September 26, 2019 SEL: The Importance of Strategy and Practice Join Remake Learning, educators, researchers, and leaders across the Pittsburgh region in discussing the research, application, and benefits behind SEL in the classroom, out of school, and at home. About The event will feature keynote speakers Felicia Savage Friedman of YogaRoots on Location and Kevin McNair and his team from 1 Nation Mentoring (PGH). Attendees will choose two breakout sessions (one morning and one afternoon) to attend during registration. Each session has a maximum of 30 attendees. If the session you choose is full, you may be placed in another. Breakfast and lunch provided. Session Topics The Whole Child with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh SEL for Older Youth with Sevenzo Research and Practice with RAND and Trying Together Parents and Families with Pitt School of Education Pre-Service Training with the Pitt Office of Child Development State Policy with Judd Pittman Registration To register, visit the Eventbrite page. Accessibility The bottom and top floors of the Education Partnership are not ADA approved. Please email allie@remakelearning.org if you have any questions, requests, or concerns regarding building access, general accessibility, or assistive devices and resources. More Information For more information, contact Remake Learning at allie@remakelearning.org. *Information provided by Remake Learning
August 2, 2019 2019-20 PA NAP SACC Mini-Grant The Pennsylvania Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (PA NAP SACC) program is seeking licensed child care providers for their 2019-20 Mini-Grant Project! About the Program PA NAP SACC is a continuous quality improvement process focused on nutrition and physical activity practices and policies within early care and education settings. The program utilizes Go NAP SACC, an online, evidence-based tool to guide providers through self-assessment action planning, implementation, policy development, re-self-assessment, and reflection. The process empowers program leadership and includes individualized technical assistance to increase knowledge and improve the quality of practice and policy. With this, a limited number of programs will receive onsite, targeted technical assistance from a Child Care Health Consultant (CCHS) at no cost to the site. The CCHC reviews current practices and policies, assisting with developing sustainable policies and offering guidance for continuous quality improvement. Program Participation Beyond the reward of making a difference in the health of children in your care, those who participate and complete project requirements will receive a $500 mini-grant to support their action steps and enhance their nutrition and physical activity practices and policies. For STAR 3 and 4 programs, and STAR 2 programs moving to STAR 3, participation in all components of the program satisfies the performance standards and/or bonus point requirements related to utilizing a health care consultant to establish and maintain health policies above those required by certification. In addition to this, the program ensures participation in an organized effort to promote nutritional health for children. Technical support and policy consultation will be available to all participating programs. Timeline The PA NAP SACC Mini-Grant Project will follow the following timeline: Applications Due: August 27, 2019 Notification of Acceptance: September 12, 2019 Orientation & Kick-Off: October 2019 Implementation: Period of 8 to 9 months Reflection & Wrap Up: June 2020 How to Apply If you’re interested in participating, complete and submit the electronic application. All applications must be submitted by August 27, 2019. More Information For questions or more information, contact Lori McMonigal at 717.248.4942, x 112 or lmcmonigal@tiu11.org. *Information provided by PA NAP SACC
July 2, 2019 Supporting Math Skills with Developmentally Appropriate Music Activities Join Music Together on July 10 for an edWebinar exploring opportunities to support young children’s emerging math skills with developmentally appropriate music activities. About In this edWebinar, participants will learn about developmentally appropriate music and movement activities that naturally support children’s exploration of math concepts, including pattern, sequence, representation, proportion, and opposites. Participants will be introduced to new songs and chants they can use in their work with children, hear about research on the topic, and see ways to lead music experiences with young children. This edWebinar will be of interest to educators working with toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners. Time for questions will be provided. Register To register and learn more about this edWebinar, visit the event page.
June 4, 2019 Empowering and Strengthening Relationships Across Early Childhood Settings Join the Harvard Graduate School of Education on June 27 and 28 for “Empowering and Strengthening Relationships Across Early Childhood Settings,” a new program intended for early education leaders, principals, program directors, administrators, and teacher leaders. About “Empowering and Strengthening Relationships Across Early Childhood Settings” is offered as part of the Zaentz Professional Learning Academy, featuring the tools and resources of “Simple Interactions,” a collaboration between the Fred Rogers Center on Early Learning and Children’s Media and the Zaentz Initiative. Led by Faculty Co-Chairs Junlei Li, Nonie Lesaux, and Stephanie Jones, this two-day on-campus institute offers participants a combination of practice-based learning experiences, research and theoretical insights from both within and beyond the early childhood field, and community-supported problem-solving. Program Objectives Participants will: Define what is a developmental human interaction and how such interactions contribute to the full range of child development goals from language to social and emotional learning; Envision and plan how to support the development of young children’s helpers and empower adult-child human interactions; and Engage in practice-based conversations for professional learning settings and re-examine early childhood systems with a relationship-focused lens. Program Costs The program will be hosted on campus and will require a $199 tuition payment per person. Special rates are available for Program, Community, District, and Network Teams. Participants will receive a certificate of participation and a letter confirming clock hours of instruction. Tuition includes all instructional materials, however, participants will have to pay for associated travel expenses and hotel accommodations. For more information, visit their Payment page. Registration Registrations must be submitted by June 20, 2019, via the event website. More Information For more information, visit the event webpage or email ppe@gse.harvard.edu. Share this flyer with your network.
June 3, 2019 The 10th Annual PA Infant Mental Health Conference Join the Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health (PA-AIMH) on August 1 and 2 for the 10th Annual PA Infant Mental Health Conference. Keynote Topics PA-AIMH strives to provide a meaningful professional learning environment for all cross-sector professionals working with very young children and their families. Keynote topics will include: Infant and early childhood mental health-focused policy and messaging; Clinical interventions; Disaster and critical incident response; and Reflective supervision and practice. PQAS and Act 48 credits available for professionals in the Early Childhood Education system. Keynote Speakers Jordana Ash, LCSW, IMH-E Director of Early Childhood Mental Health Director, State of Colorado Sherryl Scott Heller, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Tulane University Joy Osofsky, Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Public Health Head, Division of Pediatric Mental Health, Louisiana State University Christopher Watson, Ph.D., IMH-E Director of the Center for Reflective Practice at the Center for Early Education and Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Registration To register, visit the event website. Registration cost: Member: $315 General: $350 More Information For more information, visit the event website. For questions, contact PA-AIMH via email at pa-aimh@pa.-aimh.org.
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 3, 2019 PAsmart Announces Grant Awardees In February 2019, Governor Tom Wolf announced funding for PAsmart Apprenticeship and Next Generation Industry Partnerships grants which will connect Pennsylvanians with the information needed to succeed in our evolving economy. About PAsmart PAsmart is focused on ensuring Pennsylvania students and workers have the skills and abilities to meet the economic needs of the 21st century. This initiative aims to do this by expanding access to STEM education in Pennsylvania schools, embracing the Next Generation Industry Partnership model, and creating the Apprenticeship and Training Office to increase apprenticeship opportunities within a variety of industries. OCDEL’s Role The Office of Child Development and Early Learning supports the efforts of PA’s Department of Labor and Industry and is working with them to professionalize the early education field. Efforts include increasing access to a career pathway that results in stackable, portable credentials, and providing relevant, developmentally and culturally appropriate content to support educators working with young children to advance their individual career and education progression. Organization Grantees The following organizations will be supported through PAsmart funds: 1100c Training and Upgrading Fund: Will expand their apprenticeship model in Southeastern Pennsylvania Partner4Work: Will establish a regional hub for Early Childhood Education registered apprenticeships in the Pittsburgh Metro Area Keystone University: Will partner with Lackawanna Trail High School, Luzerne County Community College, and Wilkes University to build an Early Childhood Education (ECE) pipeline through a competency-based apprenticeship that leads to an entry-level ECE credential Shippensburg University: Will design curriculum and develop advanced competencies to expand the Philadelphia ECE apprenticeship to four-year programs Arcadia University: Will expand their RA program for ECE First Up and its partners: Will expand upon apprenticeship supports and program to provide career paths in ECE Learn More For more information, visit pasmart.gov. * Information provided by OCDEL’s PA Early Ed Newsletter
March 29, 2019 Hello Robo: Early STEM Robotics Robots provide unseen services across industries, including transportation, medical, and manufacturing. Early learners need the foundational STEM skills that allow them to imagine and build the robots of the future. About the Event Join the Carnegie Science Center Teaching Excellence Academy for a professional development workshop where participants will use resources from NAEYC and other STEM experts to examine developmentally appropriate concepts to prepare students for robotics technologies. Educators will discover hands-on, standards-aligned activities they can do right away, even if they don’t have a robot — yet! This professional development opportunity is for pre-K through 2nd-grade teachers. About the Academy Carnegie Science Center’s Teaching Excellence Academy offers opportunities for educators in all grade levels, with specific workshops in STEM, early learner education, and digital fabrication. Act 48 credit is provided upon successful completion of each workshop. In addition to onsite workshops, the Science Center offers multiple opportunities for professional development to be delivered at local sites throughout the academic year. For more information, visit their website. Registration & Questions To register or ask questions, contact Toni Stith at StithT@CarnegieScienceCenter.org or 412.237.1616.