October 4, 2019 Developing Social and Emotional Skills Through Positive Relationships Join Senior Fellow Venola Mason from the International Center for Leadership in Education on October 15 for her webinar, “Developing Social and Emotional Skills Through Positive Relationships.” About Relationships are the foundation for the development of the cognitive, social, and emotional skills and competencies that students need to be successful within the classroom and beyond. This webinar is designed to help educators understand the critical nature of these relationships and the impact they have on student learning. Time for questions will be provided. Attendees will leave the session with: A deeper understanding of the science and practice of social and emotional learning Practical tips to establish and maintain relationships with students Strategies to cultivate a sense of belonging within your classroom and among students Registration To register and learn more, visit the edWeb website. *Information provided by edWeb
August 20, 2019 Webinar: An Interview with Dr. Sherry Turkle Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center on Wednesday, September 25 for an interview with professor and author, Dr. Sherry Turkle, Ph.D. About In this webinar, Sherry Turkle will discuss digital media’s role in society and culture, including its impact on child development, empathy, and communication. Dr. Sherry Turkle is the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the founding director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self. Sherry Turkle is also the author of “Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age,” a book investigating the impact of technology on and the importance of face-to-face communication. Registration To register for this webinar and learn more, visit the event webpage. More Information For questions, contact Kayla Savelli at kayla.savelli@childrens.harvard.edu.
August 9, 2019 From Scribbles to Writing | Online Webinar Art is the “first language” of the beginning reader and writer. Children usually draw or paint before they write. They use what might seem like just scribbles, lines and blobs to represent things. But isn’t that what writing is all about? About Both art and writing are a process of symbol making and can be a means of communication. Children’s pictures are words to them and represent an essential step on the road to literacy. In this edWebinar, participants will: Look at the ages and stages of writing from infants to kindergarten and explore the many ways to support children’s beginning writing and art skills; Explore the essential social and emotional aspects of art and writing expression while building an emotional vocabulary; Develop new ideas for process-based art activities for self-expression and storytelling; Use poetry and the work of modern artists to inspire children’s art and writing; Build positive and supportive strategies for talking to children about their art; and Define the current brain research that supports the importance of art as a tool for self-expression, language, and writing. This edWebinar will be of interest to pre-k and kindergarten teachers. Register To register for this webinar, visit the EdWeb event page.
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.
May 8, 2019 Behaviors: Ours & Theirs | WCCC Mini-Conference On behalf of OCDEL and hosted by WCCC’s Early Childhood Education/Pre-K – Grade 4 Program, the “Behaviors: Ours & Theirs” mini-conference will focus on improving practitioners’ knowledge and skill to support children’s social and emotional development through culturally relevant practices, as well as exploring how to apply these skills to practitioners’ CQI plans. About Early childhood professionals are invited to attend a personalized mini-conference experience. Attendees will split into two groups and presenters will offer each session two times so that each group will have an opportunity to participate in both sessions. Participants will be provided with a continental breakfast, welcome and introduction, two educational sessions (each including a bound notebook of instructional materials), and a tour of WCCC’s NAEYC accredited Campus Children’s center. This event includes 3 credit hours; PQAS approved. Participants should be familiar with the ECERS and other Keystone STARS CQI tools such as CLASS, PAS, and Good, Better Best. Learning Objectives Attendees will be able to: Discuss and recognize positive observation and interactions with children and families, Examine and organize their understanding of culture and how positive interactions can lead to solid relationships with children and families, Review commonly used Keystone STARS CQI tools to determine areas where changes or improvements can be made in their programs, Explain why these changes will enhance the positive social and emotional development of children, and Discuss how these changes will also help them recognize and value cultural diversity. Registration To register for this event, visit the registration document! Registration is required and is $15 for the first 50 registrants! This fee is due (paid by check) on the day of the event, June 1, 2019. To learn more about the event, visit the PD Registry website. Questions For questions, contact Vicki Hricik at hricikv@westmoreland.edu or 724.925.4023. Share this flyer with your network.
Zoo Day: Down Syndrome Association of Pittsburgh Celebrate spring alongside the Down Syndrome Association of Pittsburgh (DSAP) by joining them for a day of fun at their 2nd Annual Picnic at the Pittsburgh Zoo. About On Saturday, May 25, families and community members are invited for a day of socializing and fun at the Pittsburgh Zoo. The group will be gathering at 12:30 p.m. at the Garden Tent for lunch and socializing with all of their DSAP families and friends. Registration Registration for ALL guests attending is required, including those who hold annual zoo passes and those under the age of 24 months. However, the ticket price will be waived for these guests upon registration. To attend, RSVP by May 11 via the event webpage. Please bring your own picnic lunch; DSAP will provide snacks, dessert, and beverages. Ticket Prices General: $7 Annual Pass Holder: Free Children (2 & Under): Free
May 3, 2019 Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Why It Matters Save the date to join professionals across disciplines to explore the most critical topics related to infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) at this free conference. Continuing Education Credits for a wide range of professionals will be available, including physicians, nurses, home visitors, early and primary educators, and many others. About Breakout sessions will offer behavioral health clinicians, pediatricians, home visitors, early childhood educators, ECMH consultants, family members, child welfare workers, and early intervention providers the opportunity to explore issues related to IECMH most relevant to their field. Keynote sessions will highlight the key themes within IECMH research that are critical for all of the systems that support families with young children. Registration For more information or to register, visit the event’s webpage. For questions, please contact Patrick Webster at 412.667.6701 or websterp2@upmc.edu.
Pittsburgh Infant/Toddler Symposium Kaplan and YWCA Greater Pittsburgh PD/TA are partnering to provide a day of training and networking for area infant/toddler teachers. The day will consist of an opening keynote address, four hours of professional development training, resource tables. Lunch will be provided at no cost. This event is PQAS approved. CDA Content Areas The symposium will focus on the following CDA content areas: Principles of Child Growth and Development Social and Emotional Development Safe, Healthy Learning Environments Learning Objectives The students will be able to: Discuss and explain topics that are relevant to the care and growth/development of infants and toddlers. Participants will have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of courses related to infant/toddler caregiving. Courses offered at the Symposium will focus on topics such as; activities to stimulate brain development, social/emotional development, trauma-informed practice, and health/safety. Registration Registrations must be submitted by May 24, 2019 via the Symposium’s event page. Questions For questions, contact Tom Yeager at 412.255.1173 or tyeager@ywcapgh.org. To learn more, see their event page.
May 2, 2019 2019 PA Community Alliance Summit The Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council invites you to a day of networking, discovering alliances and collaboration building among diverse organizations throughout Pennsylvania led by and/or supporting underserved/unserved populations who experience marginalization and oppression. About the Summit Oppression affects many of us, for different socially constructed reasons: racism, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual identity and orientation, disability, economics, rural/urban location, religion, and so much more. Although our discrimination experiences may be different, we can be a valuable support and resource to each other in our struggles for equality, inclusion, and social justice. Join the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council on May 21 and 22 to participate in the discussion. This year, the Summit will focus on the goal of meeting and engaging new potential allies, stimulating learning from one another, and exploring opportunities for partnerships and collaboration. Download the Summit agenda. Registration Registration is free and may be accessed via the event page. Availability is on a first come first serve basis. More information on the event, hotel accommodations, travel, and more can be found on the event page. Questions For questions, contact Dana Thompson at 717.214.8103 or danathomps@pa.gov.
April 8, 2019 BreastFED: Breastfeeding Summit Join Healthy Start for BreastFED, Pennsylvania’s only regional breastfeeding summit. BreastFED is a two-day regional symposium aimed at providing information from professionals and community experts locally, regionally, and nationally on innovative approaches to address the needs of mothers and lactation practitioners in this region. Throughout the two days, participants will receive both clinical and community perspectives and will be able to share insights and experiences to move forward with best practices and groundbreaking methods to changing the culture of feeding our babies. See the full agenda. Continuing Education Units & Credits CEU’s are available for: Lactation Nursing Social Work Midwifery This summit is approved for a maximum of 10.75 continuing nursing education contact hours. The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Learn More To learn more about the summit and to register, visit the event website. For any questions, contact Healthy Start by phone at 412.247.4009 or email at email@hsipgh.org.
