November 13, 2020 Fifth Annual Healthy Schools Summit Are you interested in translating research into action to create green and healthy schools? Join Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE) on Thursday, December 3 for the Fifth Annual Healthy Schools Summit. About During this virtual conference, national, state, and local experts will tackle the following questions: How are school stakeholders coming together to realize their shared goal for green, safe, and healthy schools for students and staff to return to? How are school leaders translating public health research into action to prevent the spread of COVID-19? What resources are available for educators, nurses, parents, and students to respond to existing and emerging school health needs? For information on the Summit sessions, please see the list below or view the full Summit Agenda. Morning Sessions “From Research to Action and Knowledge to Practice”: Keynote Address by Tracy Enger, Program Manager, U.S Environmental Protection Agency “Public Health Decision Making for School Leaders: A Panel Discussion” with panelists Dr. Farhad Ahmed (PA Dept of Health), Aimee Eckmann (Perkins + Will), Dr. Megan Freeman (Children’s Hospital), and Dr. Robert Scherrer (Allegheny Intermediate Unit “Clearing the Air: Indoor Air Quality in the Time of COVID-19”: Expert Panel with panelists Nina Hwang (Green Seal), Al Pater (Riverview School District), Lynn Rose (Environmental Health Consultant), and Raj Setty (Setty & Associates) Afternoon Sessions “The Future of Green and Healthy Schools” Afternoon Address by Anisa Heming, Director, Center for Green Schools, US Green Building Council Celebrating Five Years of Success through Our Healthy Schools Recognition Program: Virtual Awards Ceremony Option A – Learning Through Pandemics Past: Bringing Public Health and Civics into the Classroom Option B – “It’s Just a Cold” Navigating Student Health During COVID-19: Panel Discussion Option C – Civic Engagement Through Climate Literacy Registration To register for the Summit, visit the Eventbrite page. For questions, please email Kara Rubio, Healthy Schools Manager at kara@womenforahealthyenvironment.org.
November 10, 2020 Supporting the Voices of Grieving Children Join the Highmark Caring Place on November 19 for their webinar “Can You Hear Us Now? Supporting the Voices of Grieving Children” to learn about unique grief responses seen in children, ways to practice self-care, and opportunities to elevate the voices of grieving children. About Children’s Grief Awareness Day provides an opportunity for all to raise awareness of the painful impact that the death of a loved one has in the life of a child, and an opportunity to make sure that these children receive the support they need. It’s a day on which often-unnoticed kids can become heard for a change. A day when all of us can take the time to realize how much it can help grieving children for them to get support. In this webinar, presenters will work to educate the community about children who are grieving, equip peers and adults to become companions for grieving children, and honor the children and their loved ones who have died. Featured Topics During the webinar, participants will: learn about the background and vision of Children’s Grief Awareness Day; gain knowledge of the unique grief responses seen in children; understand the ways that encountering grief and offering support can be challenging, and explore ways of practicing self-care; and identify one to two ways they can elevate the voices of grieving children by raising awareness in their own school, community, or place of work throughout the year. Registration To register for this event, visit the event webpage. Share this flyer with your network.
October 30, 2020 Engaging and Teaching Parents About Technology Are you interested in learning how to teach parents about technology? Join Carrie Rogers-Whitehead, Karina Gathu, and Tay Gudmundson on December 17 for “Engaging and Teaching Parents About Technology.” About Parents can be collaborators or obstacles when the topic of technology comes up. With more remote learning than ever, schools need parents. Educators often talk to parents when mistakes or accidents happen, as a reactionary measure. However, schools can be more proactive about preventing those mistakes by reaching out and understanding parents’ situations and worries. This webinar will draw from on-the-ground work with hundreds of parents, sharing survey results with their biggest concerns. Time for questions will be provided. Featured Topics In this webinar, professionals will: learn the five most important things parents should know about digital citizenship, learn how, when, why, and who to host a digital parenting event with, and learn how to be proactive with parents, not reactive. Registration This webinar is best suited for K-12 teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders. To register, visit the EdWeb website.
Mindfulness-Based Skills to Promote Resilience and Connection Are you interested in learning how mindfulness practices can impact a child’s ability to deal with stress, anxiety, and trauma? Join Megan Davis on November 19 for “Compassionate Classrooms: Mindfulness-Based Skills to Promote Resilience and Connection.” About The goal of this webinar is to introduce mindfulness skills that educators, therapists, and paraprofessionals can integrate into the classroom to build resiliency, distress tolerance, and connection. At the end of this session, you will have gained insight into how simple mindfulness practices directly impact our body’s ability to downregulate in the face of stress, anxiety, and trauma. You will be able to integrate concrete skills into your classroom to support students’, as well as your own, wellness. Featured Topics In this webinar, Megan Davis will: define a basic understanding of how stress impacts the nervous system and our ability to self-regulate, demonstrate breathing exercises to calm and balance an activated nervous system, demonstrate mindfulness exercises to regulate and widen the “window of tolerance”, help professionals plan for how and when to integrate skills into a typical school day (virtual or in-person), and provide opportunities to reflect on current self-care practices and how they translate to the culture of classroom wellness. Registration This webinar is best suited for K-12 teachers, librarians, school leaders, therapists, and counselors. To register, visit the EdWeb website.
School’s Out! Challenges and Solutions for School-Age Programs Are you interested in exploring common challenges and solutions for school-age programs? Join presenters Tracy Galuski, Ph.D., Arlene Rider, Ph.D., and Nadia J. Jones, Ed.D. on November 18 for “School’s Out! Challenges and Solutions for School-Age Programs: Meaningful Activities.” About Professionals who work with school-age children in out-of-school environments often struggle with ways to keep the children engaged in programs that run before and after the structured school day. Children have varied needs, and program staff are often dealing with challenges such as a restrictive environment, mixed groupings, and varied schedules. Within the context of child development, this webinar offers a child-centered approach to developing activities that engage and enhance the program. Participants will explore a number of common challenges along with some possible solutions that can be adapted and applied in their work. Time for questions will be provided. Featured Topics This webinar will: review typical learning centers in school-age programs, explore developmental stages and how child development informs practice, and discuss challenges and solutions related to the environment and activities. Registration This webinar is best suited for practioneres in before- and after-school programs in a variety of settings. To register, visit the EdWeb website.
October 21, 2020 Allegheny County Family Resource Map Now Available Are you interested in accessing food, housing, parent, or employment services? Check out ELRC Region 5’s Allegheny County Family Resource Map to view resources available near you! About The Allegheny County Family Resource Map highlights the addresses, phone numbers, and websites of a variety of family supports, including: Aging Care and Education Employment Family Activities Food Health Housing New Parents Outdoors and Recreation Transportation Through the map, families can find countywide resources and services closest to them, such as senior community centers, family centers, early learning programs, public schools, WIC offices, parks, libraries, food pantries, diaper banks, clinics, public housing, Port Authority bus stops, and more. More Information For questions or to submit a map suggestion, please contact ELRC Region 5 at 412.350.3577 elrc5@alleghenycounty.us.
September 29, 2020 Supporting Young Students with Remote Learning Are you interested in learning tips from education experts on how to support children in remote and blended learning environments? Join Zoom and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) on October 7 and October 8, 2020 for their two-part Back-to-School webinar series designed for families and caregivers. About Session 1 Tips and Strategies for Families and Caregivers (K-12) October 7, 2020 | 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. In this webinar, families and caregivers will learn key strategies for building a positive, effective home learning environment and implementing concrete tips to advocate for their learner’s needs. ISTE Certified Educators and Trainers Dr. Daisy Sam and Dr. Sonn Sam will lead this timely discussion as an effort to ensure a more successful, productive school year during these challenging times. Session 2 Zoom Basics and Tips for Families and Caregivers (K-6) October 8, 2020 | 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. In this webinar, Zoom experts will provide important tips to help support your child in remote and blended learning environments. Presenters will cover everything from platform basics and troubleshooting to remote learning soft skills to help them succeed as students. This session will be geared towards younger learners, primarily in grades K-6, however parents and caregivers of all ages are welcome to attend. Registration Both sessions will be broadcast in English with the option to listen to a live language interpretation in Spanish. Live American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will also be available. To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
September 24, 2020 KidSMART Club At Home Program Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Citiparks will offer its KidSMART Club as an at-home program for children in grades three, four, and five. An option for pre-kindergarten children is also available. About KidSMART Club is an afterschool program developed by Citiparks for children in grades three, four, and five. A pre-k option is also available and is best suited for children ages three to five years old. The program features a series of activities that explore science, math, art, reading, technology, and more! This year, the Club will be offered as an at-home program for 11 weeks with each week offering a new theme of learning. Themes and Dates Club members who complete six weeks or more of STEM/STEAM projects will be eligible for a chance to win cool prizes! View the full list of upcoming sessions below. Week 1: Art Explosion, Multimedia Art Studio October 5 – 9, 2020 Week 2: Wide World of Sports October 12 – 16, 2020 Week 3: Urban Adventures October 19 – 23, 2020 Week 4: DIY Maker Lab, “I Made It With Citiparks” October 26 – 30, 2020 Week 5: Comic Central November 2 – 6, 2020 Week 6: X-Treme Science November 9 – 13, 2020 Week 7: Create With The Masters November 16 – 20, 2020 Week 8: Junior Chef – Holiday Kit November 23 – 27, 2020 Week 9: Space Station Pittsburgh November 30 – December 4, 2020 Week 10: Holidays Around The World December 7 – 11, 2020 Week 11: KidSMART – Holiday Kit December 14 – 18, 2020 Registration Registration is required to participate. When registering, you must select a pickup location for your weekly at-home kits. Kit pickup will occur every Monday (beginning October 5) from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at one of the following Citipark Recreation Center locations: Ammon Community Recreation Center Henry Kaufmann Neighborhood House (Arlington) Brookline Recreation Center Jefferson Recreation Center Magee Recreation Center Paulson Recreation Center Phillips Recreation Center Warrington Recreation Center To register, complete the KidSMART Club Registration Form. This registration reserves your kit for an 11-week period through the end of 2020. Space is limited. More Information For more information, visit the KidSMART Club webpage. Share this flyer with your network.
September 18, 2020 What We Can Learn from Children About Mindfulness Are you interested in gaining a deeper understanding of how to practice mindfulness together with young children? Join Gryphon House on October 14 for their webinar, “What We Can Learn from Children About Mindfulness to Transform Our Learning Environments.” About During this webinar, Dr. Elizabeth Joy Erwin, Professor of Education at Montclair State University, will discuss why we have so much to learn from children, especially the youngest ones; how to develop and maintain a culture of mindfulness; and simple mindfulness practices to engage in starting now. By discovering how to integrate simple ideas and practical strategies to calm the body and quiet the mind, educators can select the exact tools they want to ensure all children learn and thrive. This webinar is best suited for PreK-5 teachers, librarians, therapists, and school and district leaders. Time for questions will be provided. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
