Nominations Sought for OCDEL Communications Advisory Committee

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning is seeking interested people to serve on the Communications Advisory Committee. A key to Pennsylvania’s early education continuum is effectively communicating about programs to eligible families while building broad public support for the value of early education to our children, families, schools, and communities.

The Communications Advisory Committee will provide feedback and guidance on OCDEL/PA Key communications strategies and materials and the Pennsylvania Promise for Children campaign.

The Advisory Committee will be comprised of 15-20 members. The committee will meet 1-2 times a year in Harrisburg with additional communication by conference call and email when appropriate. Advisory Committee members will be expected to review materials and provide materials in a timely manner.

Candidates must have experience or background in communications, media relations or public relations in addition to knowledge of Pennsylvania’s early education system.

To be considered for appointment, please review the memo and complete the application and return to Kelly Swanson kelswa@berksiu.org by Friday, March 10, 2009.

Request for Nominations for New OCDEL Committee on Infant-Toddler Systems

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is establishing a new committee of the Early Learning Council, the Infant-Toddler Systems Committee.  OCDEL is soliciting individuals who would like to participate in this committee; self-nominations are required.  Please read below to learn more and please feel free to circulate this Request for Nominations to others who may be interested.

Purpose of Committee:  The Pennsylvania Infant-Toddler Systems Committee is charged with charting a course for the longer-term future of services and supports for child development and early learning for Pennsylvania’s infants, toddlers, and their families.  The committee’s scope will focus on early education within a comprehensive understanding of infant-toddler development including their health, mental health, and family support needs.  We will do this work in the context of infrastructure elements such as governance, quality improvement, professional development, financing, and accountability.  It includes programs, initiatives, and policies affecting all children prenatal to 3 years, with particular emphasis on at-risk infants and toddlers.  The end goal of the committee is to choose one or two systemic priorities to improve the lives of Pennsylvania’s youngest children.

Committee Work: To accomplish this charge, the committee will:

• Review current demographics, services, and initiatives related to the development and early learning of infants and toddlers in Pennsylvania.
• Explore infant-toddler models and strategies from other states.
• Develop a vision for a system that would best support the Commonwealth’s youngest children.
• Choose one or two systemic priorities for moving toward that vision.
• Outline strategies for implementing the priorities.
• Develop benchmarks to assess progress toward reaching the vision.

Members of the committee will represent both the public and private sectors in the broad range of services for infants, toddlers, and their families.  A variety of stakeholders will be involved, including parents, service providers, advocates, state agency representatives, training and technical assistance providers, and other interested persons.  Committee members will reflect the diversity of our state. 

Interested persons may nominate themselves, and final decisions will be made by staff of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. 

The committee will meet approximately four times in 2009 and will release a report by the end of the year.  The work will require commitment to preparation between meetings.  The first meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 21st in Harrisburg PA.  While lunch will be served, there is no reimbursement for expenses related to committee member participation in this committee. 

The committee will be staffed by OCDEL with assistance from Zero to Three. Return this form by March 20, 2009 to Michele Messinger via email at mimessinge@state.pa.us. 

Proposed Grant Application by Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for FFY 2009

The Department of Public Welfare (Department), Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is inviting public review and comment on the state’s proposed grant application for Federal Fiscal Year 2009 in accordance with Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Pub. L. No 108-446) as amended in 2004.  The State is required to submit an application at least annually to receive federal funds under IDEA.  The state’s application describes the Department’s Early Intervention services for eligible infants and toddlers from birth to 3 years of age and their families, including the state policies, procedures, methods and descriptions as well as assurances and other provisions required by Part C of the IDEA. 

Persons who would like to review the proposed application can access it at the PaTTAN website.  Select Early Intervention on the left-hand side of the page, and select Proposed Part C Grant Application for FFY 2009 under the What's New section,or by requesting a hard copy through ra-ocdintervention@state.pa.us or by calling 717-346-9320.

Written comments regarding the application can be directed to Ms. Kim Koteles, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Early Intervention Services, 333 Market Street, 6th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333.

The state application will be available starting March 6, 2009.  Comments will be accepted through May 4, 2009. All written comments will be reviewed and considered by the Department before submitting the grant application.

Statement of Policy Issued February 21, 2009 - Reporting a Lost Child

On February 21, 2009, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) issued a statement of policy requiring all child care facilities to report any incident involved a lost child at the facility. 

Currently, the Department of Public Welfare's (Department) regulations for child care facilities require that the facility operator shall report incidents involving inpatient hospitalization or emergency room treatment of a child receiving care at the facility, the death of a child receiving care at the facility and a facility fire that requires the service of a fire department (see 55 Pa. Code §§ 3270.20, 3280.19 and 3290.17 (relating to reporting injury, death or fire)).

The statement of policy requires that when a child in care is lost, the facility operator shall immediately notify a child’s parent and shall telephone notice to the appropriate regional office of the Department within 24 hours.  The operator must also mail or deliver a written report to the appropriate regional office of the Department within 72 hours after the occurrence.  Lost child incidents are as follows:

(1)  A child receiving care in the facility is lost or missing from the facility.
(2)  A child in the care of the facility is left behind on a facility excursion.
(3)  A child receiving care in the facility is left unattended in the facility when the facility is closed.

The statement of policy is effective April 22, 2009.  OCDEL provides an incident reporting form (pdf) for this purpose.  Additionally, facility operators can report incidents online.  This statement of policy is currently posted on the Pennsylvania Bulletin website.  Please direct all questions to your Regional Office of Child Development and Early Learning. 

New Early Intervention Provider/Service Coordinator Monitoring Tools

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) Bureau of Early Intervention Services is committed to creating a cohesive approach to the management of all Early Intervention (EI) programs and to on-going quality assurance.  The Provider Monitoring Tool and the Service Coordination Monitoring Tool were created to further this commitment by providing a mechanism for the EI programs to both monitor their operations and that of their provider network.  Both documents outline the annual requirement of the EI programs to provide continuous, on-going quality assurance through compliance monitoring of contractors(s), i.e. private service provider agencies or individual contractors. With the development of the new monitoring tools, both programs will have a mechanism to monitor providers on an annual basis, beginning in July 2009, thereby ensuring compliance during the year of their respective program verification, as well as the year in which verification does not occur.  In addition, all Infant/Toddler EI programs will begin using the revised Service Coordination tool rather than the tool they are currently using for monitoring service coordination. For more information, please contact Mark Ishman at mishman@state.pa.us.

Announcing PA Pre-K Counts Bidders Meetings and TA Teleconferences

The Governor’s 2009-10 budget proposal includes additional funds for PA Pre-K Counts to expand families’ access to high quality pre-kindergarten. It is anticipated that an estimated 1,050 children will be added through both new applicants’ service delivery and expansion of current PA Pre-K Counts programs.  Eligible new applicants are invited to participate in Bidders Meetings and TA sessions to find out more about the application process and program requirements.  Additional information can be found on the PA Key website.

Program Application Deadlines:

February 24, 2009:  eGrants applications will be open for New Grants.  Applicants for New Grants may contact the eGrants Help Desk at 717-783-6683. 

March 9, 2009:  Letter of Intent for New Grantees is due.

April 27, 2009:  Deadline for eGrants applications for New Grants

July 1, 2009:  Projected Announcement of Approved New Grants.  Funds will only be available contingent on the approval of the 2009-10 budget by the General Assembly and the Governor.

Notification of grant funds cannot occur until the budget has been passed by the General Assembly. 

Bidders Meeting
Staff from OCDEL will be available to answer questions and provide guidance and technical assistance to potential applicants for New Grants on the application process and program requirements.  A Partner in a current PA Pre-K Counts Partnership that is not planning to continue in the Partnership but plans to apply to continue as a PA Pre-K Counts provider should attend the meeting for New Applicants.  Please bring a copy of the Guidance with you to the Bidders’ Meeting.  It is available at the PA Key website. To RSVP and register for a meeting, please fill out the registration form in Appendix C and fax it to Amber Steich at 717-213-0584 or email  to ambste@berksiu.org by the March 10, 2009 deadline.

The Bidders Conferences will be held on March 13, 2009.  There will be a morning (9:30 -11:30) and an afternoon (1:30 3:30) presentation on that date in each of the 3 locations listed below to maximize convenience for potential applicants.

Harrisburg PaTTAN
6340 Flank Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17112  

Pittsburgh PaTTAN  
3190 William Pitt Way             
Pittsburgh, PA 15238

King of Prussia PaTTAN
300 Anderson Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406

Technical Assistance (TA) Teleconferences 
Staff from the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will host a series of Technical Assistance (TA) calls during the application period.  These calls are scheduled for the following dates:

• Licensed Nursery School, March 9th 10:00 11:00 am
• Child Care, March 10th 10:00 11:00 am
• Head Start, March 10th 10:00 11:00 am
• School District, March 11th 10:00 11:00 am

Program Technical Assistance (Registration Deadline March 6, 2009) Dial in information will be provided after the registration form (in Appendix C) is received. 

Individual Assistance and General Information
We encourage applicants to seek individual assistance from OCDEL in completing the application.  Your questions are likely to differ based on what kind of entity you are.  Specific questions that may relate to the characteristics of your provider type or that require a specialized knowledge of your type of provider should be directed as follows:

School Districts
Linda Brown Warren
E-mail:  liwarren@state.pa.us
Phone: 717-346-4036

Keystone STARS Child Care Programs
Gail Nourse   
E-mail:  gainou@berksiu.org         
Phone:   717-213-2065
OR  
Debi Mathias
E-mail:  demathias@state.pa.us
Phone:   717-346-9324

Head Start Grantees 
Tracey Campanini
E-Mail:  tracam@berksiu.org
Phone:   717-213-2066
 
Licensed Nursery Schools
Sue Mitchell
E-mail:    susmitchel@state.pa.us
Phone:    717-787-7489

Please note the Registration Date for Bidders Meetings has been extended to Tuesday March 10, 2009.

The Impact of PreK Counts Enrollment on Extra Learning Support in Kindergarten - Inviting Applications

OCDEL will be examining the impact of PA Pre-K Counts participation on need for IEP-related services in Kindergarten, and are looking for proposals to complete a study by August of this year.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that participation in PA PreK Counts reduces the need for extra learning support when a child enters kindergarten.  The purpose of this competitive funding opportunity is to study the association between enrollment in PreK Counts and IEP status in kindergarten. This competition includes three absolute priorities and four competitive preference priorities.

For additional information on the application, please view the flyer (pdf), or contact kirbrown@state.pa.us.

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In the Community

Susquehanna Bank Supports Transition in York County

Due to a very generous donation of $27,000 from Susquehanna Bank, Focus On Our Future the early childhood education initiative of the United Way of York County was able to disseminate 1700 transition back packs.  The backpacks include the PA Kindergarten Here I Come resource and other state resources, information from Focus On Our Future, the Community Engagement Group for York County and a math puzzle. The kits also contain materials from Susquehanna Bank.  The kits were delivered to York County School Districts for distribution at their kindergarten registration events to children they have determined to be at-risk.  For more information about this program please contact Christy S. Renjilian at 717-771-3808 or renjilianc@unitedway-york.org.

Thankfulness Trees Travel to Harrisburg

On February 9, 2009, representatives from Southwest Regional CEGs, PAEYC and the SWRK traveled to Harrisburg to deliver 31 “Thankfulness Trees” to 31 legislators.   Each tree was decorated with leaves (a total 1306 to be exact) of various shapes and “decorative” colors that contained short messages from the legislators’ future constituents:  “I am thankful for my Mom and Dad, for my baby brother, for my new bike, for my lollipop, for my mittens” and many more similar sentiments!  The over arching message for the “Thankfulness  Trees” Campaign was that parents and the Early Childhood  community in Southwestern PA are thankful for the support shown by their legislators and are hopeful that the legislators’  support will continue for the 2009-2010 budget year. 

In addition to the children’s artwork, parents sent letters to their legislators, expressing their gratitude and hopes for their continuing support.  However, it was the participation of the many Early Childhood programs (Dept. of Certification registered and certified programs, Head Start and PA Pre K Counts), that made the “Thankfulness Trees” Campaign a success and helped to give children a voice in Harrisburg! 

Children's Fair Was a Big Success

Saturday, February 21, 2009, the Columbia County Early Childhood Committee and the Montour County Advocates for Children hosted the most successful children's fair at Columbia Mall to date. In its 19th year, the event drew over 650 local families and children. Young children were treated to a day of hands-on activities that engaged their minds and bodies, while parents and guardians had a wide selection of information on children's health and well-being.

Although the event was spearheaded by the two counties' Community Engagement Groups for early childhood education, it would not have been such a success if not for the many participating children agencies. These agencies gave of their time and resources to provide a successful day.

A big thank you goes to the Bloomsburg Home Depot for providing their woodworking activity, a huge hit with both the children and adults; Woody Wolfe, The Derr Family Band, Commissioner David Kovach, and Jordan Rosenberg for entertaining the families throughout the event. Of course, it takes many people behind the scenes to make an event this size a success. Over 75 students from Bloomsburg University's Early Childhood Department, under the supervision of Professor Joy Marie Bechtold, assisted throughout the day in various ways, as well as providing bags for the children to take home their creations.  Lastly, a nod to the committee who planned for months and will begin planning for next year's event. Shannon Boyles, Ruth Brewer, Deb Cole and Pegi Keller; CSIU, Caley Schell; Child Care Information Services of Montour County, Allison Williams, Columbia County Family Center, Joy Marie Bechtold, Bloomsburg University, and Stacy Lear, Little Cubs Den.  A special thank you to the Columbia Mall for providing space, tables and support during the event, Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech School for the Screening of the T-shirts, Dr. Ball, Wesley United Methodist Church Sunday School, JC Penney, and Eric from Game Stop for monetary donations; without their generosity the fair would not have been a success.

For additional information, contact Beth Cherwinski at BCherwinski@danvillecdc.org.

Beth Cherwinski, Project Coordinator
Community Engagement for Early Care and Education of Columbia and Montour Counties
Bloomsburg Press Enterprise

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Upcoming Events

2009 Events

March              Braiding Preschool Funding, Statewide PA
March 10-14     NACCRRA 2009 National Policy Symposium, Washington, DC
March  28         Professional Development Day, Beaver County, PA, contact 724-654-8370
April 2-3           PHSA Spring 2009 Conference, Harrisburg,  PA
April 2-4           National Afterschool Association's 21st Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA
April 16-18        DVAEYC Annual Conference on ECE, Philadelphia, PA
April 19-25        Week of the Young Child    
May 12             Early Childhood Action Day
May 31-June 3   Second Annual Higher Education Institute, Grantville, PA
June/July          Early Childhood Governor's Institutes, Statewide PA
June 14-17        NAEYC’s 18th National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development
July 12-15         CAYL's National Conference for Elementary School Principals Cambridge, MA
November 8-11  2009 Annual Parents as Teachers Conference, St. Louis, MO

Governor to Hold Policy Address to the State on Pennsylvania's Economic Relief and Recovery - March 11, 2009

Governor Rendell will hold a Policy Address to the State on Pennsylvania's economic relief and recovery (pdf) on March 11, 2009 at 11:45 am.  Live internet streams will be available at six locations across Pennsylvania.  For more information or to RSVP, please contact anakins@state.pa.us or call 717-265-7552.

Early Childhood Mental Health Speaker Series 2009 - March 28, 2009

The Smart Start-Centre County  will host an Early Childhood Mental Health Speaker Series, March 28, 2009, from 8:30 am-12:00 pm at Radio Park Elementary School.  This season's title is 'Uncovering the Mysteries of Misbehavior', with the event topic of "Taking the Hassle Out of Mealtimes" - Improving Children's Health and Behavior.
 
This will take the form of a Nutrition Panel; discussing the benefits of a 'healthy' attitude towards food and the contributing factors to issues of child health and development.  Panelists Jennifer Savage Williams, Rachel Love, Sonia VanHorn and Wendy Whitesell will each present at the event, covering difference aspects of the relations between nutrition and behavior, along with the subsequent effects of mal-nutrition.  There will be an hour available for Questions and Answers with the audience, and discussion between the panelists.
 
Welcome are all early childhood educators, parents, and anyone with a keen interest in the subject matter.
 
To register, submit the completed application form (pdf) and a $10 per-person registration fee for the event (which includes a healthy breakfast) to Joyce Reed via email at jar5@psu.edu at the Bennett Family Center.

Working Conference on Kindergarten Transition - March 30, 2009

The Lehigh/Northampton Community Engagement Group is having a working conference on kindergarten transitioning on Monday, March 30, at the Best Western on Route 512 in Bethlehem, PA.  This is the first of two scheduled forums, and will feature Shippensburg University Teacher Education/Early Childhood Professor, Kent Chrisman, as the keynote speaker.  The working conference is targeting the areas identified as having the highest need, and those invited are school district administrators, kindergarten teachers and childcare practitioners from Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Wilson and Bangor.  For additional information please email jmschwartz@rcn.com or call 610-253-5376.

2009 PA Special Needs Conference - April 14 & 15, 2009

The National Center for Children in Poverty, 2009 PA Special Needs Conference (pdf) is to help individuals plan for the atypical transportation needs of children with special health care needs and the pre-school population, The PA Traffic Injury Prevention Project, sponsored by the PA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the PA School Bus Association will host a special hands on training pre-conference and a one-day working conference to address the many variables encountered in developing a sound transportation plan for these students.  Those who should attend are Child Care Providers, Head Start Coordinators, Transportation Coordinators, School Nurses,  Physical/Occupational Therapists, Early Intervention Specialists and School Bus Drivers/Monitors

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 - Pre-Conference ($40.00).  National Standardized Child Passenger Safety Training - This 8-hour program provides the basic technical skills and knowledge of the proper use and installation of child safety seats on school buses. This course will provide 6 continuing education credits for child passenger safety technicians.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 - Conference  ($100.00).  Participants will learn from nationally known experts who will cover the following topics:

• A Review of the NHTSA Final Rule on Lap/Shoulder Belts on School Buses -The Implications in Pennsylvania and the School Bus Industry
• Behavior Strategies
• Wheelchair & Transportation Safety
• How to Prepare for an IEP
• Smoking the Bus
• Wheelchair and Other Equipment Crash Dynamics and Testing
• Travel Training
• Safe Transportation of Preschoolers

Special Conference and Pre-conference price is $125.00.  The conference will be held at Holiday Inn Harrisburg-Hershey, 604 Station Road, Grantville, PA  17028,   (717) 469-0661.  For further information, call: 1-800-CARBELT.

Berks County Care for Kids Coalition Special Needs Conference - April 25, 2009

Keynote Presentation: Inclusion: “What’s in it for Me?”, Camille Catlett, University of North Carolina’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.  Morning and afternoon breakouts on child development, behavior, play, inclusion, and cultural diversity.  Luncheon speaker: Parent stories on raising children with special needs.  Event runs from 7:30 AM to 2:45 PM at Berks IU Education Center, 2101 Centre Avenue, Reading PA.  Cost is $20 (includes lunch).  6.5 Training and Act 48 Hours available.  Registration deadline is April 6, 2009.  For conference information, please view the flyer (pdf) and the Registration form.  For more information, please contact Robin Teitelbaum 610-236-4804.

Early Childhood Action Day in Harrisburg - May 12, 2009

Your legislators need to know why investing in quality in early childhood education is important to you!
Tell them about:

• the CHILDREN and the difference that a quality program makes in their lives,
• the TEACHERS and the critical role their skills and expertise play in a quality program,
• the on-going CHALLENGES (subsidy waiting lists, health insurance, staff turnover, unmet needs of Keystone STARS and Pre-K Counts),
• the SUCCESSES that investing in quality produces (early brain development, school readiness, family economic success and savings in future social service costs).

For additional information, please see the flyer, or to register, go to the QUEST website. 

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Resources for Early Learning Professionals

Invitation to Early Childhood Education Providers

To help celebrate the "Month of the Young Child" this April, works of art by young children will be displayed during the month of April at the State College Borough Building.  Early childhood programs may submit artwork in any artistic medium which has been created by children participating in their programs to be displayed.  For additional information on how to submit artwork, please see the flyer (pdf).

Parent Training Modules on How to Promote Children’s Social and Emotional Skills

The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) has created Parent Training Modules which provide information for families on promoting children’s social and emotional skills, understanding their problem behaviors, and using positive approaches to help them learn appropriate behaviors. The modules are available online.

Free Skill Building Activity Cards

Get Ready to Read has free skill building activity cards for children. The Get Ready to Read! activity cards are engaging, child-friendly, created with both parents and educators in mind, providing early literacy activities for preschoolers. Print the cards today and discover new ideas for bringing literacy activities into the classroom, home and daily routine.

Free Books through The Literacy Empowerment Foundation

The Literacy Empowerment Foundation is accepting applications from schools and literacy projects interested in receiving free books through the Reading Resource Project.  The Reading Resource Project is an ongoing program that runs throughout the year. The program distributes softcover books FREE of charge for literacy programs.  Recipients merely pay shipping, handling, and administrative costs, which is only $0.68 per softcover book ($68 per set of 100 books). Reading Resource Project books come in sets of 100 books per set. There will not be more than five copies of the same book in any set. Reading levels are available for Pre-K through Second Grade. Book selection and quantity is dependent upon availability, so there is no guarantee of specific titles. Books are sorted and shipped as close to a project's needs as possible, with regard to reading level and topic.  Reading Resource Project books are available in a limited quantity on a first come, first served basis.

One Book, Every Young Child

This year’s program kicks off on March 31 with a reception at the Capitol.  Please see the invitation to the reception and the Early Learning and Libraries Forum.  The Forum’s keynote speaker is Dr. Pam Schiller, author of such titles as Creating Readers and Inclusive Literacy Lessons for Early Childhood with Clarissa Wills.

Check out the One Book, Every Young Child website for some great resources in support of this year’s book selection If You Were a Penguin.  The One Book site includes information about the author and illustrator, a schedule of author visits around the state, and a separate tab for Early Childhood Professionals.  There are tips for this year’s book with a group, booklists, websites of interest, and activities, including reproducibles, lesson plans for K-2, an interactive read aloud script, and a great Family Fun Guide.  Under booklists you can find titles on animal dads, penguins in fact and fiction and Antarctica. 

The website also includes symbols that can be used to make the book accessible for children with special needs.  Boardmaker is a drawing program with a clipart library containing 3300+ Picture Communication Symbols (PCS). Permission has been granted by Boardmaker to use these symbols with If You Were a Penguin.
 
There is still time to order copies of If You Were a Penguin, but please hurry as there are a limited number available for March and April delivery.  Paperbacks are available at the deeply discounted price of $2.00 per copy and must be ordered in multiples of 30.  Hardbacks are available for $4.25 and must be ordered in multiples of 24.  There are no big books left, but if there are sufficient orders more could ordered.  They are $6.25 per copy and must be ordered in multiples of 5.  See the order form or email ra-onebook@state.pa.us for the form.

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Higher Education & Early Childhood Career Preparation News

New T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarship Opportunity for Afterschool Practitioners

Now accepting applications for the Spring 2009 Semester!  Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) has partnered with the PA Key, PA Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network (PSAYDN), United Way of Southeastern PA (UWSEPA) and the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) to expand scholarship offerings to School-Age/Afterschool Practitioners and Youth Work Professionals. 

The new T.E.A.C.H. Afterschool and Youth Work Scholarship provides financial assistance and other supports for staff to earn college coursework toward a PA School Age Professional Credential, Youth Work Certificate or other degree.  Scholarships are available for students who were enrolled for Fall 2008 and/or are enrolled for the Spring 2009 semester. T.E.A.C.H. wrap around scholarships are also available for students whose tuition has been funded by another source.  These scholarships will pay for books, travel and release time and also include the compensation and commitment components of a regular T.E.A.C.H. scholarship. 

To be considered for a scholarship, afterschool practitioners must:

• Be employed at least 15 hours per week in a Department of Public Welfare (DPW) certified school age child care program, Keystone STAR 1 or above.
• Be employed by the sponsoring program for at least one year and maintain employment for a minimum of 9 months out of the year.
• Be eligible for college/university admission.
• Earn less than $15.00 per hour for direct care staff and less than $19.00 for program directors/coordinators.

Other considerations:

• Scholarship awards are dependent upon availability of funds and priorities of funders.
• Other eligibility criteria may apply and are subject to change without notice.

Scholarships are available for afterschool practitioners to take courses toward any PA Key approved School Age Professional Credential program or approved Associate degree program.  For more information on School-Age Professional Credential coursework offerings in your region, contact your regional school-age project. 

Applicants who wish to be part of this pilot program must be enrolled in courses for the Spring 2009 semester.  Funding is limited so interested applicants should apply immediately!   For more information on eligibility criteria, scholarship components/requirements and a scholarship application, contact Laurie Litz, T.E.A.C.H. Director at (717) 657-9000 x115 or laurie@pacca.org.

Funding for this pilot is provided in part by the PA Department of Public Welfare (DPW)/Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and the United Way of Southeastern PA.

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Employment Opportunities

Director of Philanthropic Gifts and Grants - Friends of the Children's Trust Fund

Director of Philanthropic Gifts and Grants wanted to secure supplemental funding on behalf of the Friends of the Children’s Trust Fund to support child abuse and neglect prevention efforts through the active and successful pursuit of corporate and community philanthropic gifts, as well as researching, writing, and applying for grants on behalf of the PA Children’s Trust Fund (CTF). Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in finance, business administration, or marketing; minimum of five (5) years of high level work in the field of philanthropic gifts and fundraising; successfully raising money from the corporate community; minimum of three (3) years of successful experience in grant writing for the corporate community; demonstrated experience working with non-profit organizations with regard to program development, including program budgeting and resource development.

Send cover letter and resume to Kelly Hollenbach, BCIU, 1111 Commons Blvd., P.O. Box 16050, Reading, PA  19612-6050 or email to kelhol@berksiu.org.  Online application available at Berks County Intermediate Unit website. Deadline is March 13, 2009.  EOE.  Harrisburg based position. 

Product Marketing Manager - Childcraft, School Speciality, Inc.

The primary responsibility of the incumbent is to develop a “go-to-market” strategy for a respective customer segment of the EARLY CHILDHOOD category for School Specialty.  TWO positions are open:  One will focus on the FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT product segment and the other on the DAYCARE, INFANT and TODDLER segment within Early Childhood.

Responsibilities include:

MARKETING FOCUS--Under the direction of the Market Manager/Director, develop a go-to-market strategy for either the Furniture/Equipment or the Daycare/Infant/Toddler customer segment of the business;  Lead customer research to maintain awareness of product application and customer preferences; Serve as the resident expert on the specific customer needs in your segment; Define and select product assortment for go to market campaigns; Advise on go-to-market pricing in your customer segment and product category across the Division; Attend trade and vendor shows to research new products and trends; Conduct product and category training for sales/customer service teams on features and benefits of new and existing products; Publish routinely in your customer segment with a focus on creative, innovative lesson plans that utilize your product category and help teachers engage and inspire students of all ages and abilities.

MERCHANDISING FOCUS--Work with Merchandising to ensure product assortments are complete for customer needs; Actively participate in the category to identify new product ideas and applications through our supply partners and with contract developers;  Collaborate with Merchandising on forecasting for your product category; Collaborate with Product Developers on the development of new, proprietary items for the category; Align with Merchandising on the sales, gross profit and direct profit contribution of the items in your product category.

Requirements:  Bachelor’s degree in Marketing with related job experience, and/or Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with pre-K through 2nd grade education teaching experience; Minimum 5 years of catalog or product merchandising/marketing experience in early childhood educational field preferred; Strong organization and analytical skills; Proven leadership and interpersonal skills; Ability to prioritize and multi-task; Excellent written and verbal communication skills; Availability for 15% to 20% travel; Proficiency in Excel and Access a plus.

Childcraft Education Corp., a leading developer, marketer and supplier of early childhood educational materials for over 60 years and a member of the School Specialty family is seeking to fill two openings as referenced above.  SCHOOL SPECIALTY, Inc. is a national education company with sales exceeding $1 billion that provides innovative and proprietary products, programs, and services to help educators engage and inspire students of all ages and abilities.  Through leading brands, School Specialty designs, develops, and provides PreK-12 educators with the latest and very best curriculum, supplemental learning resources, and classroom basics.  Working in collaboration with educators, School Specialty reaches beyond the scope of textbooks to help teachers, guidance counselors, and school administrators ensure that every student reaches his or her full potential.  For more information visit School Specialty website. We offer a competitive total compensation program including bonus, 401(k) retirement plan, disability coverage, medical, dental, tuition reimbursement, paid volunteer time, and much more.  Enjoy working in a professional and collaborative environment.  

Please send resume online to:  lwebb@schoolspecialty.com.  JOB LOCATION:  Mt. Joy, PA 17552.  EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist - STEP, Inc.

Part-time position (20 hours per week) with STEP, Inc.  Early childhood mental health resource person, systems builder and technical assistance provider for early childhood facilities across seventeen counties in central Pennsylvania.  Implements a quality improvement program to provide early childhood mental health support, education and resources to early learning practitioners and programs.  May mentor and coach program practitioners in order to maximize outcomes for children.  Minimum qualifications include the following: master’s degree in Child Development, Early Childhood Education or Social Work; two years experience providing technical assistance consultation with early childhood mental health issues; two years of training and/or experience in project/program management; experience with and/or training in Microsoft Office products; and, a valid driver’s license, and reliable and adequately insured transportation available on a daily basis.  A complete job description containing all of the position’s minimum requirements and an application packet are available at the reception area of STEP's Main Office (2138 Lincoln Street, Williamsport) and the CareerLink Offices in Clinton and Lycoming Counties.  The deadline for receipt by STEP’s Main Office of a completed application for this position is Friday, March 13, 2009, at 5 PM.  STEP IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Counselor

Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) has an immediate opening for a full-time Counselor for the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarship Program.  The successful candidate will have excellent communication, organization and computer skills. English/Spanish bi-lingual language skills are preferred. Bachelor's degree in early childhood education / child development or related human services field and one year experience in child care program required.

PACCA is in a suburban location, with free parking, and offers great benefits. EOE. No phone calls, please.  Send resume, cover letter and pay requirements to:  PACCA Counselor, 2300 Vartan Way, Suite 270 Harrisburg, PA  17110.

Director, Early Childhood Policy - Columbia University/Mailman School of Public Health

GRANT-FUNDED:  Incumbent will provide senior level leadership to the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) at the Mailman School of Public Health's early childhood agenda to help states and communities implement effective policies, and evidence-based practices to promote healthy development for children birth to eight. Individual will have direct responsibility for managing and integrating NCCP's early childhood programs to promote strategic cross-system programmatic and fiscal investments at both the community and state levels; will assume direct responsibility for managing and growing NCCP's early childhood projects with the exception of Research Connections and Project Thrive; will work collaboratively with NCCP staff carrying out related policy projects; will be part of NCCP's Senior Management team; will assist the director in fundraising, and provide ongoing advice about how to strengthen and better integrate NCCP's early childhood policy agenda across ECE projects as well as with our family economic security work and health and mental health work focused on older children and youth; additional related duties.

Qualifications, Required:  Master's degree required plus five to ten years of direct experience managing and/or conducting policy relevant research projects.  Excellent oral/written communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.  Evidence of direct successful policy experience working with state-level policymakers.  Knowledge on how to write for a policy audience, how to translate research to persuade policymakers, and how to keep both products and presentations non-partisan.  Broad knowledge about health, early learning, and/or family support.  Evidence of analytical skills and capacity to integrate research lessons into policy and practice recommendations.  Success in fundraising and proposal development.

Preferred:  Ph.D. in maternal and child health, child development, or public policy with an emphasis on child development.  Experience working in low-income communities and with diverse populations.  Experience conducting fiscal analyses, and knowledge of federal funding framework.  Comfort working with data and ability to manipulate large data sets.

To Apply:  All applicants MUST apply through the Columbia University website, then search for job requisition number 055309.  Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
 

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