March 24, 2020 Supporting Children in the Struggle Against COVID-19 About In the United States and abroad, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) threatens our health, disrupts our routines, and undermines our financial and economic well-being. Diagnoses of anxiety in children were at a peak even before the coronavirus provided more cause for alarm. Join EmbraceRace for their webinar “Supporting Children in the Struggle Against COVID-19” for a conversation with a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, based in Houston, and a child psychologist, based in the Bay Area, about how parents, guardians, and other caregivers can best protect children in these difficult times. Time will be provided for questions and comments. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
November 5, 2019 Anti-Racism in Early Education What does it mean to bring an anti-racist lens to the classroom? Join Dr. Kerry-Ann Escayg and P.R.I.D.E. on November 14 to find out. About On November 14, community members are invited to join P.R.I.D.E. at the Homewood Community Engagement Center for their event, “Anti-Racism in Early Education.” As a part of the P.R.I.D.E. Speaker Series, the event will feature anti-racism scholar Dr. Kerry-Ann Escayg. Dr. Escayg is an assistant professor of early childhood education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her work focuses on bringing an anti-racist framework to early education. P.R.I.D.E. P.R.I.D.E. (Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education) is part of the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development within the School of Education. Their goal is to help young Black children, aged 3 to 8, understand race and embrace their ethnicity and heritage. Registration To RSVP, visit the event registration page. More Information For questions, contact P.R.I.D.E. at 412.383.8726 or adamflango@pitt.edu. *Information provided by P.R.I.D.E.
October 7, 2019 Raising Readers Tweens & Teens Meet Author Jewell Parker Rhodes This October, tweens and teens from Trying Together’s Raising Readers Together Club got a chance to meet “Ghost Boys” author, Jewell Parker Rhodes. About In the Spring of 2019, tweens and teens in Trying Together’s Raising Readers Club read “Ghost Boys,” a heartbreaking story about a twelve-year-old boy named Jerome. Weaving historical and socio-political elements into the story, the novel explores “the complexities of today’s world and how one boy grows to understand American blackness in the aftermath of his own death.” Pittsburgh-native Jewell Parker Rhodes met with our Raising Readers tweens and teens early this month to autograph their books and answer questions about writing techniques. Running weekly, the Raising Readers Together Club explores the importance of acceptance, equality, and tolerance through reading. About the Author After entering college as a dance major, Jewell Parker Rhodes discovered that there were novels written by African Americans, for African Americans, and from there, her writing career took flight. After publishing six novels for adults, two writing guides, and a memoir, Jewell continued on to publish five children’s books, including the New York Times bestseller and #1 Kids’ Indie Next Pick “Ghost Boys.” When she’s not writing, Jewell regularly visits schools to talk about her books with children and teaches writing at Arizona State University. More Information To learn more about Jewell Parker Rhodes, visit her website. For more information on the Raising Readers Together Club, contact Cynthia Battle at 412.567.1304 or cynthia@tryingtogether.org.
August 1, 2019 P.R.I.D.E. Pop Up Mini Art Festival Visit the P.R.I.D.E. Pop Up Mini Art Festivals and experience fun activities designed to help young Black children learn about and celebrate their race, culture, and heritage. Children ages 3 to 8 will enjoy activity stations designed by trained artists and educators. Families are invited to enjoy free food, performances, art, and music! Festival Date Hill District September 14, 2019, 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Hug Me Tight Childlife Center Questions For more information, contact Adam Flango at 412.383.8726 or AdamFlango@pitt.edu. Share this flyer with your network.
P.R.I.D.E. Pop Up Mini Art Festival Visit the P.R.I.D.E. Pop Up Mini Art Festivals and experience fun activities designed to help young Black children learn about and celebrate their race, culture, and heritage. Children ages 3 to 8 will enjoy activity stations designed by trained artists and educators. Families are invited to enjoy free food, performances, art, and music! Festival Dates Upcoming festivals will be held at the following locations: Homewood August 24, 2019, 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Homewood YMCA Hill District September 14, 2019, 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Hug Me Tight Childlife Center Questions For more information, contact Adam Flango at 412.383.8726 or AdamFlango@pitt.edu. Share this flyer with your network.
April 5, 2019 Homewood Event Series: Get Up Join Operation Better Block this April and May for the Fuel Up, Redd Up, Get Up event series (4/12, 20, & 5/5). *The calendar information for this event page links with the May 5 event: Get Up* May 5: Get Up The series will close on May 5 by gathering to cheer on the marathon runners as they make their way through the Homewood community. Volunteer sign-ups will be available for the marathon through Camille via phone at 412.731.1908 or by visiting the Operation Better Block office. Attendees of this event are encouraged to provide your name and t-shirt size and will meet in front of the Homewood House from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. More Information For more information, visit the series’ event page.
March 12, 2019 The P.R.I.D.E. Speaker Series: Nurturing Black Children About Join The P.R.I.D.E. Program for an evening of engaging discussions on Thursday, May 2 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Library – Homewood Auditorium. Keynote This event features Muffy Mendoza. Mendoza is an author, parent, and founder of Pittsburgh Brown Mamas, a support from for mothers of color. Her keynote will focus on how parents and educators can team together to nurture young Black children. Following the keynote, she will join a panel discussion of strategies that support young children’s positive racial identity. Schedule 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. Doors open 5:30 – 6:00 p.m. Keynote Speech, Muffy Mendoza 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. Panel Discussion 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. Book Signing, The Brown Mama Mindset CHILD CARE: Child care will be available for parents and caregivers. Please make sure to register for child care when you register for the event. CAN’T GO?: We’ll miss you- but please let us know! You can cancel your order on Event Brite, or send us a message so your ticket can go to the next guest on the waitlist. Meet the Speaker Muffy Mendoza, Author, Speaker, Parent, and founder of BrownMamas. Muffy Mendoza is a mother of three boys, an author, an entrepreneur, and a dynamic speaker. Her 2018 book blueprint The Brown Mama Mindset, serves as a guidebook for Black moms on life, love, and home and was featured at the 2018 Essence Festival. She also founded Pittsburgh Brown Mamas, a support group for mothers in Pittsburgh, and has been featured as TEDx speaker.
December 20, 2018 PA Wins Brandon Hall Group Excellence Bronze Award In August 2018, the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and PA Key course, Assessment: Beyond the Basics of Observation and Data Utilization, won the prestigious Brandon Hall Group Excellence Bronze Award for best in Custom Content. The Excellence Awards The Excellence Awards recognize the best organizations that have successfully deployed programs, strategies, modalities, processes, systems, and tools that have achieved measurable results. Award entries were evaluated by a panel of veteran, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts, and executives based upon the following criteria: Fit the need Design of the program Functionality Innovation Overall measurable benefits. See the full list awardees. About the Course The winning self-paced online course for early learning teachers provides an overview of classroom assessments of young children and how information from assessments can be used to inform instruction. The course was developed in collaboration with CyperhWorx, Inc. and was made possible through Pennsylvania’s Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant. Professional Development To register for the winning course (and others), visit the PA Professional Development Registry. *Information provided by the PA Early Ed News
August 14, 2018 P.R.I.D.E. Speaker Series – Reimagining Early Childhood: Being Intentional About Race and Young Children This event is currently sold out. Join Trying Together for an evening of engaging dialogue on Thursday, September 27 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at The Frick Art and Historical Center. The P.R.I.D.E. Program Speaker Series will welcome Dr. Erin N. Winkler, professor of African & African Diaspora Studies and Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, to discuss how adults can be intentional in discussing race with young children. P.R.I.D.E. Speaker Series Event Schedule: 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. Networking and Registration 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Keynote by Dr. Erin Winkler, followed by Q&A Please contact UnConference Director Yu-Ling Cheng at conference@tryingtogether.org or call 412-421-3889. About Dr. Erin Winkler Erin N. Winkler is associate professor of African & African Diaspora Studies and Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She earned her Ph.D. in African American Studies at the University of California-Berkeley and was a postdoctoral fellow in African American Studies at Northwestern University. She is author of the book, Learning Race, Learning Place: Shaping Racial Identities and Ideas in African American Childhoods. She has recently consulted for the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, working to train museum staff to have productive conversations about race and racism with visitors of all ages and backgrounds (2016), and serving as an instructor in the Museum’s week-long workshop for K-12 teachers, “Let’s Talk: Teaching Race in the Classroom” (2017). About P.R.I.D.E. The P.R.I.D.E. Program is part of the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development within the School of Education. At P.R.I.D.E. our focus is on helping young Black children, aged 3 to 8, develop a positive racial identity. Studies have shown that when children are socialized to embrace their race, ethnicity, and heritage, it can lead to numerous positive outcomes. This event is part of the P.R.I.D.E. Speaker Series, which invites parents, caregivers, educators, and the community at-large to learn about and engage in discussions about race, education, and young children. P.R.I.D.E is part of the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development within the School of Education. Thank you to our Sponsors and Partners A huge thank you to our: co-hosts, P.R.I.D.E., Trying Together and Frick Art and Historical Center, UnConference series sponsor PNC Grow Up Great and sponsors Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL)*, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Hillman Family Foundation! *Funding for this conference was made possible (in part) by the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL). The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of OCDEL; nor does mention by trade names, commercial practice or organization imply endorsement by the Commonwealth.
UnConference: Being Intentional About Race and Young Children In partnership with The P.R.I.D.E. Program (part of the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development within the School of Education) and Frick Pittsburgh, join Trying Together for a day of professional development on Saturday, September 29, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at The Frick Art and Historical Center. Attendees will explore how we as early childhood educators, afterschool providers, and families, can create a positive environment to discuss race with young children. The day will also feature Dr. Erin N. Winkler, professor of African & African Diaspora Studies and Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This event is currently sold-out. You may add your name to the waitlist below. Tickets for The P.R.I.D.E. Speaker Series event on Thursday, September 27 with Dr. Winkler are now available. The UnConference series is made possible by:
