News

November 25, 2020

Research Study for Pre-k Classroom Teachers

Are you a teacher currently working in a pre-k classroom in Pennsylvania? If so, participate in the “Social and Emotional Learning in Pre-K Programs” research study conducted by Cynthia Speer, a Ph.D. Candidate at Waynesburg University.

About

The purpose of this proposed study is to sample educators from both public and private pre-k programs in Pennsylvania to ascertain information regarding their perception of and experiences with social and emotional learning (SEL).

Study participants will provide personal and school-based demographic information and complete a survey of social and emotional learning (SEL) perception and experiences. Completing these surveys will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. All responses will remain anonymous and no identifying personal information (such as name, email address, or IP address) will be collected.

Sign Up To Participate

If you are interested in signing up as a participant, complete this online form.

More Information

For questions regarding the research, contact Cynthia Speer at spe1961@student.waynesburg.edu or 412.952.4469. For information regarding rights as a research subject, contact Dissertation Committee Chair, Dr. Michelle Steimer at msteimer@waynesburg.edu or 412.722.7602.

News

October 30, 2020

Teaching Digital Citizenship Through SEL Skill Building

Did you know that social-emotional learning (SEL) can help develop the skills students need to be empowered digital citizens? Join Carrie Rogers-Whitehead and Joyce Whitby on November 11 for their webinar “Teaching Digital Citizenship Through SEL Skill Building” to learn about this topic more!

About

This webinar, informed by thousands of direct hours teaching K-12 students digital citizenship, narrows down the most important social-emotional learning (SEL) skills for digital citizenship. It also shares practical ideas and real-life examples to effectively teach those skills to multiple age groups.

Participants will leave with activities and ideas they can use immediately in their classroom and learn more about a different approach to digital citizenship education. Time for questions will be provided.

Registration

This webinar is best suited for K-12 teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders. To register, visit the EdWeb website.

News

September 18, 2020

The Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers

Are you interested in learning strategies to support infant and toddlers’ emotional development? Join Gryphon House on October 28 for their webinar, “Crying and Laughing: The Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers.”

About

During this webinar, Donna Sasse Wittmer, Ph.D. will highlight ten keys that early childhood professionals can use to support infant and toddler emotional development and learning. When these keys are used, they are the foundation for helping children develop emotional competence. This webinar emphasizes the knowledge and skills that enable you to be a compassionate infant and toddler professional who provides the emotional nourishment that young children need and who supports children’s emotional well-being.

This webinar is best suited for pre-k teachers and school leaders. Time for questions will be provided.

Registration

To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.

News

September 11, 2020

SEL & Mental Health in Distance Learning

Are you interested in learning how to implement social-emotional and mental health supports for your students and staff? Attend the webinar “SEL & Mental Health in Distance Learning: District Leaders Share Best Practices” on September 15 to hear best practices from education leaders.

About

In this webinar, presenters will share:

    • how to connect and build trust with students, laying the groundwork for engagement and learning;
    • best practices for supporting students in special education in distance learning;
    • how to ensure staff feels safe and supported;
    • how to implement SEL that supports anti-racism and equity in distance learning; and
    • how to implement digital tools in an MTSS for efficacy and sustainability.

School and district administrators will learn concrete steps they can take to deliver effective, trauma-informed SEL and mental health supports to students and staff as schools and communities continue to grapple with the challenges of COVID-19.

This recorded webinar will be of interest to school and district leaders of pre-k through high school grade levels, federal program coordinators, and those involved in student mental health.

Registration

To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.

News

September 9, 2020

Feelings Behind the Mask: Building Emotion Vocabulary

Are you interested in learning strategies to expand children’s feeling and emotion vocabulary? Join Trying Together on September 30 for our online session, “Connections and Conversations: Feelings Behind the Mask: Building Emotion Vocabulary.”

About

Connections and Conversations Virtual Check-Ins are biweekly interactive sessions that highlight topics of interest to the field of early childhood education. Participants engage in virtual discussions with child development experts while interacting with early learning practitioners to share questions, experiences, and expertise about the highlighted topic. Sessions offer one hour of PQAS credit. Act 48 credit will not be provided.

In this session, participants will learn about strategies to expand children’s feeling vocabulary in order to support their abilities to correctly perceive and respond to feelings in themselves and others. Identifying and expressing emotions are key skills in a child’s development. Children need a large and complex feeling vocabulary to make finer discriminations between feelings, to better communicate with others about their internal affective states, and to engage in discussions about their personal experiences with the world.

Session Details

    • Session Date: Wednesday, September 30  |  6 – 7 p.m
    • Instructor: Nancy Loughead
    • CKC: Curriculum and Learning Experiences
    • CDA Subject Area: Social & Emotional Development
    • Registration Deadline: Monday, September 28

Registration

To register, visit the course PD Registry page. Space is limited.

Participants will receive the course Zoom link via email within 24 hours before the start date for the course. For questions, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org.

Session Rules and Guidelines

These virtual discussions are designed to provide educators the opportunity to grow professionally and share knowledge on early childhood topics. During the meeting, participants should follow the guidelines below to ensure a successful virtual meeting for all participants.

    • Please allow all participants a chance to speak. Listen respectfully and actively.
    • Commit to learning about each other, not to debating the topic.
    • Embrace differences of opinion as healthy and support each person’s authentic self-expression.
    • Participants will be muted for the beginning portion of the session.
    • Participants may use the “Raise Hand” feature in Zoom to request an opportunity to comment or ask a question. Individuals will be temporarily unmuted by the moderator.
    • Participants may type a comment or question in the Chat or may send comments or questions directly to the moderator for them to share.
    • To receive PQAS credit, you must complete an evaluation at the end of the session and include your PD Registry number.
    • Have fun, make connections, and engage in the conversations!

More Information

For questions or more information, please contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org.

News

September 2, 2020

Helping Parents & Caregivers Navigate a School Year Like No Other

Are you interested in hearing from the country’s leading experts about topics such as social-emotional wellness, mental health, learning resources, tech safety, and more? Join Remake Learning and other presenting organizations for the “So Now What?” virtual series!

About

The series will bring the country’s leading experts in education and childhood development, including PBS Kids, Common Sense Media, Learning Heroes, and UPMC Children’s Hospital, together with parents and caregivers to share and learn from one another. Presenters will cover a range of topics specific to this moment in time, including:

    • social-emotional wellness,
    • mental health,
    • learning resources,
    • communication,
    • tech safety,
    • and much more.

Available Sessions

The series includes the following sessions:

Registration

To register, complete the online registration form.

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News

August 18, 2020

Virtual UnConference: Caring in a “New Normal”

Join Trying Together from September 14–23, 2020 for our second free Virtual UnConference: Caring in a ‘New Normal’. PQAS and Act 48 credit hours will be available. Registration is required.

About

Virtual UnConference: Caring in a ‘New Normal’ will feature a panel discussion and three workshops on topics including finance, interacting with young children, and social-emotional health during the COVID-19 health crisis. This UnConference will build on guidance shared during our first Virtual UnConference: Re-Opening to Our ‘New Normal’. To watch a recording, visit our UnConference page.

Featured Workshops

    • Positive Interactions During the Pandemic
      Monday, September 14, 2020  |  10:00 – 11:30 a.m.  |  Register

      In this workshop, Sarah Grubb from ELRC Region 5 will walk early childhood educators through the essential elements of positive interaction, the educator’s role in co-regulation, and strategies for supporting children best through positive, day-to-day interactions.

    • A Conversation on How to Support the Social/Emotional Needs of Children
      Thursday, September 17, 2020  |  10:00 – 11:30 a.m.  |  Register

      Join Diana Schwab for a conversation and Q&A focused on the social and emotional needs of children. In this workshop, participants will discuss early childhood social and emotional development with a particular focus on how children communicate social and emotional needs through behavior. This workshop will also discuss how to focus a child’s behaviors as a communication of developmental strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as mental health needs.

    • Building a Foundation for Your Organization’s Financial Wellness
      Monday, September 21, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.  |  Register

      This workshop will discuss the importance of building a business plan and budget as the foundation of your organization’s financial wellness, especially during this time of changing external forces due to COVID-19. Presenter Chris Pentrack of Supporting Strategies will suggest beginner tools and methods to build these items, as well as resources for additional assistance. Presenters will discuss topics such as profit and loss statements, balance sheets, monitoring, and forecasting cash for the organization.

    • Providing Safe and Healthy Care in Child Care Now and Beyond the Pandemic
      Wednesday, September 23, 2020  |  1:30 – 3:00 p.m.  |  Register

      This workshop will feature a panel of directors who will discuss the measurements currently being followed to prevent the spread of illness in their individual child care programs. A portion of the conversation will include health and wellness tips that can help support your staff and teachers during these challenging times. The discussion will conclude by identifying which health and safety practices will most likely be permanently incorporated into everyday practice moving forward beyond COVID-19.

Registration

Registration for this UnConference is being completed on the PD Registry. If you do not have a PD Registry account, please complete this online form to create one. If you are unable to create an account, please contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org for more information.

Click the links below to register for each workshop you are interested in. Registration is required.

More Information

For questions, contact UnConference Director Yu-Ling Cheng at conference@tryingtogether.org.

News

April 28, 2020

APOST Requests Virtual Summer Conference Workshop Submissions

The Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST) will be hosting a Virtual Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time from Tuesday, May 26 through Friday, June 5, 2020. At this time, APOST is accepting workshop submissions from education leaders. Continue reading below to learn more.

About

The Virtual Summer Conference for Out-of-School Time will target youth workers in out-of-school time and summer settings. This includes frontline staff, program managers, executive directors, mentors, and more. In regard to workshop submissions, APOST is looking for depth of experience and expertise rather than breadth.

With this, they strongly encourage workshops focused on the following themes:

    • social-emotional learning;
    • community trauma and trauma-informed care;
    • health and wellness in out-of-school time;
    • creating inclusive spaces in out-of-school time;
    • engaging children and parents during COVID-19;
    • how to speak to youth about COVID-19; and
    • ways to successfully implement virtual programming.

Workshop sizes will most likely not be capped as this event will be virtual, but facilitation preference will be left up to the presenters.

Submit Your Proposal

To learn more or submit a proposal, please complete APOST’s online form. All submissions must be received by Tuesday, May 5. Event hosts send out their final decision on Friday, May 8.

More Information

For questions or more information, contact APOST at 412.456.6876 or apost@uwac.org.

News

April 3, 2020

Building Students’ Social-Emotional Strength Through Literacy

Are you interested in learning about classroom-ready resources that support social-emotional learning? Join Dr. Nancy Boyles on April 7 for the webinar, “Building Students’ Social-Emotional Strength Through Literacy.”

About

During this webinar, participants will gain a better understanding of CASEL focus areas that impact personal strength: managing feelings, a positive view of self, developing self-confidence, controlling impulsive behaviors, setting goals, and skill in communicating. This will include a reflection on questions for professionals in each area, an introduction to noteworthy picture books aligned to the focus areas, and application of a student-friendly questioning strategy for starting SEL conversations.

This webinar will be of interest to pre-k through high school teachers, librarians, and school leaders. Time for questions will be included.

Registration

To register and learn more, visit the event webpage!

News

March 31, 2020

Understanding the Impact of Coronavirus on K-12 Education

As of early March, the COVID-19 coronavirus has put about 300 million students out of school around the world, as communities and whole countries try to contain its spread.

Join EdSurge for weekly live webinars on how K-12 schools are coping, the move to remote learning, and how students and educators are being impacted by the virus. EdSurge K-12 Editor Stephen Noonoo and other editors and reporters will host different panelists each week to discuss the latest developments in this rapidly evolving situation.

Series Topics

Some of the topics series panelists will discuss include:

    • equity;
    • special education;
    • universal design for learning;
    • parent communications;
    • social-emotional learning;
    • remote instruction for early learning; and
    • lessons learned from Chinese educators (Wednesday, April 8 at 7 p.m.).

Registration

To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.