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June 13, 2019

Don’t Be A Trigger: Trauma-Informed Care Approach

Looking for a more in-depth dive into Trauma-Informed Care? Join Debralyn Woodberry Shaw of ELIE Circle, LLC to explore trauma might manifest in your early childhood or youth program.

About

Our past experiences – personal, familial, societal – influence our brain development and shape how we interpret and respond to the world. In this session, youth workers will explore how trauma might manifest in their program. Participants will also learn how self-awareness and a growth mindset aid in creating a Trauma-Informed Community and protect youth workers from the effects of vicarious trauma. Lunch will be provided.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

- be introduced to the Trauma-Informed Care framework,
- become familiar with the foundations of Trauma-Informed Care,
- understand complex trauma and the parts of the brain related to trauma,
- be introduced to vicarious trauma,
- identify self-care and building resilience techniques,
- reflect on their past experiences and how they influence their interactions with young people, and
- explore the concept of a growth mindset.

Registration and Questions

To register for this workshop, visit APOST’s event page.

For questions, contact APOST at 412.456.6876.

*Information provided by APOST

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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.

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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.

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APOST Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time

Join Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School-Time (APOST) on June 14 for their Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time. PQAS/Act 48 credit available upon request.

About

The APOST Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time is a professional development conference that shares best practices in youth development. This conference is open to youth practitioners who desire to increase their skills in working with youth in out-of-school time programs or in mentoring relationships. This year’s event will feature Keynote Speaker Timothy Jones, an expert in youth development and hip-hop culture/pedagogy who has developed, implemented, and evaluated out-of-school time programs inside and outside of schools for over 20 years.

Limited free parking is available, but carpooling is recommended.

More Information

To learn more and register, visit APOST’s Eventbrite page.

For questions, contact APOST via phone at 412.456.6876.

News

May 29, 2019

Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Sign Up Moving to PD Registry

Beginning Fall 2019, applicants will apply for the Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Program through the PD Registry.

About the Program

The Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Program pays 95% of tuition costs for eligible college coursework taken by early learning professionals, with a maximum benefit of $6,000 per individual each fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). The program covers tuition costs only and does not include books, materials, or fees. Tuition costs net of other funding sources such as scholarships, stipends, discounts, or grants (except the Pell Grant) are used to determine the amount of assistance. It is recommended completed applications be submitted at least four weeks prior to the start of the course, or prior to the tuition due date, whichever is first.

Access the Program Before Fall 2019

During the transition, The Pennsylvania Key is still currently accepting applications for the 2018-19 fiscal year and summer classes. Early learning professionals taking coursework beginning before fall semester are welcome to apply using the current process in the Portal. At this time, applications will not be reviewed for the fall semester.

More Information

For new eligibility requirements and to stay up-to-date on the ongoing changes, visit the Pennsylvania Key website.

*Information provided by The Pennsylvania Key

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Integrating Early Childhood Learning Standards into Curriculum & Assessment

Do you need to learn about the PA Early Learning Standards for Early Childhood? Would you like to explore ways in which curriculum and assessment are linked to these Standards?

Join Trying Together at The Homewood Early Learning Hub for two three-hour professional growth sessions that meet Keystone STARS Core Series requirements. Six hours of PQAS / Act 48 credits will be awarded to participants who attend both sessions.

Register

To register, visit the event webpages:

- June 10, 2019
- June 17, 2019

More Information

For more information, contact Theresa Hetler at 412.421.3889 or theresa@tryingtogether.org.

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May 20, 2019

Development Through the Eyes of an ELL Child

Join Professor Lois Wachtel in this edWebinar as she discusses early childhood developmental milestones through the eyes of a child, particularly an English language learner (ELL) child. Those who work with three- and four-year-old children will have the opportunity to take a closer look at their growth.

About

While we know all young children are amazing individuals, can you recall the vast amount of growth that is taking place in their world on a regular basis? At what age can we expect young children to be able to answer a simple question, name familiar colors, throw a ball, or demonstrate simple problem-solving skills?

During this webinar, Wachtel will discuss all this and more, providing a well-rounded perspective of how young children are building language, physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and motor development skills. Specific examples will be provided with ELLs in mind.

Time for questions will be provided. Continuing Education Credits available.

Registration

For more information and to register, visit the event website.

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Children’s Fund Working Group Community Meetings

Join the Allegheny County Children’s Fund Working Group this spring for a series of community meetings to share your views on what works best and what additional support is needed when it comes to early learning and out-of-school time.

About

Allegheny County’s goal is to make sure that every child can benefit from quality early learning and out-of-school time. A series of six Community Meetings are being held across the County to learn from families, caregivers, and educators what access to quality early learning and out-of-school time looks like today—from your perspective and in your community.

Each meeting will include child care, refreshments, and opportunities for community members to voice their input on how Allegheny County can be a leader for kids moving forward.

Community Meeting Dates

The Allegheny County Children’s Fund Working Group and community members will convene on the following dates:

- City Meeting – May 30 | 6:30 p.m. | Jeron X Grayson Community Center, Hill District
- West Meeting – June 3 | 6:30 p.m. | The Landing Community Center, Moon Township
- South Meeting – June 4 | 6:30 p.m. | Bethel Park Community Center
- North Meeting – June 5 | 6:00 p.m. | Shaler North Hills Library
- East Meeting – June 12 | 6:30 p.m. | Founders Hall Middle School, McKeesport
- Spanish-Language Meeting – June 18 | 6:30 p.m. | YWCA Building, Downtown Pittsburgh

Registration & Questions

Visit the Community Meeting website to learn more, RSVP, or contact event organizers.

News

May 14, 2019

Come Play!

Guided by the staff at Trying Together, Come Play! is a weekly opportunity for family and group child care providers to bring their enrolled children for hands-on professional development.

Provider Benefits

By participating, providers will receive:

PQAS / Act 48 Hours
Mentoring
Program Resources

Questions

For more information or to ask questions, contact Theresa Hetler at 412.421.3889 or theresa@tryingtogether.org.

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May 6, 2019

Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education

Join the Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education (P.R.I.D.E.) program for a professional development training centered on exposing directors to strategies that promote positive racial identity in African American children. This session will offer 6 credit hours; PQAS approved.

Training Objectives

Upon completion, the learner will be able to:

Describe racial awareness (i.e., the ages and stages at which children develop an awareness of physical characteristics related to existing social categories of race in America),
Display awareness of the role of early educators in supporting children’s healthy understanding of race, and
Illustrate techniques for working with staff and families to integrate conversations and activities that support children’s racial awareness and positive racial identity.