Pennsylvania's Local Education and Resource Network (LEARN) Partners: Building support networks in every county around quality early education for organizations and individuals. |
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In Our Communities
Welcome Christine Koss, the new LEARN Lead for Elk and Cameron Counties! Christine is the Owner/Director of Koss Child Care Center. Welcome at 814-885-6493 or send your welcome to christine_koss@yahoo.com.
Cambria County LEARN partner, The Learning Lamp's Children's Book Festival of Johnstown was named one of the best arts projects across the state by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA). The festival featured New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Nick Bruel, PA First Book author/illustrator Suzanne Bloom and master storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston. Read more!
Lancaster County LEARN partner, Elizabeth Child Care Center, welcomed two guest readers during April's Month of the Young Child, Donna Wennerholt from the PA Key and Chuck Mummert, Mayor of Elizabethtown Borough. Read more!
The Lycoming County LEARN Team will host a Professional Development Conference from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 21 at Lycoming College. For more information see the registration form, or email Beth McClain, LEARN Coordinator, at mcclainb@lycoming.edu.
The Monroe County LEARN Team and the Children's Team of Monroe and Pike Counties have joined forces for a new partnership. The combined group held its first official meeting during May. The team is working on a new brochure and a directory of helpful resources/information, and are excited to soon extend their community outreach. Read more!
 Washington County LEARN Partner, SmartKids, held their annual Literacy Day event in April to celebrate the Month of the Young Child and bring awareness to the importance of early literacy. Several community leaders including Rep. Jesse White, Senator Solobay's legislative assistant Debbie Bachinski, and more were in attendance. Read more!
Indiana County's Early Care & Education Committee and Children's Advisory Commission will host their next meeting on June 3 in Indiana. Community partners are invited to attend. Read more!
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Become a PA's Promise for Children Ambassador!
LEARN Partners are invited to become a PA's Promise for Children Ambassador and help build a statewide network of PA's Promise Ambassadors that can extend our impact statewide. With your help, Pennsylvania's Promise for Children has developed valuable resources to help families make solid early learning choices, but this information is still only reaching a small percentage of families. As a community, we especially need to reach families that are not currently receiving early learning services.
As a PA's Promise Ambassador, you can:
- raise the profile of your program while building valuable leadership skills;
- reach and build relationships with more businesses and organizations serving families;
- position yourself as an expert in quality early learning in your community through your local media;
- build greater awareness of the value of quality early learning for every child; and
- fulfill a professional growth activity requirement for Keystone STARS.
PA's Promise Ambassadors receive training, presentation materials and all handouts they will need to help spread the word that quality early learning matters and help families make solid early learning choices. Ambassadors may sign up for one or more Ambassador Opportunities and accept activities or proactively set up local opportunities. Ambassadors also receive a leadership certificate and $25 voucher to purchase OCDEL and PA's Promise materials for each completed activity.
Find out how you can take advantage of this opportunity and become a PA's Promise for Children Ambassador!
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Summer Science Fun Series
A new free and easily accessible resource for families--the Summer Science Fun series--features activities families can do with their child to get them started on a path to science-based learning!
 The one-page sheets provide five simple science-based activities which align with the early learning standards. Each activity references currently available early learning resources, like Learning is Everywhere, Kindergarten Here I Come! and Recipes for Readiness.
There are four different sheets in the Summer Science Fun series! Each sheet focuses on a specific age-range:
Print the Summer Science Fun series and provide to families and partners. Select one activity to do at your next community event, open house, or group activity, then provide the sheet to families and they can complete the rest!
Find the Summer Science Fun series on the PA's Promise for Children website.
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Opportunities
Pottstown School District families invited to participate in Community Conversations, May 27-29
Families of children under the age of 10 in the Pottstown School District in Montgomery County are invited to participate in Community Conversations. There are four opportunities planned May 27-29 for parents & caregivers to come and share their thoughts, needs and wants for their children to succeed. What is learned from these conversations will be shared with other community agencies and used in (re)designing School District programs.
Get more information on how families can participate.
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Pittsburgh Pirates Community Champion Award
Nomination deadline June 6
The Pittsburgh Pirates are asking for nominations for the Pittsburgh Pirates Community Champion Award. This award will be given to six Pittsburgh area individuals who are 'champions' in their community and have positively contributed to the betterment of the diverse community in the Pittsburgh region. Anyone who has been a champion of the greater Pittsburgh diverse community and has had a positive impact can be nominated.
Winners will be recognized during the annual Heritage Weekend Celebration held on June 27 in a special pregame, on-field ceremony, to publicly celebrate their accomplishments and community contributions.
For more information, please see the nomination form.
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 Professional Development Opportunities
Want to learn more about effectively communicating with families? Need to strengthen relationships with your peers? Ready to learn how to support the needs of families?
Check out the latest Professional Development Opportunities!
June 6: Poverty Reality Series, Harrisburg
June 10: Strengthening Relationships with Children, Families and Colleagues, Montoursville
June 16: Relationships Are Key: Enhancing Relationships in Early Care & Education, Carlisle
June 17: Parent Engagement, Wynnewood
June 17: Poverty Simulation, Allentown
June 25: Leadership Series-Effective Communication, Philadelphia
June 25: Social Media Planning and Strategy, Pittsburgh
Unless otherwise noted, register for these events and find others in your area by visiting www.pakeys.org.
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Resources
19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School: Experts agree  that parent involvement in their children's education is one of the biggest predictors of student success. This guide from Edutopia offers 19 proven strategies for increasing family engagement and strengthening the home-to-school connection.
Social and Emotional Tips for Parents of Infants: A resources from the Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation provides a set of five one-page posters that families can refer to during specific daily routines including: dressing, meal times, play time, resting and diapering. Putting these posters up around the house can serve as a reminder of what to say or do to nurture the social and emotional health of their infants every day. Each poster has simple tips that parents can try with their child and includes sample language that parents can try. Also is a rationale for using the tips that is based on research.
Video: Learning in Partnership: Using Data and Reflective Practice in Programs: The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community  Engagement (NCPFCE) has a new video "Learning in Partnership: Using Data and Reflective Practice in Programs." The video is part of NCPFCE's Best Practices in Family and Community Engagement video series, created to show innovative approaches to engagement that foster strong relationships with families and lead to positive outcomes for children and families.
Fundraising Ideas to try in your school or community: Fundraising--hasn't that been done before? School Fundraisers That Broke the Mold-and the Bank shares some potentially useful fundraising ideas that families, schools and community might be interested in trying when attempting to raise funds and awareness.
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