February 23, 2023 Art in the Trauma Informed ECE Classroom: Process over Product Art is a creative process of self-discovery that grows the brain and engages the mind and body with sensory materials. This active engagement strengthens the mind in early childhood and serves to both calm the nervous system and release emotions. These calming and releasing functions have important implications for trauma-informed classrooms. Join Early Childhood Investigations Webinars and the ChildCare Education Institute for this webinar, presented by Anna Reyner, MA, LMFT, founder of CreativePlayLA. Attendees will learn how to use art for self-expression and building community. Process art offers children a sense of freedom…the freedom of choice, thought and feeling. Session Details Wednesday, March 22 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. Virtual Register Learn More This webinar will share key practices that are necessary to reduce the use of cookie cutter crafts in favor of true art that reflects children’s authentic thoughts and feelings. Join this webinar to: Learn how current neuroscience supports art as self-regulation and stress release in trauma informed classrooms Discuss why teachers still deliver product over process art and how to change that mindset Receive tips and resources on how to motivate staff to deliver social emotional process art over product art Engage in a process-oriented art activity that will relax and replenish your creative energy. You can earn .2 CEUs for this webinar. The cost is $15 paid to University of Oklahoma online when you apply. To learn more about credits or this webinar, visit the Early Investigations Webinars website.
February 6, 2023 Building a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom Discover strategies to create welcoming and safe learning spaces, and nurture healing relationships with students at this webinar, hosted by Mindful Schools. Session Details Wednesday, April 12 | 7 – 8:30 p.m. Virtual Cost: $95+ Register Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on April 11. Learn More Join this workshop to examine a nervous system framework and understand the ways that traumatic stress shows up as recognizable behaviors in both students and educators. In this training, we will explore practices that support nervous system settling––in ourselves and our students. Learn strategies to be both proactive and reactive when traumatic stress is triggered. In this workshop, participants will: Learn how trauma impacts the brain and behavior, and how it shows up in the classroom Experience mindfulness practices that empower you to settle your own nervous system Explore strategies, practices, and classroom routines that support nervous system regulation For additional information, visit the Mindful Schools website.
January 20, 2022 Teaching Children Through a Trauma Lens Join Trying Together for the upcoming session, “Teaching Children Through a Trauma Lens”. Research continues to show the detrimental effects that complex trauma has on the developing brain with our most vulnerable population. Over time, these young children are at risk for developmental delays, limited positive relationships, and a host of other difficulties. Our early education classrooms can create safe, responsive, and equitable environments to assist in reducing these harmful effects. This presentation will identify different types of trauma, how young children with trauma may present in the classroom, and supportive strategies teachers can implement to foster environments that encourage healing. UnConference: Creating a Safe Place with Trauma-Informed Care This session is a part of Trying Together’s upcoming UnConference. Between February 8-18, expert-led workshops will share content related to trauma-informed care. We begin the UnConference with keynote speaker Dr. Veirdre Jackson and dive into how we can create an environment of healing through equity and trust. Following the keynote, workshop sessions include how to identify family stressors, how to provide responsive care-giving for children experiencing trauma, and an overview of the recently launched Rapid Response Team from Trying Together. Individuals can learn more and register on Trying Together’s website.
Exploring Family Stressors and Creating Positive Relationships to Support Families Join Trying Together for the upcoming session, “Talking to Listen: Exploring Family Stressors and Creating Positive Relationships to Support Families”. Children react differently to stress and trauma, which can sometimes exhibit itself as challenging behaviors in the classroom. This workshop helps educators understand the impact that family stressors (such as a death, food insecurity, changes in placement, community violence, etc.) can have on both children and their caregivers. Participants will learn how to notice these family stressors; how to communicate with caregivers to build relationships that provide a supportive environment for young children; and self-regulation strategies to manage strong emotions when having difficult conversations with caregivers. UnConference: Creating a Safe Place with Trauma-Informed Care This session is a part of Trying Together’s upcoming UnConference. Between February 8-18, expert-led workshops will share content related to trauma-informed care. We begin the UnConference with keynote speaker Dr. Veirdre Jackson and dive into how we can create an environment of healing through equity and trust. Following the keynote, workshop sessions include how to identify family stressors, how to provide responsive care-giving for children experiencing trauma, and an overview of the recently launched Rapid Response Team from Trying Together. Individuals can learn more and register on Trying Together’s website.
January 19, 2022 UnConference: Creating a Safe Place with Trauma-Informed Care UnConference Details Between February 8-18, expert-led workshops will share content related to trauma-informed care. We begin the UnConference with keynote speaker Dr. Veirdre Jackson and dive into how we can create an environment of healing through equity and trust. Following the keynote, workshop sessions include how to identify family stressors, how to provide responsive care-giving for children experiencing trauma, and an overview of the recently launched Rapid Response Team from Trying Together. Video recordings of the sessions are available until April 20, 2022. You must have registered for the UnConference in order to access session recordings. If you are having trouble viewing the recordings, please contact Allison Hritz at allison@tryingtogether.org. Please share this flyer with your networks. What Do I Receive? PQAS and/or Act 48 hours. Networking with colleagues. Interactive workshop sessions. Refreshed or refined thinking about your work with young children. Featured Sessions Keynote: Co-Creating A Healing Community of Equity & Trust Tuesday, February 8, 2022 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Veirdre Jackson, Living Strong Consulting Communities, however defined, are made up of people who bring a range of experiences and histories. Remaining open, curious, and culturally humble is essential to understanding a community’s resilience, strength, and wisdom. Claudia Woody says, “Inclusion means not ‘just we’re allowed to be there,’ but we are valued there.” Participants will explore the 5 Blocks of Building Restorative Relationships that allow caregivers to create holistic and supportive spaces that are responsive to historical trauma and equity literacy, which holds us accountable to doing the work of learning together, seeking understanding, and creating a safe, valued, and heard community. Rapid Response Team: Reducing Expulsions and Suspensions in Early Childhood Education Thursday, February 10, 2022 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. Presented by: Alicia Sebastian, Trying Together This session will discuss the ongoing and growing issue surrounding expulsion and suspension in early childhood education that have been linked to staff implicit bias, challenging behaviors, and staffing issues. The presentation will guide parents, caregivers, directors, and staff working with children ages 0-5 on how to prevent expulsion and suspension in early childhood education. The session will discuss ways to implement evidence-based strategies to promote positive behavior support, self-regulation, and positive mental health. We will share community resources and programs for children and families in Allegheny County. Self-Care Isn’t Selfish, It’s Necessary: Practical Tools for Early Childhood Educators to Reduce Stress and Avoid Burn-Out Monday, February 14, 2022 | 12:30 – 2 p.m. Presented by: Tracy Larson, Director, Early Childhood Partnerships, Office of Child Development In this session, participants will learn why self-care is necessary, how to recognize when they need to be more intentional about self-care, and research informed strategies and activities to reduce stress and avoid burn-out. At the end of the session, participants will create a personalized self-care plan. Talking to Listen: Exploring Family Stressors and Creating Positive Relationships to Support Families Tuesday, February 15, 2022 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. Presented by: Patrick M. McKelvey, MS, NCC, National Youth Advocate Program Inc. Children react differently to stress and trauma, which can sometimes exhibit itself as challenging behaviors in the classroom. This workshop helps educators understand the impact that family stressors (such as a death, food insecurity, changes in placement, community violence, etc.) can have on both children and their caregivers. Participants will learn how to notice these family stressors; how to communicate with caregivers to build relationships that provide a supportive environment for young children; and self-regulation strategies to manage strong emotions when having difficult conversations with caregivers. Teaching Children Through a Trauma Lens Thursday February 17, 2022 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. Presenters: Amanda Harrison, MA, LPC, NCC, Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant with the PA Keys Research continues to show the detrimental effects that complex trauma has on the developing brain with our most vulnerable population. Over time, these young children are at risk for developmental delays, limited positive relationships, and a host of other difficulties. Our early education classrooms can create safe, responsive, and equitable environments to assist in reducing these harmful effects. This presentation will identify different types of trauma, how young children with trauma may present in the classroom, and supportive strategies teachers can implement to foster environments that encourage healing. Registration Individuals may register for this event online. Recordings of each workshop session will be available on this webpage after the conclusion of each session. Please continue to monitor this page for updates. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How Do I Attend this UnConference Virtually? These sessions are hosted using the web-based video conferencing platform Zoom. Please download Zoom to your device of choice prior to the start of the UnConference. UnConference hosts send out all workshop links via email at least 24 hours before the start of each event. How Do I Receive Credit? PQAS and Act 48 credits are available to professionals who registered for and complete these sessions. More information, including the online Attendance form, will be sent via email to individuals who registered. Once completed, Allison Hritz, Professional Learning Coordinator at Trying Together, will process your credit. If you have questions specific to receiving credit, please email allison@tryingtogether.org. More Information For questions about the UnConference, contact Yu-Ling Cheng at conference@tryingtogether.org. Presenter Information Keynote Presenter: Dr. Veirdre Jackson, Living Strong Consulting Dr. Veirdre Jackson is a woman pursuing her purpose, passion, and life’s priority to share her belief that all children deserve the best education available. She is an award-winning author, educator, and entrepreneur who is recognized as a leading educational trainer in trauma informed practices and cultural competence. She is a veteran educator with over 20 years of experience supporting non-profit and executive leadership. Dr. Jackson is the CEO/Founder of Living Strong Consulting LLC and the Co-Founder of Fresh Fountain of Life Counseling and Wellness. She also serves on the educational executive boards of the Black Women’s Educational Alliance and Camp Endeavor. She is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and consultant, working with organizations like Lakeside Global Institute as a mentor trainer; Penn State Extension as an online course developer; Pennsylvania Early Head Start as a classroom and home visiting coach; Zero to Three as a Certified trainer in Infant Toddler Competencies and the Growing Brain; and various K-12 public and charter school districts as an Equity and Justice Consultant and Relational Coach. Her commitment to leaders and organizational development is elevated through her John Maxwell Team Certification which allows her to support leaders in sustaining growth and maintaining mission through trainings, mastermind sessions, lunch & learns, and coaching in such topics as Today Matters, Leadership Gold, How to Be a REAL Success, Becoming A Person of Influence, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, and more. Dr. Jackson has been recognized for her expertise in professional development by Pennsylvania’s Keystone Stars’ Southeast Regional Key as a Professional Development Champion; is a featured presenter for the newly released “4 Part Trauma and Child Development Series” by Penn State’s Better Kid Care; has been a contributor to Women’s Entrepreneur Magazine; is a reoccurring keynote and breakout session speaker for conferences nationally and the guest speaker on several podcasts, and was recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of 40 Leaders Under 40. Amanda Harrison, MA, LPC, NCC, Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant with the PA Keys A 2000 graduate with a degree in elementary education from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, Amanda always had a passion for working with children. Soon after returning to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she went on to complete a Master’s in Clinical Counseling in which she specialized in child and adolescent therapy. For the past 16 years, she has had various roles in the mental health field. Currently, she continues her passion of working with children and families as an Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant with the PA Keys. A current doctoral candidate at IUP’s Counselor Education and Supervision, PhD program, she also continues to specialize her education and assist others in becoming competent mental health professionals. Dr. Tracy Larson, Director, Early Childhood Partnerships, Office of Child Development Tracy Larson is a psychologist, educator and consultant who has worked in the early childhood education field for 17 years promoting adult and child social emotional learning and mental health and wellness. Dr. Larson empowers adults to build positive adult-child relationships and create supportive environments where all children thrive. Patrick M. McKelvey, MS, NCC, National Youth Advocate Program Inc. Patrick McKelvey earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Patrick is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Nationally Certified Counselor. Patrick has served in a variety of roles including a Clinical Program Manager overseeing pediatric and early childhood behavioral health programs in Western Pennsylvania, specializing in evidenced-based trauma treatments for children and families in various community and school-based settings and serving as an educational and outreach coordinator focused on childhood grief. Patrick currently serves as Clinical Supervisor for the National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP) in Columbus, Ohio where he oversees school-based programming and a newly developed rapid response team for children and adolescents. Patrick has spent the last 4 years collaborating with Allegheny County Children, Youth and Families to develop and implement staff supports to mitigate the effects of secondary traumatic stress. In addition, Patrick is a rostered Child- Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) therapist; and has a passion for developing innovative approaches to working within an interdisciplinary approach with other child-serving systems to advocate for strengthening child-centric and trauma-informed approaches to child and family supports. Alicia Sebastian, Trying Together Alicia Sebastian is currently spearheading a new project in Allegheny County focusing on decreasing and eliminating expulsions and suspensions in child care settings. Her current role as the Collaborations and Support Strategist focuses on creating a Rapid Response Team for child care providers to utilize if they are in need of external support for children, staff, and families. She has been working for Trying Together, a non-profit agency in Pittsburgh, PA since February 2020, where she started as an Early Head Start Coach providing support to Early Head Start staff. Prior to working with Trying Together, Alicia spent three years as a developmental therapist working with infants and toddlers ages zero to three throughout Allegheny and Washington County. She graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2013 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Disability Services and completed her Master’s Degree in 2016 at the University of Pittsburgh through a program in Early Intervention specializing in Autism. Thank You To Our Sponsors and Partners A huge thank you to our series sponsor PNC Grow Up Great. About Trying Together Trying Together supports high-quality care and education for young children by providing advocacy, community resources, and professional growth opportunities for the needs and rights of children, their families, and the individuals who interact with them. Trying Together works regionally (in Southwestern Pennsylvania) and takes its expertise and models to statewide and national audiences.
December 1, 2021 Fostering Resilience Through Social-Emotional Learning Join edWeb for an upcoming webinar, Fostering Resilience Through Social-Emotional Learning. Interested individuals can register for this virtual webinar online. Additional Information The challenges and trauma of the ongoing pandemic have had a huge impact on students and teachers, and the associated social and academic challenges will be seen and felt for many years to come. Meeting the social-emotional needs of students is more important than ever—and Dr. Kathy Perez can help educators make social-emotional learning (SEL) a priority in their schools and foster resilience in themselves and others. Author of The Social-Emotional Learning Toolbox, Dr. Perez will share her wisdom in this strategy-based, interactive edWebinar. Attendees will learn how to: Understand the impact of trauma on the brain and behavior Reach relationship-resistant students to increase cooperation Create a culture of compassion that embraces marginalized students Implement practical, trauma-informed interventions to help students learn Use techniques to improve students’ attitudes and beliefs about self, others, and school Empower students to build confidence, cooperation, curiosity, and communication skills Lay the groundwork for a lifetime of resilience This edWebinar is geared towards K-12 classroom teachers, school counselors, and school and district administrators. There will be time at the end of the presentation for participants to ask questions.
January 5, 2021 Trauma Foundations Series: New Eyes Training Are you interested in learning about Trauma-Informed Care and how to create self-care plans? Join First Up in January 2021 for their New Eyes training and forum. About The New Eyes training is the first offering in First Up’s trauma series, led in partnership with Lakeside Global Institute (LGI), and is geared for individuals with little or no exposure to Trauma-Informed Care. At the end of each training, First Up will lead forums in which attendees will further discuss and learn to apply the specifics of the training to the field of Early Childhood Education. Attendees will understand the different types of stress and how to develop self-care plans for themselves and more. Session Dates Training Dates Tuesday, January 5, 2021 | 7 – 8 p.m. | Register Tuesday, January 12, 2021 | 7 – 8 p.m. | Register Monday, January 18, 2021 | 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Register Saturday, January 23, 2021 | 9 – 10 a.m. | Register Forum Dates Thursday, January 7, 2021 | 1 – 2 p.m. | Register Thursday, January 14, 2021 | 1 – 2 p.m. | Register Monday, January 18, 2021 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Register Monday, January 25, 2021 | 7 – 8 p.m. | Register Saturday, January 30, 2021 | 9 – 10 a.m. | Register More Information For more information, visit the event registration page. This information was provided by First Up.
December 22, 2020 From Self-Care to Best Practice in a Trauma-Impacted World Save the date! From March 5 – 6, 2021, First Up is hosting their virtual conference “Hope and Healing: From Self-Care to Best Practice in a Trauma-Impacted World.” About This conference is being carefully curated by the First Up team to provide a break, a safe space, and a chance for all participants to come together to fill their cups with the things they individually need. For some, that may mean a strategy for managing challenging behaviors in the classroom, for others it may mean instruction in a technical/professional skill, or a chance to move their bodies and focus their minds on the present moment. This virtual conference will feature short breakout activities that can be experienced with the whole family. Registration First Up will provide more information on registration in January. For now, save the date! Submit A Presentation Proposal First Up is currently accepting proposals for presenters. If you are interested in presenting, download this RFP form and return it to Becca Tyrell at rebecca.tyrrell@firstup.org no later than January 15, 2021. More Information For questions, please contact First Up at 215.893.0130 or info@firstup.org.
December 18, 2020 Foundations of Anti-Racist, Trauma-Informed, and Health Join the Creative Learning Network on Wednesday, January 6 for their Lunch Break session, “Foundations of Anti-Racist, Trauma-Informed, and Health.” About During this session, participants will gain an understanding of foundational principles related to the intersection of anti-racism, trauma-informed, and holistic health in out-of-school (OST) programs for the purpose of supporting young people of color. Registration To register, visit the online registration page.
October 30, 2020 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.
