August 19, 2020 Virtual Back to Out-of-School-Time Conference Join Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School-Time (APOST) from August 24–September 10, 2020 for their Virtual Back to Out-of-School-Time Conference! About Over a period of three weeks, the Virtual Back to Out-of-School-Time Conference will offer relevant workshops to assist professionals in continuing to provide high-quality programming for youth during this challenging time. This Conference is open to any youth practitioner who desires to increase their skills in working with youth in out-of-school-time programs or mentoring relationships. If there is a workshop that you would like to attend but are not able to due to schedule conflicts, recordings and resources for all workshop offerings will be available for at least one month after all of the workshops have concluded. Available Workshops A Summer in Review: Conducting In-Person Programming in the Foreseeable Future Monday, August 24 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Wellness for Black Young People in a Racist Society during COVID-19 Tuesday, August 25 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. How to Handle Your Workforce Post COVID-19? – Organizational Skill Gaps with Leaner Staffing Wednesday, August 26 | 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Outdoor STEM in an Online Classroom Thursday, August 27 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. Keeping Kids Entertained and Learning During COVID-19 and Beyond Friday, August 28 | 1 – 2 p.m. Engaging Your Students with Project-Based Learning Online Monday, August 31 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. What You Need to Know about the Current Pandemic Tuesday, September 1 | 1 – 2 p.m. Lessons Learned: OST in the Virtual Space and Zoom into Hands-On Learning Wednesday, September 2 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Increasing Program Enrollment by Advertising on the Allegheny County Child Care Finder Thursday, September 3 | 1 – 2 p.m. Deep and Simple Interactions in OST Virtual Programming and Yes, And’ing a Virtually New Normal Tuesday, September 8 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. PBS 101 Middle School Track Wednesday, September 9 | 1 – 2 p.m. Making Academic Content Exciting with Narrative Games Thursday, September 10 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Registration To view all workshop descriptions and register, visit the full Conference Agenda. Registration links will be included at the bottom of each event description. More Information For questions, contact Jaron Paul via email at jaron.paul@unitedwayswpa.org.
July 17, 2020 New Summer Safety Brochure Available for Families Thanks to the warm weather and sunshine, summer in Pennsylvania offers plenty of opportunities to get outside, get active, and enjoy family activities. By heeding some simple tips, parents and caregivers can ensure that summer is both safe and fun! New Brochure Available The Allegheny County Health Department and Allegheny County Department of Human Services developed a new Summer Safety brochure, featuring important information and tips on how families can enjoy summer while staying safe. The brochure includes tips on the following topics: bug bites and stings; safety in the sun; safety on wheels; water safety; car safety; chemical and poison safety; and more. To view the full list of tips, download the brochure. More Information For more information about summer safety, visit the National Safety Council’s Summer Safety page.
June 16, 2020 Allegheny Child Care Tool Expands Services Are you interested in learning about child care, after-school, out-of-school, and summer programs in Allegheny County? Visit the Allegheny Child Care website to search for available child care spots at programs near you! What is Allegheny Child Care? Allegheny Child Care is a unique pilot project that has been developed to support the child care needs of families. Through this online tool, parents and caregivers can search for available child care spots at all Allegheny County early learning programs, including after-school, out-of-school, and summer camps. To search for a program near you, visit the Allegheny Child Care website! Information for Early Learning Professionals If your organization provides child care, after-school, out-of-school, and/or summer programming, update your listing as soon as possible on the Allegheny Child Care website. By updating your information, the Allegheny Child Care tool will assist you in promoting and marketing your program(s) to families. In turn, this will allow your program to expedite the process of getting children enrolled, thus making an often stressful task less burdensome for families. For questions or concerns, please read the FAQ guide or email info@alleghenychildcare.org. Additional Resources Trying Together developed the following resources to assist families in identifying high-quality early learning programs, as well as what questions to ask to better understand their program’s COVID-19 procedures. How to Find, Choose, and Pay for High-Quality Child Care: A Guide for Families Family Checklist: Questions to Ask Your Early Learning Provider During COVID-19 For additional support in finding child care and/or funding your child care needs, visit the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 website or call 412.350.3577. More Information The Allegheny Child Care initiative is managed by Trying Together in partnership with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, and Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST, an initiative of the United Way of Southwestern PA); with additional support from the City of Pittsburgh; and was developed in collaboration with Child Care Aware of America, The Heinz Endowments, and technology partners Bowtie, BrightHive, and BridgeCare. To learn more and search for programs near you, visit the Allegheny Child Care website.
June 12, 2020 Allegheny Child Care is Growing As of this week, we are excited to announce that we have expanded the Allegheny Child Care search tool to include: after-school; out-of-school; and summer programs! If you provide one or more of these services and have not already confirmed your information, we ask that you update your listing as soon as possible at providers.alleghenychildcare.org. Promote Your Out of School & Summer Programs Now If your program re-opened as part of Allegheny County’s move to the “green phase” last week, we hope that your first week back has been a welcomed return for you and your children, families, and staff. By updating your information, the Allegheny Child Care tool will assist you in promoting and marketing your program(s) to families. In turn, this will allow you to expedite the process for getting children enrolled, thus making an often stressful task less burdensome for families especially at this time. If you have any questions or issues please: email us at info@alleghenychildcare.org; review our FAQ guide; or join us for our next Virtual Director Roundtable discussion on Tuesday, June 16 at 6:00 p.m. when we will share details on the recent updates to the Allegheny Child Care tool and answer questions. Thank you for your assistance. Updating Your Information In order to add the after-school, out-of-school, and summer-time programs to the platform, we pulled public data currently available from our partners at Allegheny Partners for Out of School Time (APOST) and United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. As information may have changed due to COVID-19, we would appreciate you taking a few minutes to review the information listed for your program(s) on the platform and then updating it accordingly at providers.alleghenychildcare.org. In particular, please update your: current operational status (open/closed and availability); age group(s) served; and basic profile information. You will receive regular email reminders to update your vacancy information so parents searching for care can find your program. More Information From the COVID-19 crisis, Allegheny Child Care is a unique pilot project that has been developed to support the child care needs of families. Caregivers and parents of young children can now search available child care spots at Allegheny County early learning programs in real-time with the Allegheny Child Care tool.
June 10, 2020 Citiparks Offers Take-Home Literacy and Math Camp Program From June 15 to July 24, Citiparks will be offering CitiCamp@Home, a six-week program for families that offers weekly take-home STEM/STEAM projects, games, giveaways, and chances to win prizes. About Families are invited to join Citiparks lead explorer Caterina as she guides explorers through summertime urban adventures! Through conveniently packaged To-Go Kits, families will gain access to everything they need to create great projects that include built-in literacy and math components. Additional resources will be provided by WQED, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Carlow University Education Department, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, and UPMC Children’s Hospital. Pick Up Locations Kits will be available at the Citiparks Summer Grab & Go locations listed below starting Monday, June 15 on a first-come, first-served basis. Ammon Recreation Center Anderson Playground – Schenley Park Arlington Recreation Center Jefferson Recreation Center Magee Recreation Center Moore Park, Brookline Paulson Recreation Center Warrington Recreation Center Northview Heights Public Safety Center Salvation Army – Westside If you are not able to participate in the Summer Food program but would like to play along, printable materials will also be available on the Citiparks website. More Information For more information, read the full press release or call 412.665.3665. Share this flyer with your network.
June 1, 2020 Summer Camp and Recreation Guidance During COVID-19 On May 22, the Wolf Administration issued frequently asked questions to provide guidance to parents, caregivers, summer camp operators, public bath places, part-day school-age programs, and other entities that provide necessary child care and enrichment and recreational activities for children and youth during the summer. About Summer programs that provide child care and enrichment and recreational activities for children and youth are permitted to operate without a waiver in counties in the yellow and green phases of the Governor’s phased-in reopening plan so long as they follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for Youth and Summer Camps and the CDC Supplemental Guidance for Child Care That Remain Open. Summer programs include child care facilities regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and the following part-day school-age programs: a part-day school-age program that operates for less than 90 consecutive days per calendar year from the date the program opens to the date the program closes; a part-day school-age program that operates 2 hours or less per day for 3 or fewer days per week; a part-day school-age program that has a single purpose for the children’s attendance and that purpose is the only focus of the program (e.g., soccer or art class); and a drop-in program where a child or youth may come and go at will. To view the guidance, visit the FAQ document. This guidance does not apply to public school-operated summer programs or extended school year services. Guidance related to reopening public schools will be released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education at a later date. Summer Programs in Pittsburgh On May 15, the City of Pittsburgh announced how summer activities will be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While many activities will be allowed, others will be cancelled or postponed. Decisions on closures and activities may be revisited as pandemic circumstances and federal and state guidelines change. To view lists of permitted and non-permitted activities, read our news post. More Information For more information, view the full press release.
May 15, 2020 Changes Made to Summer Activities During COVID-19 Pandemic On May 15, the City of Pittsburgh announced how summer activities will be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While many activities will be allowed, others will be cancelled or postponed. All decisions follow federal and state guidelines. About In a City press release, Mayor William Peduto praised Pittsburgh residents, stating, that “Pittsburgh residents have done a great job during these trying times staying safe and looking out for each other.” However, he recognized that the battle against COVID-19 is far from over, and social distancing and other measures must remain in place to win this fight. With a larger number of residents venturing outdoors as the weather warms, the City has outlined lists of activities that will or will not be permitted during the pandemic. Decisions on closures and activities may be revisited as pandemic circumstances and federal and state guidelines change. Permitted Summer Activities Activities that can safely comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) social distancing guidelines will be allowed. Permitted activities include the following: Drive-in movies (by the Special Events office) Farmers Markets Pickup of bulk trash Road closures in City parks (more information below) Tennis courts (singles matches encouraged) Pickleball courts (singles matches encouraged) Skate parks Fields (but not for organized group sports) Frisbee Golf Lawn Bowling Bocce Expanded summer food program (likely to begin June 15) City crews are working to reopen facilities starting May 15 and will continue their work into next week. Drive-in movies organized by the Special Events office will begin June 13. More information will be released later. Farmer’s Markets will begin June 3 in Carrick and begin in other neighborhoods thereafter. Social distancing and safe purchasing requirements will be in place. Non-Permitted Summer Activities Large group events that cannot safely comply with social distancing will not be allowed. Non-permitted activities include the following: July 4 fireworks City-sponsored concerts 5Ks, the Great Race and other races (though they can be held virtually) Summer Camps Citiparks summer youth baseball Summer Line Dancing Pistons in the Park Playgrounds, park shelters, and spray parks will remain closed until further notice. Swimming pools (including the Oliver Bath House) will also remain closed. While the CDC says that swimming itself is safe, the guidelines require at least six feet of distance between users and no more than ten people would be allowed at any time. It has been determined that city pool waiting areas, locker rooms, and lounging areas are too cramped to allow for appropriate distancing under these guidelines. Activities To Be Determined Final decisions on other activities and facilities have not yet been made, including decisions on the following: Recreation centers Senior Healthy Active Living centers Block party permits Mellon Tennis Bubble Art Cart Water fountains and water features Park restrooms Organized group sports including deck hockey, soccer, baseball, and basketball DOMI Task Force The City Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) has established a task force to study methods of using some streets and sidewalks to allow for safe recreation and business activity. Its recommendations will be issued soon. In the meantime, plans are underway to close some streets in City parks to vehicular traffic. No timetables are yet set, but plans are for the following closures: Sheraden Park: Adon Street West End Park: West End Park Drive at Weaver and Herschel Highland Park: Reservoir Drive; Farmhouse Drive at Jackson Street/Connecting Road/Heberton/Grafton (These will be partial closures to allow for Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority access to facilities.) More Information For more information, read the full press release. *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
April 8, 2020 Schedule Summer/Fall PD Today! Are you thinking about summer and fall? Schedule Custom 2020 Professional Development dates for your early learning program today! The deadline to guarantee your preferred date is June 1, 2020. Space is limited! About Focusing on early childhood professionals working in home, center, and school-based settings, Trying Together delivers professional growth opportunities in-person, virtually, and online. Customized offerings can be created and targeted to individual or group goals, interests, or needs. To submit a request for professional services, complete and submit Trying Together’s online request form. All requests must be received before June 1, 2020 to guarantee your preferred date. More 2020 Professional Development Information For questions or more information, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org or 412.567.3933. For government resources for early learning professionals, click here.
March 3, 2020 Remake Learning Offers Summer Professional Development Portal Summer in the Greater Pittsburgh Area is not only filled with sunshine and warmth, it’s also filled with special intensives, camps, and other summer training opportunities. That’s why Remake Learning launched its Summer Professional Development portal, highlighting local professional learning opportunities that will happen in summer 2020! About Remake Learning‘s Summer Professional Development portal is a curated collection of innovative, educator-led, and hands-on learning opportunities that are hosted in June, July, and August. By visiting the portal, community members can learn about and register for sessions covering a variety of topics, including making, STEAM, project-based learning, coding camps, and more! The portal is regularly updated as new opportunities are made available. To view current opportunities, visit the Remake Learning website. More Information If you would like to add your professional learning opportunity to the list, start by submitting your event to the Remake Learning calendar! Please note that this calendar focuses on opportunities, professional development, and events specifically for educators and youth-centered organizations. For questions or more information, contact info@remakelearning.org.
August 5, 2019 Kenny’s Summer Spectacular Caregivers come in all types: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, child care providers, friends, siblings, and more. If you’re a caregiver, it’s time for you to be celebrated! Join Kenny’s this August for a series of free, family-friendly events. Transportation and child care provided as needed. Event Dates Water Water Everywhere – August 12, 2019 | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Me for We – August 19, 2019 | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. More Information For more information, contact Kenny’s at kennyshomewood@gmail.com. For transportation, call Sarah at 440.822.6771. Share this flyer with your network.