January 28, 2021 Virtual Conference: Finding Joy through Playful Learning Finding Joy through Playful Learning aims to bring together educators, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who have a variety of experiences related to education, play, and learning. The conference will take place via Zoom over the course of several days covering six topics related to playful learning. The goal is to generate dialogue among different stakeholders and share best practices to support children and families in learning through play. About Join Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network, Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative, and Trying Together in February for a virtual conference bringing together educators, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss and share best practices to support children and families in learning through play. Act 48 and PQAS credits are available. PPID and PD Registry numbers will be collected during the sessions. The following discount code is available for early educators who wish to participate in individual sessions or the entire series: EDU-ALL for $25 price for all six workshops EDU-CHOOSE for $5/per workshop Available Sessions Rethinking Education During and Post COVID-19 Wednesday, February 3, 2021 | 3 – 5 p.m. Join featured speakers Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Dr. Scott Miller, and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy for discussions of how playful learning can change education during and after COVID-19. Featured Speakers: Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek (Temple University, Brookings Institution), Scott Miller (Avonworth Primary Center), and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. How Play Can Improve Mental Health and Wellbeing Thursday, February 4, 2021 | 9 – 11 a.m. Hear from Sarah Grubb, Cindy Eggleton, and Sheba Gittens about play’s role in mental health and wellbeing. Featured Speakers: Cindy Eggleton (Brilliant Detroit), Sarah Grubb (ELRC Region 5), and Sheba Gittens (University of Pittsburgh). Addressing Equity Issues Through Playful Learning Thursday, February 4, 2021 | 3 – 5 p.m. Dr. Nikole Hollins-Sims and Dr. Mandy McGuire will present their work on using play and playful learning to address inequity. Featured Speakers: Dr. Nikole Hollins-Sims (PaTTAN) and Dr. Mandy McGuire (University of Texas at Dallas). Activating Communities Around Playful Learning Tuesday, February 9, 2021 | 3 – 5 p.m. Ariana Brazier, Justin Forzano, Shari Hersh, Gamar Markarian, and Sarah Siplak, will discuss what it means to activate communities and how their communities inform the work they do. Featured Speakers: Ariana Brazier (ATL Parent Like a Boss), Justin Forzano (Open Field), Shari Hersh (Mural Arts), Gamar Markarian (New School), and Sarah Siplak (Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative). Using Technology to Strengthen the Way We Learn and Play Wednesday, February 10, 2021 | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn about technologies and applications from Katie Gullone, Megan Rooney, Javier Maisonet, and Project Rangeet. Featured Speakers: Elias Blinkoff (Temple Infant & Child Lab), Katie Gullone (Trying Together), Javier Maisonet (Math Talk), Simran Mulchandani (Project Rangeet), and Megan Rooney (La Escuelita Arcoiris). Replicable and Low-Cost Ideas for Playful Learning Wednesday, February 10, 2021 | 3 – 5 p.m. Explore low-cost and replicable ways to encourage playful learning from Shannon Merenstein, Amy Kronenberg, Rebecca Fabiano, and Aishwarya Narayana. Featured Speakers: Rebecca Fabiano (Fab Youth Philly), Amy Kronenberg (Learn to Earn Dayton), Shannon Merenstein (HATCH Art Studio), and Aishwarya Narayana (HUME). Registration To register, visit the online registration page. General Admission tickets cost $55 and include admission to all sessions. Single session registration is also available for $10 per session. Attendees will receive the Zoom link for each day’s session prior to the start of the event. More Information For questions, contact admin@playfullearninglandscapes.fun or 267.468.8610.
January 26, 2021 How Moving Inspires Staff Wellbeing and Social-Emotional Health Are you interested in enhancing the health and wellbeing of staff who are serving young children and families? Join the Pennsylvania Head Start Association on February 11 for their Train the Trainer event, “Move2bFree: How Moving Inspires Staff Wellbeing and Social-Emotional Health.” About This two-part session is designed to enhance the health and well-being of dedicated, hard-working staff who are serving young children and families. This session will address common issues of overweight and dental disease using concepts from I Am Moving, I Am Learning, the childhood obesity prevention initiative, while incorporating lively music with health messaging from Choosy Kids. This session is best suited for Head Start and Early Head Start program staff, Early Childhood Education staff, Home Visiting staff, and community-based professionals (health providers, family support, etc.). Learning Objectives By attending, professionals will learn strategies for self-care and engage in movement, self-reflection, peer-to-peer learning, and setting individual goals to improve health. Professionals will also complete the following learning objectives: Rekindle personal joy by reconnecting to self-care through increased movement and physical activity. Describe how increasing movement and responding to music can energize and transform brain health, supporting self-confidence to model positive attitudes and healthy behaviors for children. Apply health messaging strategies and activities for stress reduction, healthy nutrition, and oral health in daily routines. Registration To register for this event, complete the online registration form. Registration will close on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. Space is limited. For questions, contact Professional Development Director Kayle Richardson at 717.831.8375 or kayle@paheadstart.org.
October 30, 2020 How Educators Can Avoid Mental, Physical, and Emotional Exhaustion Are you interested in learning strategies to avoid exhaustion and burnout? Join Dr. Tina Boogren and Dr. Timothy Kanold on November 18 for “Attend to Your Well-Being: How Educators Can Avoid Mental, Physical, and Emotional Exhaustion.” About To counter the pressure, stress, and chaos around us, professionals need to practice healthy, practical habits, and routines of wellness and self-care. They also need to rise up to the expectations of taking care of students and their colleagues, amidst the challenges of this unprecedented school season. In this engaging, fun-filled webinar, Dr. Tina Boogren and Dr. Timothy Kanold will provide practical strategies to avoid exhaustion and burnout and give you the courage and permission to attend to a more balanced and joyful professional life! Time for questions will be provided. Registration This webinar is best suited for prek-12 teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders. To register, visit the EdWeb website.
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.
May 12, 2020 Just Breathe: Discussing Ways to Relieve Workplace Stress Everyone with a job feels the pressure of work-related stress at some point, even those who love what they do. While we can’t always avoid on-the-job tension, we can take steps to manage work-related stress. This online course introduces its participants’ potential relief strategies for workplace stress. Through varied group discussions and engaging exercises, we invite each participant to identify and define stress through a uniquely personal lens, reflect upon their personal role in the creation and reduction of stress, and think of personal and group strategies for relieving stress. Limited spaces are available. All registrations must be submitted by May 20 at 5 p.m. Course Information Timeline: May 22 – June 12, 2020 Instructors: Sarah Byrne Houser and Mimi Loughead CKC: D6.4 C1 Keystone STARS Alignment: SQ. 3.4.5 CDA Subject Area: Maintaining a Commitment to Professionalism. Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available. Registration To register, please visit the event registration page. More Information For more information, contact Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
May 5, 2020 Managing Mental Health During COVID-19 Join HiMama on May 7 for their HiMama Helps webinar, “Managing Mental Health During COVID-19.” About This online session will cover the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis on well-being, as well as practical strategies to manage mental health. Presenters will discuss the following: the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, why and how to prioritize well-being during this time, practical exercises to do when feeling overwhelmed, and additional tips through a creative Q&A session. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
Caring for Children in Group Settings During COVID-19 Do you have questions on how to keep children and staff healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic? Join the National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness (NCECHW) on May 6 for their webinar, “Caring for Children in Group Settings During COVID-19: A Follow-up Conversation.” About Early childhood education (ECE) programs have many questions about how to keep children and staff healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guidance for open programs is now available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics. This question-and-answer chat is a follow-up to the webcast Caring for Children in Group Settings During COVID-19 to add guidance from pediatric infectious disease expert, Michele Cheung MD, FAAP. Registration To register, visit the event webpage. The registration link can be used for both the live event and on-demand viewing. The recording will be available to watch on-demand starting 30 minutes after the live event ends, until May 31, 2020. Because access to the live event is limited and the session may be full, the hosts recommend watching the webinar on-demand. A version with English closed captions will also be posted on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) website in the future. *Information provided by NCECHW
April 21, 2020 Mindful Self-Compassion | Webinar Series Join the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, the Center for Child and Family Well-being at the University of Washington, and the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion for their three-part webinar series, “Mindful Self-Compassion.” About the Series In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, the Center for Child and Family Well-being at the University of Washington, and the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion have teamed up for a three-part webinar series that will introduce families and family-facing providers to mindful self-compassion (MSC) practices to help them care for themselves and each other. Available Webinars Heart Skills for Our Families and Ourselves in Challenging Times | April 29, 2020 | 3 p.m. This first webinar will provide an introduction to MSC, the research that supports it, and a few simple ways we can bring it into our lives during these challenging times. Participants will learn how MSC is being practiced in diverse communities around the world, can build resilience in all kinds of families, reduce caregiver burnout, and strengthen relationships. Participants also will have a chance to experience MSC through a few brief practice exercises during the webinar. Co-Creating Heart Skills with Communities | May 13, 2020 | 3 p.m. This second webinar will explore how communities can create culturally relevant, trauma-informed mindfulness, and self-compassion programs. Representatives from a team of parent leaders and health care partners in Seattle, Washington, will share their experience developing community-led mindfulness and self-compassion practices to promote the well-being of youth, families, and communities who are marginalized. Co-creating Heart Skills in Early Childhood Programs and Systems | June 24, 2020 | 3 p.m. This third webinar will explore how early childhood programs and systems use mindfulness and self-compassion to support their providers and the families and communities they serve. Participants will learn about the approaches diverse early childhood organizations are taking to adapt and integrate mindfulness and compassion to deeply inform organizational culture and systems change. More Information For more information, visit the Brazelton Touchpoints Center website. For more courses, visit our Course page. *Information provided by the Brazelton Touchpoints Center
Mindful Self-Compassion | Webinar Series Join the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, the Center for Child and Family Well-being at the University of Washington, and the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion for their three-part webinar series, “Mindful Self-Compassion.” About the Series In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, the Center for Child and Family Well-being at the University of Washington, and the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion have teamed up for a three-part webinar series that will introduce families and family-facing providers to mindful self-compassion (MSC) practices to help them care for themselves and each other. Available Webinars Co-creating Heart Skills in Early Childhood Programs and Systems | June 24, 2020 | 3 p.m. This third webinar will explore how early childhood programs and systems use mindfulness and self-compassion to support their providers and the families and communities they serve. Participants will learn about the approaches diverse early childhood organizations are taking to adapt and integrate mindfulness and compassion to deeply inform organizational culture and systems change. More Information For more information, visit the Brazelton Touchpoints Center website. *Information provided by the Brazelton Touchpoints Center
April 20, 2020 Leave It at the Door: Managing Personal Stress in the Classroom Leave It at the Door: Managing Personal Stress in the Classroom is a live, interactive webinar that explores causes of stress and ways to manage that stress in an effort to move towards a healthy, balanced lifestyle in the classroom and at home. About Two PQAS hours will be offered. Participants are expected to fully participate with their digital device microphones and cameras on. This is not a log-in and leave event. Arriving 15 minutes late may result in no credit for the session. Please note, no refunds will be provided for cancellation or no show. Learning Objectives Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to: identify common sources and symptoms of stress in adults, summarize ways to reduce stress in and out of the workplace, and implement stress management techniques to address personal stressors. Available Dates To access this course, use the links below or enter the event ID on the Pennsylvania PD Registry website. April 27, 2020 | 9 – 11 a.m. | Event ID: 312709 May 5, 2020 | 9 – 11 a.m. | Event ID: 312715 More Information For questions, please contact Karen Rucker at 717.314.8368 or krucker@respectingchildren.com. *Information provided by the Pennsylvania Key
