May 14, 2020 Virtual UnConference: Re-Opening to Our ‘New Normal’ Join Trying Together on May 26 for our first virtual UnConference as we dive into topics that are relevant to child care centers as they begin to re-open to a ‘new normal’ due to the effects of COVID-19. A recording of this event will be available for those who are unable to attend. UnConference Details We are facing a “new normal” in our field that has never been envisioned before. COVID-19 has taken our state, our country, and our world on a tumultuous journey, invoking fear, anxiety, reflection, and change-making at unprecedented levels. As an early childhood educator, you are most likely thinking about how to continue supporting children and families while maintaining high-quality programming, business operations, and personal health for both you and your colleagues. This free three-hour online UnConference will help you virtually connect with other educators while gaining information about the steps you can take to prepare for and respond to the effects of COVID-19 on early childhood programming. Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available. About UnConference: Re-Opening to Our ‘New Normal’ will be hosted via Zoom. It begins with a “rapid-fire” keynote by four speakers, featuring Michelle Figlar of The Heinz Endowments, LaTrenda Leonard Sherrill of LaTrenda Consulting (and Board Member of Trying Together), Muffy Mendoza of Brown Mamas, and mental health expert Diana Schwab. The keynote is followed by two workshops. Participants can choose from the following: Coping with COVID – HR Thoughts and Tips for Child Care Centers, Building Community and Connection with Digital Technologies, How to Stay Healthy and Provide Safe Child Care During COVID-19, and Everyday Interactions Matter: Noticing the Simple and Ordinary Course Objectives Through successful participation and completion of the UnConference, participants will: become familiar with regional, state, and national resources to support child care programs in response to COVID-19; gain appropriate strategies recommended for caring for young children and families in response to COVID-19, including health and safety practices and innovative ECE practices (social-emotional learning); discuss appropriate strategies for supporting the early education workforce in response to COVID-19; and learn how to create authentic connections with families and community members using digital tools. Schedule Each session will have its own Zoom link which will be provided to you upon registration. Upon completion of the UnConference, three hours of accredited professional development will be given. 1:00 – 1:30 p.m.: “Rapid Fire” Keynote featuring Michelle Figlar, LaTrenda Leonard Sherrill, Muffy Mendoza, and Diana Schwab 1:45 – 3:00 p.m.: Workshop #1 (choose between two options) 3:15 – 4:30 p.m.: Workshop #2 (choose between two options) Available Workshops There are four workshops provided for this UnConference. Two options are available between 1:45 – 3:00 p.m. and two other options are available between 3:15 – 4:30 p.m. View the list of workshops for the Virtual UnConference: Re-Opening to Our ‘New Normal’. Registration This virtual UnConference is free. Participants must pre-register for the UnConference by 3 p.m. on Monday, May 25 in order to receive links to each session via email. Visit the event page to register and learn more. How to Virtually Attend The sessions will be hosted using the web-based video conferencing platform Zoom. Please download Zoom prior to the UnConference to your device of choice. We will send you a Zoom link for the keynote as well as a Zoom link for each workshop based on what you select. A recording of this event will be available for those who are unable to attend. How to Receive Credit Three PQAS and Act 48 hours will be available. Participants must attend the UnConference and complete the survey at the end of each session (keynote and two workshops) in order to receive credit. Once completed, Jasmine Davis, Professional Learning Program Manager at Trying Together, will process your credit. If you have questions specific to receiving credit for coursework, please email Jasmine at jasmine@tryingtogether.org. More Information For questions, please contact UnConference Director, Yu-Ling Cheng, at conference@tryingtogether.org.
May 13, 2020 Virtual Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time Join the Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST) from May 26 through June 5, 2020 for their Virtual Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time! About The Virtual Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time will offer relevant workshops to help professionals continue to provide quality programming for youth during this troubling time. This conference is open to any youth practitioners who desire to increase their skills in working with youth in out-of-school time programs or in mentoring relationships. Available Workshops The Virtual Conference will include the following workshops: Afterschool Programming and Communication Pivot during COVID-19 Tuesday, 5/26, 10 – 11 a.m. Presenter: Adeshewa Metzger, Assemble The Power of Parent Engagement: Parents as Partners Tuesday, 5/26, 3 – 4:30 p.m. Presenter: Shannon Prentiss, The Neighborhood Academy Building Resiliency: From Brain Development to Practicing Self-Care in a Virtual World Wednesday, 5/27, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Presenters: Courtney Smalt, Ling Deng, and Autumn Detchon, Adagio Health Fostering Healthy Transitions Wednesday, 5/27, 3 – 4 p.m. Presenter: Sophia Duck, The Mentoring Partnership Engaging Kids Outside Friday, 5/29, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Presenters: Lo Zemanek and Kelly Sarkis, Venture Outdoors Yes, And’ing Youth Voice During COVID-19 Friday, 5/29, 1 – 2 p.m. Presenter: Lori Crawford, Improviding The Culturally Inclusive Check-In Monday, 6/1, 1 – 2:30 p.m. Presenters: Adeshea Metzger and Ja’Sonta Roberts, Assemble Staff Wellness and Role Modeling Wednesday, 6/3, 10 – 11:30 a.m. Presenters: Shrenik Gadagkar and Jenny Park, UPMC Children’s Hospital Techniques to Address Helper’s Trauma in OST Providers Friday, 6/5, 10 – 11:30 a.m. Presenter: Debralyn Woodberry-Shaw, ELIE Circle To register and learn more, utilize the links above or view the full conference agenda. More Information For questions or more information, please contact Jaron Paul at jaron.paul@unitedwayswpa.org.
May 12, 2020 Learning to Play, Playing to Learn: Encouraging Play within Early Childhood Classrooms “Play acts as a mechanism into courageous, creative, and rigorous thinking in adulthood.” (T. Bruce,., 2013) The benefits of children’s play can be life-lasting, as long as the experiences are developmentally appropriate, positive, and engaging. This free online course focuses on children’s play and the role of play in early education settings. Participants will take part in varied individual and group activities that pertain to the definitions, developmental mechanics, and functions of play as well as new strategies for encouraging play within children’s earliest classrooms. Limited spaces are available. All registrations must be submitted by May 27 at 5 p.m. Course Information Timeline: May 29 – June 19, 2020 Trainers: Chasta Shaw and Alicia Sebastian CKC: K2.14.C1 Keystone STARS Alignment: SQ.3.4.10 CDA Subject Area: Advancing children’s physical and intellectual development. Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available. Registration To register, please visit the event registration page. More Information For more information, contact Jasmine Davis at 412.567.3933 or jasmine@tryingtogether.org.
Working with Diverse Families: Supporting Dual Language Learners In this online course, participants will engage in an interactive session to build and strengthen knowledge working with diverse children ages birth to five and families. In order to support early childhood practitioners serving this population, this session will focus on current research, strategies when teaching dual language learners, and techniques to engage families. Limited spaces are available. All registrations must be submitted by May 26 at 5 p.m. Course Information Timeline: May 28 – June 18, 2020 Instructor: Mimi Loughead CKC: K3.1 C2 Keystone STARS Alignment: SQ. 3.4.3 CDA Subject Area: Building Productive Relationships with Families. Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available. Registration To register, please visit the event registration page. More Information For more information, contact Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
Just Breathe: Discussing Ways to Relieve Workplace Stress Everyone with a job feels the pressure of work-related stress at some point, even those who love what they do. While we can’t always avoid on-the-job tension, we can take steps to manage work-related stress. This online course introduces its participants’ potential relief strategies for workplace stress. Through varied group discussions and engaging exercises, we invite each participant to identify and define stress through a uniquely personal lens, reflect upon their personal role in the creation and reduction of stress, and think of personal and group strategies for relieving stress. Limited spaces are available. All registrations must be submitted by May 20 at 5 p.m. Course Information Timeline: May 22 – June 12, 2020 Instructors: Sarah Byrne Houser and Mimi Loughead CKC: D6.4 C1 Keystone STARS Alignment: SQ. 3.4.5 CDA Subject Area: Maintaining a Commitment to Professionalism. Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available. Registration To register, please visit the event registration page. More Information For more information, contact Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
May 11, 2020 Professionalism – Styles & Dispositions in the Workplace This three-week online workplace professionalism course will allow early care and education professionals to communicate, reflect, and update the professional styles they may use or want to use to improve in the field of early childhood education. Today’s early childhood professional must demonstrate knowledge of the skills, styles, and dispositions required to succeed in the workplace. This requires a commitment to the profession, including commitments to their regular work environment and beyond. Using activities and resources, this course provides participants with strategies to adopt positive and ethical habits that will serve them personally and professionally. Limited spaces are available. All registrations must be submitted by May 20 at 5 p.m. Course Information Timeline: May 22 – June 12, 2020 Instructors: Jasmine Davis and Theresa Hetler CKC: K6.9 C2 Keystone STARS Alignment: SQ. 3.4.5 CDA Subject Area: Maintaining a Commitment to Professionalism. Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available. Registration To register for this workplace professionalism course, please visit the event registration page. Workplace Professionalism Styles & Dispositions For more information, contact Jasmine Davis at 412.567.3933 or jasmine@tryingtogether.org. For more on Trying Together’s professional development programs, visit our courses page.
April 28, 2020 APOST Requests Virtual Summer Conference Workshop Submissions The Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST) will be hosting a Virtual Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time from Tuesday, May 26 through Friday, June 5, 2020. At this time, APOST is accepting workshop submissions from education leaders. Continue reading below to learn more. About The Virtual Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time will target youth workers in out-of-school time and summer settings. This includes frontline staff, program managers, executive directors, mentors, and more. In regard to workshop submissions, APOST is looking for depth of experience and expertise rather than breadth. With this, they strongly encourage workshops focused on the following themes: social-emotional learning; community trauma and trauma-informed care; health and wellness in out-of-school time; creating inclusive spaces in out-of-school time; engaging children and parents during COVID-19; how to speak to youth about COVID-19; and ways to successfully implement virtual programming. Workshop sizes will most likely not be capped as this event will be virtual, but facilitation preference will be left up to the presenters. Submit Your Proposal To learn more or submit a proposal, please complete APOST’s online form. All submissions must be received by Tuesday, May 5. Event hosts send out their final decision on Friday, May 8. More Information For questions or more information, contact APOST at 412.456.6876 or apost@uwac.org.
April 27, 2020 Learning to Play, Playing to Learn: Encouraging Play Within Early Childhood Classrooms “Play acts as a mechanism into courageous, creative, and rigorous thinking in adulthood.” (T. Bruce,., 2013) The benefits of children’s play can be life-lasting, as long as the experiences are developmentally appropriate, positive, and engaging. This free online course focuses on children’s play and the role of play in early education settings. Participants will take part in varied individual and group activities that pertain to the definitions, developmental mechanics, and functions of play as well as new strategies for encouraging play within children’s earliest classrooms. Course Information Timeline: May 1 – 22, 2020 Trainers: Rachelle Duffy and Jasmine Davis CKC: K2.14.C1 Keystone STARS Alignment: EC.3.4.1 CDA Subject Area: Advancing children’s physical and intellectual development. Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available. Registration To register for this course, please visit the event registration page. All registrations must be submitted by April 29 at 5 p.m. Limited spaces are available. More Information For more information, contact Jasmine Davis at 412.567.3933 or jasmine@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network.
Exploring the Outdoor World Through Our Senses The outside world shapes children’s development through everyday, hands-on experiences. In this free online session, participants will explore ways to facilitate sensory experiences in outdoor play including natural materials in the outdoor environment, reusable loose parts, and classroom materials. Participants will discover the benefits of learning through the five senses and explore meaningful ways to encourage sensory learning with young children. Course Information Timeline: May 4 – 24, 2020 Trainer: Katie Gullone CKC: K2.4C2 Keystone STARS Alignment: SQ. 3.4.9 CDA Subject Area: Planning a safe and healthy learning environment. Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available. Registration To register for this course, please visit the event registration page. All registrations must be submitted by May 1, 2020 at 5 p.m. Limited spots are available. More Information For more information, contact Jasmine Davis at 412.567.3933 or jasmine@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network.
From the Inside Out: The Power of Reflection and Self-Awareness From the Inside Out: The Power of Reflection and Self-Awareness brings to participants the quest for professional contentment and success. Beginning with an inner quest to discover who we are–our passions, values, talents, personal resources, and even those foibles and annoying habits we might prefer not to acknowledge. Having a better understanding and reflection of our self-awareness is the first step toward achieving a better relationship with others. This free online course is an invitation to self-discovery. The Power of Reflection and Self-Awareness will provide thought-provoking discussion forums and engaging activities, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their personal and professional journeys as well as envision new possibilities for decades ahead. Course Information Timeline: May 18 – June 8, 2020 Trainer: Mimi Loughead CKC: K6.9.C2 Keystone STARS Alignment: LM.3.4.3 CDA Subject Area: Maintaining a commitment to professionalism. Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available. Register for From the Inside Out: The Power of Reflection and Self-Awareness To register for this course, please visit the event registration page. All registrations must be submitted by May 14, 2020 at 5 p.m. Limited spaces are available. More Information For more information, contact Jasmine Davis at 412.567.3933 or jasmine@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network.
