Trying Together

09/03/2026

Join Trying Together, Pre-K for PA, and Start Strong PA for a Working Together webinar on Thursday, September 17 at 12:30 p.m. to discuss a variety of important updates relating to child care policy, including proposed Head Start changes and Pennsylvania's Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program.

Those interested in attending the Zoom webinar should register in advance. Visit our website for more info: https://tryingtogether.org/event/working-together-webinar-12/

For additional insight about the proposed federal changes to Head Start and its impact on the ongoing child care crisis, see Trying Together’s response: https://tryingtogether.org/trying-together-responds-to-proposed-changes-to-head-start-performance-standards/

09/01/2026

Welcome, September! 🍂 A new month has begun, and Trying Together is excited to offer seven professional development courses for early care and education professionals throughout the month. Here's our schedule for September:

9/3 - American Red Cross First Aid, Pediatric First Aid, CPR, and AED Training: https://tryingtogether.org/event/american-red-cross-first-aid-pediatric-first-aid-cpr-and-aed-training-14/

9/10 - Supervision 101: https://tryingtogether.org/event/supervision-101-5/

9/12 - Reframing “Challenging” Behaviors in the ECE Classroom (Washington County): https://tryingtogether.org/event/reframing-challenging-behaviors-in-the-ece-classroom-washington/

9/12 - Introduction to ASQ®:SE-2: https://tryingtogether.org/event/introduction-to-asq-se2/

9/14 - Introduction to ASQ®-3: https://tryingtogether.org/event/introduction-to-asq-3-21/

9/16 - Growing Together: The Cycle of Inquiry: Meaningful Experiences from Infancy to Pre-K: https://tryingtogether.org/event/growing-together-the-cycle-of-inquiry-meaningful-experiences-from-infancy-to-pre-k/

9/22 - Flip It! Transforming Challenging Behavior in Young Children: https://tryingtogether.org/event/flip-it-transforming-challenging-behavior-in-young-children-2/

08/31/2026

Lauren Stuparitz is one of Trying Together's 2026 Early Childhood Education Advocacy fellows and joined us for an UnConference discussion panel about Early Intervention (EI) during earlier this year.

"The Head Start program in Pittsburgh was really a lifesaver for my family," she recently told TribLive, reported below. "[Head Start screenings are] a huge safety net for kids and their families — to make sure that you can know the signs and act early, [which] sets them up for success in elementary school.”

Has Head Start made a positive impact on your family? If so, we encourage you to provide comment on these proposed changes. You can read more about the changes and Trying Together's Position on our website: https://tryingtogether.org/trying-together-responds-to-proposed-changes-to-head-start-performance-standards/

Make your voice heard and provide your public comment by 10/6: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/07/2026-16134/reducing-federal-burden-for-head-start-programs

Pittsburgh parent Lauren Stuparitz credits the federal Head Start program with transforming her neurodivergent son’s life. Now, as the Trump administration proposes sweeping regulatory changes to the initiative, Stuparitz and other families worry about its future. Now 6 years old, her son spea...

08/27/2026

Join Trying Together virtually every third Wednesday of the month for Growing Together, a free professional development series focused on frequently requested topics relevant to early childhood educators. The topic for September is "The Cycle of Inquiry: Meaningful Experiences from Infancy to Pre-K."

🗓️ Wednesday, September 16
⏰ 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
📍 Virtual (Zoom)

Access the Zoom link and the full 2026-27 series schedule: https://tryingtogether.org/event/growing-together-the-cycle-of-inquiry-meaningful-experiences-from-infancy-to-pre-k/

Join Trying Together virtually every third Wednesday of the month for professional development focused on frequently requested topics relevant to early childhood educators.

08/26/2026

Trying Together’s advocacy fellows visited the Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center to learn more about advocacy on the local level and the ways communities can thrive when they have access to resources and support.

Curious about the Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center? Visit tryingtogether.org/community-resources/hub-and-family-center/

08/25/2026

Thank you Governor Josh Shapiro and the PA General Assembly for protecting recess for Pennsylvania children! Recess isn't just a break from learning – it IS learning.

"Recess is critical for children to have unstructured active play time, which supports their mental and physical health," Valerie Williams, Trying Together’s kindergarten transition program director. "When children have daily active recess, they are healthier [and] they internalize all learning concepts more deeply."

Read more about why recess is foundational to learning: https://tryingtogether.org/trying-together-celebrates-inclusion-of-recess-mandate-in-pa-school-code/

08/21/2026

Today is the big day! Visit the Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center at 7219 Kelly Street for a Back-to-School Open House!

From 11-2 and 3-6, families can get information about early learning programs and kindergarten enrollment, receive school supplies and grocery items, make a fun craft with materials found in nature, and get connected with the Homewood Hub.

Thank you to Beverly's PGH, Catalyst Academy Charter Sch, The Maker's Clubhouse Early Learning Center, Crescent ECC, and Sprout & Sparkle Academy for joining us today!

08/21/2026

We're hiring! Trying Together is looking for a part-time Teacher Certification Evaluator to provide evaluations for assigned teachers wanting to obtain or maintain a Level II Teacher certification. This position is travel-based with a flexible, self-determined schedule to locations throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania (but primarily Lawrence, Beaver, Butler, and Mercer Counties).

Applicants must have an active certificate in one of the following fields:
• Principal or Assistant Principal
• Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent
• IU Executive Director or Assistant Executive Director;
• Supervisor of Special Education (with early intervention experience);
• OR a supervisory certificate and a minimum of three years of early childhood education experience in a 0-5 and/or PK-3 setting.

Learn more and apply at

Apply to Teacher Certification Evaluator at Trying Together in Pittsburgh, PA.

08/19/2026

Head Start is a core part of the early care and education landscape across the nation, providing quality care and comprehensive support for children and families for more than 60 years. In addition to education, it provides physical and mental health support, family engagement, nutrition, and developmental screenings.

Earlier this month, the HHS published proposed changes to the Head Start Performance Standards, which serve as the foundational regulations to provide guidance on how to implement the Head Start program’s comprehensive services. However, these standards are not just bureaucratic requirements. They are the foundation of a comprehensive approach that helps low-income families stabilize and our youngest learners thrive, and rolling them back puts decades of progress at risk and diminishes a program that families across our state depend on every day.

In its latest action alert, Trying Together has drafted a letter for you to send to your state and federal legislators urging them to stand up for these essential standards. You can send the email exactly as is, or personalize it and share why Head Start matters to you: https://tryingtogether.org/advocacy/current-issue/

For more information, see Trying Together's full response to proposed changes to Head Start: https://tryingtogether.org/trying-together-responds-to-proposed-changes-to-head-start-performance-standards/