July 9, 2020 Virtual Service Delivery Webinar Series To support family-facing providers in their online work with children and families, Brazelton Touchpoints Center is offering a series of free one-hour webinars and an online learning community that will explore how to manage the challenges posed by virtual service delivery and share strategies providers have found for building and sustaining strong relationships with families virtually. About In partnership with Parents as Teachers and the Rapid Response Virtual Home Visiting (RR-VHV) Collaborative, Brazelton Touchpoints Center will build on lessons learned from virtual home visiting, adapted for all family-facing providers. All professionals who work with families of young children—including those who work in health care, early care and education, early intervention, child welfare, and family support—are encouraged to attend these webinars. Brazelton Touchpoints Center is pairing the webinars with an online learning community where webinar participants can engage with one another and BTC facilitators on topics and strategies discussed in the webinars. Featured Webinars Engaging Families Using a Strengths-Based Approach in the Virtual World Wednesday, July 22 | 2 – 3 p.m. | Register Partnering with Families Virtually Wednesday, August 5 | 2 – 3 p.m. | Register Providing Staff Support and Supervision Virtually Wednesday, August 19 | 2 – 3 p.m. | Register Developmental Screenings on Your Screen Wednesday, September 2 | 2 – 3 p.m. | Register Challenging Conversations with Families Virtually Wednesday, September 16 | 2 – 3 p.m. | Register Taking Care of Yourself as a Virtual Service Provider Wednesday, September 30 | 2 – 3 p.m. | Register Registration To register and learn more, visit the Brazelton Touchpoints Center website. Participants can register for the entire series or for individual webinars. More Information For questions, email touchpoints@childrens.harvard.edu.
June 18, 2020 Everyday Heroes: Child Care is No Small Matter Join No Small Matter and their partners for a Facebook Live town hall and streaming premiere of the documentary No Small Matter (Executive Produced by Alfre Woodard). About the Event America’s early learning infrastructure was fragile even before COVID-19. But the pandemic has pushed it to the brink of collapse. Half of all child care sites are currently shuttered, and the ones that remain open do so at great risk to the health of providers and their families. With no other option but to stay home with their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, millions of parents will be unable to return to work, paralyzing efforts to restart the nation’s economy. What has suddenly become searingly self-evident is that early education is essential. Put simply, America doesn’t work without it. That’s why on June 25, ABCinemaNOW Live will present an unprecedented Facebook Live screening event designed to generate support for the urgent action needed to tackle America’s childcare crisis. Everyday Heroes: Celebrating Early Educators, Supporting Families will feature the national streaming premiere of the documentary No Small Matter (Executive Produced by Alfre Woodard), followed by a live panel discussion highlighting the devastating impact of COVID-19 on children, families, and caregivers, and in turn, on the economy. Woven throughout the event will be video messages from celebrities, cultural influencers, and frontline workers thanking early educators for the challenging, exhausting, and essential work they do every day. Learn More Visit the event website and follow No Small Matter on Facebook to join this event.
April 7, 2020 Learning with Parents: Children on the Autism Spectrum and the Arts Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center‘s Joshua Sparrow, MD for the premiere of Learning with Parents: Children on the Autism Spectrum and the Arts, featuring Elaine Hall, Founder of The Miracle Project, and Yudi Bennett, Co-Founder of Exceptional Minds. About In this webinar, participants will find out how – as mothers and entertainment industry professionals – Yudi and Elaine learned to not only listen to their children, but also give a voice to thousands of children with autism spectrum disorders and to help them discover their inner artists! Registration To register, visit the event webpage.
January 28, 2020 Study Opportunity: Parents Promoting Early Learning Parents of four-year-old children are invited to participate in a new University of Pittsburgh study named, “Parents Promoting Early Learning.” Compensation provided. About Parents Promoting Early Learning studies how parents and their four-year-old children interact and how such interactions help prepare the child for school. Study participants will be compensated and must complete: two visits, hosted at the participant’s home or at a University of Pittsburgh office, where the parent and child complete games and assessments, questionnaires and interviews about the child’s development and activities, and a one-year follow-up visit for more games and assessments. Requirements Child is age four (or almost four) Parent must participate Both parent and child identify as either African American or White Both parent and child are fluent in English Child has never been diagnosed with a disability More Information For more information, call 412.204.6845, email ppel@pitt.edu, or visit the research study webpage. Share this flyer with your network.
October 30, 2019 OCDEL Announces New Community Survey About Every five years, states have the opportunity to learn about the well-being of families of young children in local communities. Pennsylvania is asking any individual living in the state to complete this short survey. Through the data collected, Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will better understand the resources for families living in your community. Survey responses will be used statewide and locally to inform Family Support Services, such as parenting classes and home visiting services. Hearing from everyone is important! Whether you’re a parent or a provider of family and early childhood services, please complete and share this survey. Take the OCDEL Community Survey In English Please take about five to ten minutes to complete the survey. Your input is critical to informing stakeholders about the factors that may affect the well-being of young children and families in communities across Pennsylvania. If you wish to complete the OCDEL Community Survey in English, enter the following link into your web browser: is.gd/surveypa En Español Le pedimos que pase entre 5 a 10 minutos para contestar la encuesta. Sus aportes son muy importantes para nosotros ya que nos ayudarán a identificar y comprender los factores que pueden afectar la salud dentro de su familia y su comunidad en Pennsylvania. Si desea completar la encuesta en español, meter el enlace siguiente en su navegador de internet: is.gd/encuestapa More Information To learn more, read the full announcement. *Information provided by OCDEL
September 17, 2019 Healthy School Summit 2019 Join Healthy Schools Pennsylvania on Friday, October 25 for their 4th Annual Healthy Schools Summit to learn, collaborate, and commit to creating healthier, greener, and more sustainable learning environments for all children in our region! Morning Sessions Foundations for Student Success: How School Buildings Influence Student Health, Thinking, & Performance Keynote Speaker – Erika Eitland, MPH Program Manager, Schools for Health, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health What Does it Take to Create a Healthy School? Panel Discussion – Cassandra Brown, RN, Pittsburgh Public Schools; Jake Douglas, Food Services Director, Deer Lakes School District; Christine Schott, Parent and Sustainability Coordinator, Steel Valley School District; Vicki Ammar, Teacher, Pittsburgh Public Schools Celebrating Success through Our Healthy Schools Recognition Program Awards Ceremony and Luncheon Working Lunch: What Makes a Successful School Grant Proposal? Featuring Tracey Reed Armant from the Grable Foundation Afternoon Sessions Teaching Resiliency and Environmental Justice in the Classroom Educator Workshop – Katie Modic, Director of Education Initiatives at Communitopia Creating a Game-Plan for Whole-School Sustainability School Administrator Workshop – Donnan Stoicovy, Head of School, State College Friends School Engaging Parents and Community Partners for Healthy Schools Parent and Partner Workshop – Monté Robinson, Community Schools Coordinator, Pittsburgh Public Schools and LaKeisha Wolf, Executive Director, Ujamaa Collective Registration To register, visit the Eventbrite page. Learn More For questions, email Healthy Schools Coordinator, Kara Rubio, at 412.404.2872 or kara@womenforahealthyenvironment.org.
May 13, 2019 Lunch & Learn: Sensory Learning & the Autism Spectrum Join Parents in Toto Autism Resource Center, Seneca Valley School District, and Remake Learning to discuss the importance of sensory learning for youth on the autism spectrum, benefits of this learning, and the parent resources that are available. About Educators, administrators, community organization leaders, and parents are highly encouraged to attend and take part in this important conversation surrounding differently-abled youth in the region. Lunch will be served. More details and accessibility will be noted in an email closer to the event. For any dietary restrictions or requests, email Allie at allie@remakelearning.org. The deadline for restriction requests is June 19, 2019. Registration This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, visit the event webpage. For questions about the event or accessibility, email Allie at allie@remakelearning.org.
May 7, 2019 Parents Moving Forward Together | Conference Join the Allegheny Family Network for “Parents Moving Forward Together,” a one-day mental health conference focused on supporting our region’s children, caregivers, and educators. Workshops Legislative Panel with Rep. Dan Miller Building Leadership Qualities Connecting Trauma Through Stories Dissecting the IEP Teens: Intense Emotions and Suicidality Registration This event is free, but registration is required for lunch and child care. To register, call 412.246.2030. See the event’s Facebook page. Transportation Buses are available for specific areas. See the bus schedule here. Parking will be available onsite for $5. Free parking is available for Allegheny Family Network families. Share this flyer with your network.
May 1, 2019 STEM All Hands on Tech: Robot Playground Join the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Carrick branch for a day of experimentation, play, and learning by exploring interactive technology and a variety of robots. STEM All Hands On Tech programs support learning and literacy by introducing children to technology. This event is intended for children in grades pre-k to 5. Questions For questions, contact Jon Antoszewski at 412.381.6543 or antoszewskijo@carnegielibrary.org. This location is handicap accessible. See the event page.
Leap into Science! Workshop Professionals and community members that teach Preschool/School Age children and/or families are invited to join a national network for science and literacy. By joining, you will receive training and materials to lead Leap into Science workshops. What is Leap into Science? Leap into Science is a nationwide program developed by the Franklin Institute Science Museum that integrates open-ended science activities with children’s books, designed for children ages 3-10 and their families. The program empowers educators to offer workshops in community settings like libraries, museums, and out-of-school time programs to engage underserved audiences in accessible and familiar settings. Leap into Science provides workshops on a science theme for three possible audiences: early childhood, elementary, and family groups. Workshops The Pennsylvania Leap into Science Leadership Team is hosting free training sessions on Leap into Science Wind workshops at the following times and locations: Edinboro, PA: August 22, 2019; 10:00 am – 2:30 pm Williamsport, PA: September 12, 2019; 9:30 am – 2:00 pm Allentown, PA: Oct 1, 2019, 9:30 am – 2:00 pm Benefits Each organization who participates in Leap into Science will receive: A 4-hour in-person training on high-quality science and literacy curriculum and facilitation strategies for two or more educators, Ongoing support during program implementation as part of a Leap into Science National Network, Access to the national Leap into Science leadership team and online resources, A curriculum and materials kit (valued at $300), and Web-based training on new curriculum themes in subsequent years Commitments As a Leap into Science partner organization, you are committing to: Scheduling and leading at least three (3) Leap into Science workshops for children and/or families living in underserved rural or urban communities by next spring, Posting each workshop to The Connectory, a searchable directory for STEM programs across the country, Leading Leap into Science activities during National Leap into Science Week during the last week of February, Completing a workshop report following each workshop, Participating in quarterly calls with other trained educators in your state, and Completing an annual survey and possible interview. Registration To participate in the national network and attend one of the training sessions listed above, please complete this brief application form by May 15, 2019. Priority will be given to organizations that can send at least two educators to the training. If selected, you will receive email notification of your acceptance by June 15, 2019, along with details about the training you will attend. Questions For more information, contact the Franklin Institute Science Museum at 215.448.1200 or guestservices@fi.edu. Share this flyer with your network.
