April 16, 2020 COVID-19 Support Programs Webinar Join MomsRising, along with experts from CLASP, National Employment Law Project (NELP), Food Research and Action Council (FRAC), and National Immigration Law Council, on April 21 for “COVID-19 Support Programs Webinar” to learn what you need to know to apply for assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. About This online webinar will provide information on how to access the new COVID-19 programs recently passed by Congress, including paid sick days, paid family leave, unemployment insurance, and nutrition assistance. Presenters will also discuss the impacts of these programs on immigrant families. The webinar will take place on Zoom and will include both Spanish and English language options. Registration To register, please visit the event webpage. If you are unable to attend the day of the event, a recording of the webinar and a resource page will be sent out as well after the conclusion of the event.
February 11, 2020 Refugee Education Workshop Series: Putting Information into Action Join Dr. Xia Chao for the last interactive workshop of the 4-part series dedicated to helping educators understand the literacies, cultures, and needs of the Pittsburgh area’s refugee communities. About Through a grant from the National Geographic Society, Dr. Chao has conducted research over the past several years that explores the experiences and narratives of local refugee communities including the Nepali, Karen, and Somali Bantu. This workshop series seeks to incorporate the findings of Dr. Chao’s research in order to offer local educators insight into working with students from these communities and resources for supporting immigrant and refugee families in their interactions with the American educational system. This session will help educators learn specific strategies for teaching English learners. Registration To register, visit the Eventbrite page. Light refreshments and Act 48 credits will be provided. More Information For more information on the workshop series and content, please contact Dr. Xia Chao at chaox@duq.edu. For information about the event, ticketing, and logistics, please contact Taya Jackson at taya.jackson@theglobalswitchboard.org. Share this flyer with your network.
November 6, 2019 Refugee Education Workshop Series: Working with Refugee Students Join Dr. Xia Chao for the third of four interactive workshops in a series dedicated to helping educators understand the cultures, needs, and assets of the Pittsburgh area’s refugee communities. About Through a grant from the National Geographic Society, Dr. Chao has conducted research over the past several years that explores the experiences and narratives of local refugee communities including the Nepali, Karen, and Somali Bantu. This workshop series seeks to incorporate the findings of Dr. Chao’s research in order to offer local educators insight into working with students from these communities and resources for supporting immigrant and refugee families in their interactions with the American educational system. This session will help educators learn classroom practices to create an engaging and inviting classroom. Registration To register, visit the Eventbrite page. Light refreshments and Act 48 credits will be provided. More Information For more information on the workshop series and content, please contact Dr. Xia Chao at chaox@duq.edu. For information about the November event, ticketing, and logistics, please contact Taya Jackson at taya@changeagency.world. Share this flyer with your network.
July 3, 2019 Refugee and English Learner Access Day Want to learn more about the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and other local organizations? Join Literacy Pittsburgh and the Library on July 28 for Refugee and English Learner Access Day! About Refugee and English Learner Access Day (R.E.A.D.) is an opportunity to enjoy fun informal activities, tour the Library, chat with people from local community organizations, get a library card, and find out more about local literacy services. Light refreshments will be available. More Information For more information, contact Shayna at newandfeatured@carnegielibrary.org or 412.622.3151.
June 4, 2019 World Refugee Day Pittsburgh 2019 Join community members on June 21 to celebrate World Refugee Day and Immigrant Heritage Month! About World Refugee Day commemorates the strength, courage, and perseverance of millions of refugees who are forced to leave their homes to start a new life with their families. The day will include multicultural performances, speakers, food vendors, craft stands, children’s activities, and more! Come and show support to Pittsburgh’s international communities, eat some delicious multicultural food, and learn more about refugees and immigrants Pittsburgh. Event Listing See the event listing in the City Paper! Share this flyer with your networks.
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.
April 16, 2019 Workshop: Supporting Pittsburgh’s Refugee Students Join Dr. Xia Chao for the first of four interactive workshops in a series dedicated to helping educators understand the cultures, needs, and assets of the Pittsburgh area’s refugee communities. Through a grant from the National Geographic Society, Dr. Chao has conducted research over the past several years that explores the experiences and narratives of local refugee communities including the Nepali/Bhutanese, Somali Bantu, and Sudanese. This workshop series seeks to incorporate the findings of Dr. Chao’s research in order to offer local educators insight into working with students from these populations and resources for creating culturally sustaining practices. This event is free and light refreshments and Act 48 credits will be provided. Topics Workshop topics will be as follows: Understanding the Local Immigrant and Refugee Landscape | May 13, 2019 | City Theatre Culturally Relevant Pedagogy with Refugee Populations | June | TBA Cultural Navigation and Cultural Humility | Fall | TBA Putting Information into Action | Fall | TBA More Information For information on the May 13 event, contact Jenna Geiman at jenna@changeagency.world. For more information on the workshop series and content, contact Dr. Xia Choa at chaox@duq.edu. See the event’s Facebook page.
February 5, 2019 All for All Spring Educator Forum Join All for All, the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, and Remake Learning for a day-long forum focused on the ways that teachers, staff, and administration can create more welcoming school environments for immigrant and refugee students. For further information, visit the event website.
November 16, 2018 NAEYC Invites ECE Professionals to #ProtectFamilies In today’s world, each new day brings an onslaught of information, images, data, and stories. While immigrant families with young children may cycle in and out of the front pages, the need for early childhood educators from all backgrounds to stand together to protect and support them continues to capture our time and attention. As an active member of the Protecting Immigrant Families campaign, NAEYC continues to stand against family separation, and to stand in opposition to the new proposed regulation on “public charge,” which they believe would punish parents and harm children. With stories of two-year-olds in court and tent cities on the border, NAEYC remains deeply concerned about what has happened and what will happen to the hundreds of children still separated from their families, as well as what will happen to the families yet to be detained. Opportunities to Stay Informed and Advocate Watch this webinar from NAEYC and CLASP that outlines the roles and responsibilities early childhood educators have in working with immigrant families. Write comments in opposition to the public charge regulation. Learn more and, if you are ready, submit your comments today. You can also wait until NAEYC is able to share additional templates and language specific to early childhood education and educators. (Stay tuned, and check out this great Q & A from CLASP for the early childhood community in the meantime!) Support Save the Children, which has partnered with the American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s (AILA) Immigration Justice Campaign, and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) to assist family reunification efforts. Vote and pledge to vote by taking part in the “Our Votes. Their Futures.” campaign. Speak Up, Speak Out If you believe in a world in which all young children can thrive and learn, our society must be dedicated to ensuring that they reach their full potential. This world does not include incarcerating children, separating them from their families, or forcing families to stop accessing critical services and supports because they are afraid. Rather, NAEYC understands and upholds the bonds between children and their families, and, as advocates, calls for individuals to speak up and out to defend those bonds. Recognize the power of your voice and actions, and stay engaged as NAEYC members move forward on this and many other issues facing our children, families, and educators. *Information provided by NAEYC*
June 21, 2018 Center on the Developing Child Statement on Separation of Families Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D., Founding Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has released a statement on the impact to healthy development for young children separated from their families at the United States’ border. Dr. Shonkoff states that based on the available understanding of decades of research, healthy brains develop through consistent, stable, responsive, and supportive relationships with at least one caregiver. He further notes that high and persistent levels of stress can disrupt this brain development as well as other biological systems having severely negative impacts on learning, behavior, and physical and mental health throughout the child’s life. Dr. Shonkoff calls for immediate reunification. “Stated simply, each day we fail to return these children to their parents, we compound the harm and increase its lifelong consequences.” To read Dr. Shonkoff’s full statement and for resources related to family separation visit developingchild.harvard.edu.