tuition is $210 per course (or $14 per class) and $100 for the textbook. Rising STARS Tuition Assistance and the TEACH Scholarship are both accepted. Registration To register, call 1.800.262.2103, ext. 4204. Questions Questions should be directed to: Dr. Brandi Weekley at 724.925.6715 or weekleyb@westmoreland.edu. Vicki Hricik at 724.925.4013 or hricikv@westmoreland.edu.
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.
Statewide Conversations About Men in ECE Begin Trying Together is partnering with First Up and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) to conduct statewide conversations on how to better recruit, support, and retain qualified men into the field of early childhood education. The topic of male representation in early childhood education (ECE) professions has been a popular discussion for years. In the 2017 Labor Force Statistics Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that men make up only 2.3% of pre-k and kindergartener teachers in the United States of America. Because of this low percentage, organizations and districts are looking deeper into potential causes and solutions to this gap in representation. For individuals interested in contributing to the conversation, contact the representatives below for more information: Rachelle Duffy 412-421-3889, ext. 113 rachelle@tryingtogether.org OR Tyrone Scott 215-893-0130, ext. 242 tyrone.scott@firstup.org Share this flyer with your networks.
