November 24, 2020 Free Tutoring Available for K-12 Students Gwen’s Girls will continue to offer its free Academic Support Initiative virtual tutoring services for the upcoming 2020-21 school year. These services are available to any K-12 student who is attending school in Allegheny County. About Academic Support Initiative (ASI) tutoring is a free service offered to any K-12 student in the Pittsburgh area. Available tutors have a wide skill range that includes English Language Arts (ELA), Math, Science, Foreign Language, Special Education, and others. Tutoring services are offered throughout the academic year. Gwen’s Girls offers group sessions for grades K-8 that are available Monday through Friday from 9 to 11 a.m., as well as individual sessions that are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tutoring services will be provided through remote live sessions. Registration To register for tutoring, visit the Gwen’s Girls website. Gwen’s Girls will assist families in getting the necessary equipment for success. More Information For questions, contact Gwen’s Girls at 412.904.4239 or contactus@gwensgirls.org. Share this flyer with your network.
October 25, 2019 What’s It Really Worth? How to Run a Profitable Child Care Business In this professional development course, participants will learn the basic principles of operating the business of a child care program. Strategies to maximize profits and minimize expenses, public funding sources, and STARS participation effects will be highlighted. This session is intended for program directors of centers, family child care homes, and group child care homes. Course Timeline: November 11 – December 9, 2019 CKC: D8.4 C2, D8.2 C3, D8.7 Keystone STARS Alignment: LM. 2.1 / CDA:5 and 6 Four professional development hours available after completion. Limited spaces are available. Questions For more information on how to register, contact Jasmine Davis at 412.567.3933 or jasmine@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network. Registration To register, complete the form below.
May 8, 2019 Behaviors: Ours & Theirs | WCCC Mini-Conference On behalf of OCDEL and hosted by WCCC’s Early Childhood Education/Pre-K – Grade 4 Program, the “Behaviors: Ours & Theirs” mini-conference will focus on improving practitioners’ knowledge and skill to support children’s social and emotional development through culturally relevant practices, as well as exploring how to apply these skills to practitioners’ CQI plans. About Early childhood professionals are invited to attend a personalized mini-conference experience. Attendees will split into two groups and presenters will offer each session two times so that each group will have an opportunity to participate in both sessions. Participants will be provided with a continental breakfast, welcome and introduction, two educational sessions (each including a bound notebook of instructional materials), and a tour of WCCC’s NAEYC accredited Campus Children’s center. This event includes 3 credit hours; PQAS approved. Participants should be familiar with the ECERS and other Keystone STARS CQI tools such as CLASS, PAS, and Good, Better Best. Learning Objectives Attendees will be able to: Discuss and recognize positive observation and interactions with children and families, Examine and organize their understanding of culture and how positive interactions can lead to solid relationships with children and families, Review commonly used Keystone STARS CQI tools to determine areas where changes or improvements can be made in their programs, Explain why these changes will enhance the positive social and emotional development of children, and Discuss how these changes will also help them recognize and value cultural diversity. Registration To register for this event, visit the registration document! Registration is required and is $15 for the first 50 registrants! This fee is due (paid by check) on the day of the event, June 1, 2019. To learn more about the event, visit the PD Registry website. Questions For questions, contact Vicki Hricik at hricikv@westmoreland.edu or 724.925.4023. Share this flyer with your network.
April 18, 2019 PA Pre-K Counts Announces Request for Applications Pennsylvania’s fiscal year (FY) 2019-20 proposed budget continues to build on the governor’s commitment to high-quality early learning services and includes more than $1.1 billion in state and nearly $850 million in federal support for Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) programs. This proposal represents the further steps toward achieving the goal of universal access to high-quality pre-k programs. With new investments in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts ($40 million) and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program ($10 million), the state will be able to increase the number of children served in high-quality pre-k. Due to this proposed funding, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is seeking applicants for PA Pre-K Counts. About Pre-K Counts PA Pre-K Counts provides children with the opportunity to experience a high-quality pre-kindergarten program. The program standards ensure a high return on the investment in the preparation of young children for school and will help to close the achievement gap. Early education through PA Pre-K Counts can open the doors of opportunity for every child to do well in school, the workforce, and life. About the Request for Applications (RFA) PDE is issuing this RFA to support providers in preparing to serve children and to be ready for September enrollment. The department recognizes that providers need to conduct outreach to families; recruit, hire and train staff; and do all of the planning necessary to successfully implement the program pending approval of proposed funding. Information on the application process can be accessed at PKC How to Apply. Eligible Applicants Pennsylvania continues to be committed to a mixed delivery system. As such, eligible applicants include existing PA Pre-K Counts grantees and new applicants from five eligible entity categories: School districts; PDE Licensed nursery schools; Head Start grantees; Child care centers and group child care homes designated at Keystone STAR 3 or 4; and A third party entity applying for Pennsylvania Pre‐K Counts funding to administer the lead agency responsibilities for entities that are eligible to provide the classroom services under the categories listed above. PDE encourages all eligible entities to assess community need and apply for funding to support eligible children in their communities. There is no limit to the number of slots that may be requested through this application process. Eligibility Criteria Age (three and four-year-old children) and family income (at or below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines) are the primary eligibility criteria for participation in PA Pre-K Counts. Additional priorities for enrollment should be developed at the local level and may include: teen parents, migrant or seasonal students, children of a family experiencing homelessness, children involved in the child welfare system, siblings of children already enrolled in the program, English language learners, children of an incarcerated parent, or children receiving early intervention or behavioral health supports. Required Documentation Applicants must have the following in place to complete an application: a Letter of Intent, a vendor number (SAP #), an administrative unit number (AUN), a master provider index number (MPI), and a federal ID number or tax ID number. PA Pre-K Counts Statute, Regulations, and Guidance Any applicant should thoroughly review PA Pre-K Counts Statute, Regulations, and Guidance prior to submission of a letter of intent to apply to ensure an understanding of the program requirements and expectations of compliance if an application is successful. The application review process will include evaluation of the extent to which the applicant demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the PA Pre-K Counts Statute and Regulations. Required Letter of Intent Because of the need to establish access to eGrants procurement system, eligible organizations must submit a completed Letter of Intent to apply for funds. The template posted at PKC How to Apply must be used. The Letter of Intent represents intent to apply for PA Pre-K Counts funding and includes the legal name of the eligible agency that will apply, the AUN associated with the applying legal entity, preliminary information about requested funding, program model, provider type, and area to be served. Except for the legal entity and AUN, information submitted in the Letter of Intent may be modified in the final eGrants application. Programs interested in applying must submit a fully completed Letter of Intent by 3 pm on May 8, 2019 to RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov. Programs that do not submit a timely Letter of Intent will not be able to apply in the eGrants system. Late submissions will not be accepted. Those agencies submitting a fully complete Letter of Intent by the due date will be notified when the PA Pre-K Counts application is open in eGrants. Administrative Unit Number (AUN Number) PA Pre-K Counts applicants will need to supply a valid AUN number within the Letter of Intent. A Letter of Intent without a valid AUN that matches the legal name of the applying entity will not be accepted. To verify your AUN number or to check to see if you have one assigned to your agency, visit EDNA. If you are an Intermediate Unit, select Search for Intermediate Units. If you are not an Intermediate Unit, select Advanced Search, and search for your agency. Applicants that are not already licensed by PDE and therefore do not have an AUN number should contact Brian Bell (bribell@pa.gov, 717.346.0038) or James Redd (jaredd@pa.gov) at OCDEL. Vendor Number (SAP #) The supplied vendor number MUST align with the legal name and address provided in the application. A vendor number and account can be set up by registering at Vendor Number Registration selecting the Non-Procurement Registration Form. All agencies applying for PA Pre-K Counts grants must be pre-registered. The Central Vendor Management Unit is a storage database. The Comptroller uses this account to store direct deposit information. If you have any questions about vendor numbers, please contact Brian Bell (bribell@pa.gov, 717.346.0038) or James Redd (jaredd@pa.gov) at OCDEL. Master Provider Index (MPI #) The supplied MPI number MUST align with the legal name and address provided in the application. All PA Pre-K Counts applicants will need an MPI number if the application is successful. The number is requested as part of the application process to ensure timely contracting for approved applications. MPI numbers are used by the PA Department of Human Services to identify legal entities and service locations that participate in any of its programs. As such, they are used in PELICAN as a common identifier for all OCDEL programs, including child care licensing, Early Intervention, PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program, and Keystone STARS. Legal entities are assigned a unique nine-digit MPI number. In addition, service locations are assigned a unique 13-digit MPI number, which is created by adding a four-digit extension to the nine-digit MPI of the legal entity. Legal entities and service providers currently participating in any of these programs should have an MPI number. Applicants that are not currently participating in any of these programs should contact the Early Learning Network (ELN) Help Desk at 877.491.3818 and provide their Federal Tax ID to determine their MPI numbers. MPI numbers will not be provided without a Federal Tax ID number. Tax ID Number or Federal ID Number This is the number that an agency uses on its federal W-9 form. Applicants for PA Pre-K Counts funds should consult with the person who handles tax, legal, or accounting matters for the agency to determine the federal ID number. Use the number that aligns with the legal name and address provided in this application. The correct number must be provided when requested in order to process an application. Failure to do so will result in significant delays in funding approved applicants for FY 2019-20. This number is often referred to as the “FEIN number” by OCDEL staff. Pre-application recorded webinar An asynchronous pre-application webinar will be posted at PKC How to Apply after April 23, 2019 to assist interested applicants in the completion of the application. The webinar will include information on the application process and program requirements. Questions & More Information All questions regarding this competitive RFA process should be directed to Project Officer Deborah Wise only, by sending an email to RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov. In order to provide consistent messaging and an equitable application process, ONLY questions sent to RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov, will be addressed. Questions and responses not already covered in either Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Statute, Regulations, and Guidance, or within the Application Guidance document, will be included in an on-going Frequently Asked Questions document posted at PKC How to Apply.
March 29, 2019 Pittsburgh Spotlight Receives 82 Innovation Submissions After receiving a total of 82 submissions from southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia schools, museums, libraries, nonprofits, government agencies, and more, HundrED released a full list of the innovative submissions they received. Submissions included: Innovative approaches from 27 schools and school districts in the Pittsburgh region 9 technology tools to facilitate learning developed by local companies and research projects 8 projects of local colleges and universities, including innovations from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Penn State University 31 programs and approaches from local museums, nonprofits, and community centers Our Highlight Listed as a submission, Message from Me (MfM) is an early childhood communications tool developed through the collaborative efforts of the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) CREATE Lab and Trying Together. MfM was designed with the intention to involve families in the education experience and bridge the home-school connection while enhancing a child’s communication skills, independence, and opportunities for interaction. Using the MfM app, a child can record and share daily thoughts and experiences, impacting his or her feelings of individuality, self-confidence, and well-being. To learn more about MfM’s purpose, design, and impact, visit the HundrEd page. See the full list of submissions. What’s Next? HundrEd’s global research team will be running a rigorous review of all eligible applications, in addition to a review by a local committee consisting of educators, parents, students, researchers, and community stakeholders who will score each innovation to help decide which ones will be featured in the Spotlight collection. Following this review period, the 10 selected innovations will be announced in May as a part of Remake Learning Days, a regional celebration of the future of learning. About the Pittsburgh Spotlight HundrED is a not-for-profit organization that researches, highlights, and propels K-12 education innovations in an effort to improve education and inspire a grassroots movement by encouraging pedagogically sound, ambitious inventions to spread across the world. The Pittsburgh Spotlight is one of 6 individual spotlight categories, all centered around specific regions or topics. Through this spotlight, HundrED seeks to highlight educators and innovators in our area that are doing extraordinary things to help students. *Information provided by HundrED
November 8, 2018 ECE Professionals Invited to Participate in ELPIC Survey The Early Learning Instructional Coaching (ELPIC) program is working with educators across PA to develop an Early Learning Administrator Leadership (ELAL) endorsement to support educational leaders in utilizing instructional coaching, professional development (PD), and professional learning communities (PLCs) to leverage change in pre-k-4 learning environments. For educators with a Level I or Level II Instructional Certification, completion of the four-course sequence would result in an endorsement. In order to best develop an endorsement that works for educators from both the K-12 and ECE worlds, ELPIC created two surveys that ask about current needs across the state and seeks to determine how the ELAL endorsement might address those needs. Participants’ responses will be kept confidential. Data from across the state will be aggregated and used to support the endorsement proposal that will be submitted to PDE. For ECE/K-12/IU Please complete this survey based on your experience and the needs that you see in your district, building, or center. For IHES Please complete this survey based on your experience preparing PreK-4 educators, as well as the needs you see in the field of early learning leadership. Information Provided by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning