News

January 31, 2020

ECE Advocacy Fellows Complete First Month of Program

Convening for the first time at Trying Together’s main office, 2020 ECE Advocacy Fellows completed their first month of the Fellowship program this January.

About

In January 2020, Trying Together launched its second Early Childhood Education (ECE) Advocacy Fellowship. Now through September, Fellows will meet once per month to gain public policy knowledge, build on their leadership skills, and develop their voices as early childhood advocates.

In January, Fellows met for their first workshop session where they learned about Early Learning PA (ELPA) campaigns, including Start Strong PA, Pre-K for PA, and Childhood Begins at Home, and heard from past Fellows about how to make the most out of their Fellowship experience.

If you’re interested in advocacy, visit our Take Action page!

More Information

If you’re interested in learning more about the Fellowship, visit our webpage, sign-up to receive our newsletters, and follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Updates will be shared as information becomes available.

News

November 26, 2019

2020 Early Childhood Education Advocacy Fellowship

Trying Together invites early care and education professionals to apply to its 2020 Early Childhood Education (ECE) Advocacy Fellowship to strengthen their voice as an early childhood advocate. Online applications are being accepted now through Tuesday, December 31 at 11:59 p.m.

About

In this nine-month program, ECE Advocacy Fellows:

    • develop their role as a “change-maker”;
    • harness their leadership skills;
    • learn to use research-based communication strategies to build positive impact;
    • gain knowledge of public policy processes and key players, and their effect on their work; and
    • receive a stipend (along with their employer) for their time.

At this time, Trying Together offers the fellowship program at no cost to the participant and will provide lunch and snacks at each session. Travel stipends are available on a case-by-case basis.

Intended Audience

Trying Together’s ECE Advocacy Fellowship has been designed for professionals working in the early care and education field, including:

    • center administrators and teachers;
    • family child care providers;
    • school-age child care providers;
    • Head Start teachers;
    • pre-k teachers;
    • PK-4 teachers and principals;
    • home visitors;
    • trainers;
    • professors of higher education; and
    • child care resource and referral professionals.

Session Details

From January–September 2020, Fellows will meet as a group on the last Tuesday of each month (tentatively) from 12:00-4:00 p.m. Dates are subject to change but will be finalized in January 2020. Participants should expect an additional two to four hours of work every month. We recognize that conflicts may arise unexpectedly, but each participant should plan to participate in all program activities if accepted into the Fellowship.

At each workshop, an informed early childhood, public policy, or community leader will facilitate, drawing on information from regional or national experts to share the latest news, research, and strategies to improve early childhood public policy. Workshops will include opportunities for networking, professional growth, and community development.

Application Details

Online applications are being accepted now through Tuesday, December 31 at 11:59 p.m. Our selection committee seeks to admit an evenly balanced cohort with regard to geography, diversity, experience, interest, etc. All participants will be notified by the first week of January 2020.

To apply, visit the ECE Advocacy Fellowship page.

More Information

For more information about our public policy efforts at Trying Together, contact Cristina Codario by email at cristina@tryingtogether.org or by calling 412.567.3673.

News

August 1, 2018

Apply for The OCDEL Policy Fellowship

Do you want to be a future leader in Pennsylvania’s early learning system at the state and local levels, and ultimately, strengthen the quality of the system to better serve children, families, and providers?

Applications are being accepted through August 10 for the 2018-19 OCDEL Policy Fellowship open to all professionals working in early care and education.

The Fellowship will consist of:

  • monthly cohort meetings
  • individualized placement sites
  • an online learning community

For more information on the OCDEL Policy Fellowship, or to apply, please visit www.paocdelfellows.net.