July 7, 2020 CDA Community of Practice Are you an early educator who is interested in advancing your career? Join Trying Together starting July 14 for our six-week online course, “CDA Community of Practice.” About This online course is intended for individuals who have completed the necessary hours and requirements for a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. During this community of practice, participants will explore the current theory, research, and best practices related to early childhood. Participants will focus on the completion of portfolio requirements, as well as preparation for the CDA credential exam. This course will be hosted on Zoom. Participants will receive the Zoom link via email from the course instructor. For questions, contact Theresa Hetler at theresa@tryingtogether.org. Course Details Timeline: July 14 – August 18, 2020 (Six Weeks) Sessions will be held every Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. Instructor: Theresa Hetler, Workforce Development Strategist Course Type: Online (Zoom Meetings) Registration Deadline: Friday, July 10 Registration To register for this course, contact Theresa Hetler at theresa@tryingtogether.org. Space is extremely limited. Registrations must be submitted no later than Friday, July 10. More Information For questions, contact Theresa Hetler at theresa@tryingtogether.org.
July 2, 2020 ZERO TO THREE Annual Conference Are you interested in learning about the latest early childhood research and connecting with thousands of fellow educators from around the world? Join ZERO TO THREE from October 5-9 for their Virtual Annual Conference! About This year’s virtual conference will give participants the added flexibility to be connected safely to thousands of colleagues from around the world; be inspired through an immersive experience into the latest research and education; and be prepared to move their practice forward in our changing and challenging world. The conference package includes five days of exceptional programming and 30 days of exclusive, on-demand access to recorded sessions. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are included. Pre-Conference Forums will be available as well from September 22 to October 1 for an additional fee. Each Forum package includes a single two-day Forum event and 30-day access to the recorded session. CEUs are included. Featured Sessions The conference features many presentations and breakout sessions, including, but not limited to the following: Bringing Self-Compassion and Care Home: Learning by Nurturing Supporting Healthy Development Through Meaningful Relationships With Mother Nature, a Growing Global Movement Operation HealthySteps: Promoting Safe Childcare Practices Across a Large Medical System Where Trauma and Grief Collide: CPP With Child Traumatic Grief How to Incorporate Mindfulness Techniques Into Family-Based Practices With Infants and Toddlers Interrogating Whiteness in Early Intervention Equity and Inclusion in Family Engagement Programs See the full schedule. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage. Member and group discounts are available. If you require any assistance with your registration, contact the Customer Support team at 855.868.1192
April 15, 2020 Family Strengths Survey Now Available During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and adult caregivers are vital in supporting the care, education, and healthy development of young children. Each caregiver and family will have their own unique experiences during these tough times, with many requiring assistance to acquire food, pay bills, and access other critical services. To better understand which resources have been the most helpful and to ensure that these resources remain available, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics launched the “Family Strengths Survey.” The survey is open to the public and all answers will be submitted anonymously. Take the Survey If you are interested in submitting the Family Strengths survey in English, please visit the survey webpage or call 412.692.8026. The survey is also available in Spanish. You Could Win At the end of the survey, participants will have the choice to enter your name and contact information for a chance to receive a $100 gift card. Five people will be randomly selected each week from everyone who answers the survey. The contact information that you provide will never be linked to your answers in the survey. Visit the survey webpage to learn more. More Information For more information about the survey or to see weekly updates on survey results, please visit the Family Strengths Survey webpage. For questions, please contact PGHstudy@pitt.edu. For more information on COVID-19, including daily updates, please click here to visit our COVID-19 resources page.
April 7, 2020 The Science of Learning and Teaching at Home During COVID-19 Are you interested in asking leading child development experts questions about learning and teaching from home during the COVID-19 pandemic? Join the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) on April 10 for their webinar, “At Home with the Child Experts: The Science of Learning and Teaching at Home During COVID-19.” About Are you wondering how to make sure your kids are staying on track with school work? If or when to reach out to your child’s teacher? Whether there are “fun” activities you can introduce to help your children learn? This 30-minute informal conversation gives parents and caregivers a chance to ask leading child development experts direct questions about learning and teaching at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants will have the option of submitting questions in advance or posting them in real-time during the event. 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.
July 3, 2019 Paid Opportunity: Baby Brain Emotion Study Are you the mother/caregiver of an infant age 0-3 months? If so, you and your baby may be able to participate in a Pitt+Me research study to help learn more about the ways in which infants’ emotions are connected to areas of the brain and how parenting behaviors might affect these connections. About The purpose of this study is to help researchers learn more about the ways in which infants’ emotions are connected to areas of the brain and how parenting behaviors might affect these connections. Researchers hope their findings will lead to a better understanding of emotional challenges in children in the future. Compensation provided. Study Eligibility Infant aged 0-3 months old Infant was born full-term (at least 37 weeks) Infant’s birth weight was more than 5.5 pounds Infant has not been in the hospital for any physical health issues, including neurological Infant does not have any metal in their body Mother/Caregiver did not use illicit substances during pregnancy and is not using them now Mother/Caregiver spends at least 2 hours per day caring for the infant Learn More For more information and to participate, visit the study webpage. *Information provided by Pitt+Me
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.
April 16, 2019 Workshop: Supporting Pittsburgh’s Refugee Students Join Dr. Xia Chao for the first of four interactive workshops in a series dedicated to helping educators understand the cultures, needs, and assets of the Pittsburgh area’s refugee communities. Through a grant from the National Geographic Society, Dr. Chao has conducted research over the past several years that explores the experiences and narratives of local refugee communities including the Nepali/Bhutanese, Somali Bantu, and Sudanese. This workshop series seeks to incorporate the findings of Dr. Chao’s research in order to offer local educators insight into working with students from these populations and resources for creating culturally sustaining practices. This event is free and light refreshments and Act 48 credits will be provided. Topics Workshop topics will be as follows: Understanding the Local Immigrant and Refugee Landscape | May 13, 2019 | City Theatre Culturally Relevant Pedagogy with Refugee Populations | June | TBA Cultural Navigation and Cultural Humility | Fall | TBA Putting Information into Action | Fall | TBA More Information For information on the May 13 event, contact Jenna Geiman at jenna@changeagency.world. For more information on the workshop series and content, contact Dr. Xia Choa at chaox@duq.edu. See the event’s Facebook page.
March 7, 2019 Annual Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference About NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania’s annual Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference is Friday, March 8, 2019, at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott. This event will offer skills needed to improve the lives of children with mental health needs and give better understanding of best practices and research in children’s mental health. Who Should Attend? This event is for parents and caregivers, health professionals, health care providers, and educators. Registration Registration is now closed. Walk-ins are welcome. For questions, email Sara Levine Steinberg at slsteinberg@namikeystonepa.org. For more information, please go to: https://www.namikeystonepa.org/education/conferences/2019-child-and-adolescent-mental-health-conference/
November 1, 2018 Deadline Extended for RFP: Child Care Funding and Finance in PA The deadline has been extended to November 9, 2018 for the Request for Proposal, Child Care Funding and Finance in Pennsylvania: The True Cost of Quality Part II. The Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU), in coordination with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission (PAELIC), released the RFP for submission of proposals to investigate the cost of providing high-quality early care and education across Pennsylvania. Part I Conclusions Part I of this project, CHILD CARE FUNDING & FINANCE IN PENNSYLVANIA: Budgeting for Survival or Paying for the True Cost of Quality? conducted by Research for Action found that: Infant and toddler care is more expensive than pre-K or school-age care. Current revenue streams and reimbursement rates are inadequate to cover the cost of infant and toddler care and, as a result, child care providers opt to serve more preschoolers and fewer infants and toddlers. Low compensation in child care programs leads to significant staff turnover and hiring of less-qualified staff. Part II Overview Knowing that the cost of infant and toddler child care is high, and the current public financing system is inadequate to cover the costs of quality in Pennsylvania, particularly teachers’ wages, leading to turnover and a less qualified workforce, Part II of this study aims to answer the question ‘What does it cost to support high-quality child care across Pennsylvania?’ Part II will build upon the previous work conducted in Part I, using a more robust data set to estimate the true cost of high-quality child care, as compared to child care that meets only regulatory standards, and how those costs vary across regions in the commonwealth. The findings from Part II will inform the evolution of Pennsylvania’s child care financing and quality systems to enable the greatest access to high-quality child care for the most at-risk children. Deadline The Request for Proposal represents the requirements for an open and competitive process. Proposals will be accepted until 5 pm EST, Friday, November 9, 2018. See the RFP for more information, including proposal guidelines, project description, project timeline and more. Information provided by PA Early Ed News.
