Vision Screening in 2023
2023-04-26 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Vision Screening in 2023 – Everything you need to know!
Preschool vision screening helps identify vision problems at an early age where treatment and prevention from the potential of life-long vision issues is still feasible. Directors will learn how to easily implement the vision screening process at their centers, while staff will learn vision screening methods.
All attendees, including parents, will have a much better understanding of the vision abnormalities to look for in the preschool setting.
Presenter:
Tammy Johnson, Director of Program Development at Plusoptix Inc., has implemented, directed, and trained others to run large-scale vision screening programs for more than 20 years. After working in the ophthalmology department at Vanderbilt University, she then worked for the Lions Clubs International Foundation in the establishment of 18 preschool vision screening programs throughout the US. Contact Tammy directly!

Vision Screening in 2023 is Sponsored by:

2023 National Head Start Conference
2023-05-08 - 2023-05-11
The largest national conference devoted to all things Head Start, NHSA’s national conference brings our community together for a week of sharing, networking, learning, and celebrating.

The Future of ERSEA in Head Start
2023-05-16 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
With our partners at Wipfli, NHSA is hosting online, two-day training series on current best practices with your professional peers and exploring challenges and solutions regarding the future of ERSEA in Head Start.
Learning Objectives:

Review regulation requirements from the HS Act and for 45 CFR Part 1302, Subpart A (ERSEA).
Share best practices in implementing ERSEA in the program.
Explore future challenges and solutions regarding ERSEA in Head Start.

Description:
Head Start/Early Head Start programs have a specific set of requirements to assist program leaders in identifying, recruiting, and selecting those children and families with the most need in their communities. This training will focus on all of the eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance requirements, best known by the initials ERSEA, including adjusted guidelines and areas of Determining community strengths Documentation Recruitment options Attendance Fees, And more!
Presenter:
Tammy Jelinek, Principal
Tammy has spent more than 20 years working in and with grant-funded and fee-for-services nonprofit organizations. She engages with leadership teams to strategically align their goals to grow, expand, and meet their mission. Tammy has trained nationally in the areas of OMB Uniform Guidance, Head Start/Early Head Start Act and program regulations, parent/volunteer involvement, organizational development, human resources, leadership, and management. In helping clients make changes to impact their communities, she has engaged in organizational development and culture initiatives, process design and implementation, financial analysis, and change management (including coaching). Tammy holds a B.S. in business management (psychology minor) and an M.B.A. (emphasis in organizational development) from Upper Iowa University. She answers questions for the My Wipfli Annual Membership.
Certificate of completion is good for two months.
Regular Rate: $350
NHSA Member Rate: $300

EHS Advocacy Site Visits
2023-06-07 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Hosting members of Congress (or congressional staff) at your program is one of the most powerful ways to illustrate the value of Head Start and provide lawmakers with a memorable experience that can shape their decision making. Join NHSA to hear from Head Start programs about their successful program visits and learn how to best advocate for your Early Head Start/Head Start program.
Presenters

Bob Bissen, Senior Director of Government Affairs, National Head Start Association

Michelle Haimowitz, Executive Director, Massachusetts Head Start Association

Lindsey Fredericks, Community Advocate, Luzerne County Head Start, Pennsylvania

Dr. Sharon Small, Chief Executive Officer and HS/EHS Director, Parent/Child Incorporated, Texas

EHS Best Practice: Multilingual Babies
2023-06-14 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Early Head Start is supporting Multilingual Babies.
Many children enrolled in EHS programs grow up with more than one language. Unfortunately, Latino families, and families that speak languages other than English often encounter misinformation and negative messages about early bilingualism.
This session will present an intentional approach to understanding and supporting the development of multi-lingual infants/toddlers in EHS settings. We will address the following questions:
Are children confused if they grow up with more than one language?
What capabilities do infants/toddlers bring to multi-lingual development?
How can families confront misinformation and negative messaging?
How can EHS programs, parents, and family members collaborate to promote optimal development of multi-lingual infants?

Long before children begin speaking, they are learning. This includes engaging in social relationships and interactions, working with ideas and information, and developing language. Infants growing up with more than one language have the capabilities to develop both languages successfully. An intentional approach that includes parents, family members, and EHS program staff presents an ideal opportunity to support multi-lingual development during the first three years.

Presenters: Robert Stechuk and Tania Villarroel
Robert Stechuk, Ph.D., is the Director of Early Childhood Education Initiatives at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza) in Washington, DC. He co-leads the Latino Infant Initiative, a collaboration with Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, which seeks to strengthen program capacity to provide high-quality services for Latino infants (PN-3) and their families; infuse the voices of Latino parents and family members, advocates, and program staff in the policy arena; disseminate relevant research evidence to policymakers and programs; and advocate for informed policies, campaigns, and investments at the federal, state, and local levels. He works to build capacity among early childhood education programs serving Latino children through the development of research-to-practice materials and advocacy efforts. Early in his career, he worked in childcare classrooms for five years and as a Head Start Director for six years. From 2010-2015, Mr. Stechuk was the co-Director of the Office of Head Start National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness (NCCLR). Previously, as an independent consultant, he was the lead author of Revisiting and Updating the Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs Serving Children Ages Birth to Five. Mr. Stechuk has been a faculty member at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, teaching courses on cognitive development, language development, and early literacy. He holds an M. Ed. in early childhood special education and a Ph. D. in child development and early literacy from George Mason University. Dr. Stechuk is the author of Latino Infants: A Continuing Imperative, recently published by UnidosUS.
Tania Villarroel, Senior Policy Analyst, Early Childhood Education at UnidosUS.
Tania is a Chilean lawyer and Law Professor at Universidad de Chile with over 10 years of experience. She holds a master’s in laws (LL.M.) from Columbia University, and a Diploma in Education Policy from Universidad de Chile. She has worked conducting research, advocating for Early Childhood Education bills in Congress, and implementing education programs in Africa. Currently, she is focusing on developing and sustaining a national advocacy network on behalf of Latino infants, driving a policy agenda that works to eliminate barriers to early childhood education and development for Latino children PN-3 and dual language learners.

EHS Best Practice: Bebés Multilingües
2023-06-15 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
This webinar will be in Spanish. Early Head Start apoya a los bebés multilingües.
Many children enrolled in EHS programs grow up with more than one language. Unfortunately, Latino families, and families that speak languages other than English often encounter misinformation and negative messages about early bilingualism.
This session will present an intentional approach to understanding and supporting the development of multi-lingual infants/toddlers in EHS settings. We will address the following questions:
Are children confused if they grow up with more than one language?
What capabilities do infants/toddlers bring to multi-lingual development?
How can families confront misinformation and negative messaging?
How can EHS programs, parents, and family members collaborate to promote optimal development of multi-lingual infants?

Long before children begin speaking, they are learning. This includes engaging in social relationships and interactions, working with ideas and information, and developing language. Infants growing up with more than one language have the capabilities to develop both languages successfully. An intentional approach that includes parents, family members, and EHS program staff presents an ideal opportunity to support multi-lingual development during the first three years.
Presenters: Robert Stechuk and Tania Villarroel
Robert Stechuk, Ph.D., is the Director of Early Childhood Education Initiatives at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza) in Washington, DC. He co-leads the Latino Infant Initiative, a collaboration with Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, which seeks to strengthen program capacity to provide high-quality services for Latino infants (PN-3) and their families; infuse the voices of Latino parents and family members, advocates, and program staff in the policy arena; disseminate relevant research evidence to policymakers and programs; and advocate for informed policies, campaigns, and investments at the federal, state, and local levels. He works to build capacity among early childhood education programs serving Latino children through the development of research-to-practice materials and advocacy efforts. Early in his career, he worked in childcare classrooms for five years and as a Head Start Director for six years. From 2010-2015, Mr. Stechuk was the co-Director of the Office of Head Start National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness (NCCLR). Previously, as an independent consultant, he was the lead author of Revisiting and Updating the Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs Serving Children Ages Birth to Five. Mr. Stechuk has been a faculty member at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, teaching courses on cognitive development, language development, and early literacy. He holds an M. Ed. in early childhood special education and a Ph. D. in child development and early literacy from George Mason University. Dr. Stechuk is the author of Latino Infants: A Continuing Imperative, recently published by UnidosUS.
Tania Villarroel, Senior Policy Analyst, Early Childhood Education at UnidosUS.
Tania is a Chilean lawyer and Law Professor at Universidad de Chile with over 10 years of experience. She holds a master’s in laws (LL.M.) from Columbia University, and a Diploma in Education Policy from Universidad de Chile. She has worked conducting research, advocating for Early Childhood Education bills in Congress, and implementing education programs in Africa. Currently, she is focusing on developing and sustaining a national advocacy network on behalf of Latino infants, driving a policy agenda that works to eliminate barriers to early childhood education and development for Latino children PN-3 and dual language learners.

2023 Early Childhood Innovation Summit
2023-06-27 - 2023-06-30
The Early Childhood Innovation Summit, the forum for early learning thinkers and activists to network and explore, will take place June 27-30.

EHS Advocacy: Including Services to Pregnant People
2023-06-28 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Early Head Start has a profound impact on healthy pregnancies for families through access to ongoing health care, comprehensive series, and education to support a healthy pregnancy. Yet, less than 13,000 pregnant women are served nationwide. Join us to hear from programs on how they expanded services to pregnant women in their Early Head Start program and the impact on the families they serve.

EHS Best Practice: Effective State-Level Policies
2023-07-19 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Effective State-Level Policies to Strengthen the Early Years
The prenatal to age 3 period is the most sensitive and rapid period of development. Children who experience safe, nurturing, and loving environments are placed on trajectories toward optimal growth and learning, yet many families face substantial challenges during these years. Grounded in the science of the developing child and based on comprehensive reviews of the most rigorous evidence available, this session shares 11 policy solutions that help foster the nurturing environments infants and toddlers need to thrive and that reduce longstanding disparities in opportunities and outcomes among racial and ethnic groups and socioeconomic statuses.

Presenter:
Cynthia Osborne, PhD is a Professor of Early Childhood Education and Policy in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at the Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University. She is also the founder and executive director of the national Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, an academic research center that translates the science of the developing child into state level policies with the strongest evidence base of effectiveness. She was an appointed member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee On Building An Agenda To Reduce The Number Of Children In Poverty By Half In 10 Years and is currently serving on another NASEM committee, Exploring the Opportunity Gap for Young Children Birth to Age 8. Osborne holds a Ph.D. in demography and public affairs from Princeton University, a Master in Public Policy degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Master of Arts in education from Claremont Graduate University.

EHS Best Practice: Speech & Language Developmental Milestones
2023-07-26 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Explore the speech and language developmental guidelines from a bilingual speech-language pathologist. Learn about when and how to ask for help if there is a concern.
A Bilingual/Multilingual Perspective
Presenter:
Emily Vincent, M.S. CCC-SLP is a bilingual/bicultural (Spanish-English) speech-language pathologist. She has been working with families and children for many years providing therapy, diagnostic, and consultation services through Early Intervention, public and private preschools including Head Start and Early Head Start, as well as elementary schools. She began life after college as a Head Start preschool teacher, then later as a Disability Specialist for Early Head Start and Head Start while attending graduate school to become a bilingual speech-language pathologist. When she not is conquering tele-therapy or google docs with her incredible and diverse caseload, she can be found hanging out with family in the mountains or the beach, in a bootcamp class or reading a novel.

EHS Best Practice: Post-partum
2023-08-02 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Developmental-Relational Frameworks for Understanding and Addressing Post-Partum Depression and Early Parenting
Post-partum mood disturbances affect the individual functioning of parents yet also all the inter-relationships and well-being in a family system, including the new infant. This is often a source of tremendous concern. However, this also offers a profoundly important opportunity to address post-partum depression and anxiety through the lens and portal of the parent-infant relationship. Practitioners across disciplines have the opportunity to enhance care and outcomes for infants and their mothers experiencing post-partum depression. The family system is an opportune focus of treatment to the benefit of all; in relational context. Our efforts need to employ every available strategy to enhance the care for these infant-parent dyads in service of better outcomes for infants’ functioning, as well as enhancing maternal therapeutic treatment. We don’t want to miss opportunities for intervening in the earliest stage of infant-parent attachment; the first 100 days of life when highly consequential bio-behavioral shifts are occurring in the development of the infant brain. This is in service of optimizing infant developmental potential, as well as enhancing mothers’ future-orientation and motivation for treatment in order to best meet the needs of their baby. The impact of parents and other significant adults on children’s early development, emotional well-being, and learning is well-established. Relationships, and the cultural contexts in which they occur, are extraordinarily consequential for development. The quality of the caregiving relationship is the critical factor in mitigating long term deleterious effects on children’s development that can stem from untreated maternal mental health concerns.
This workshop will engage participants in deepening relationship-based, developmentally-informed practice that improves professionals’ and parents’ ability to be successful in understanding and applying child developmental constructs to their daily practice. It will focus on implementing a set of practices such as sharing careful observation of infant behavior and focusing on parents’ strengths to improve parent-provider and parent-child relationships that promote family relational and emotional health and wellness. Aspects of the Brazelton Touchpoints™ Approach will explore both its Developmental and Relational Frameworks; and how parental post-partum mood disturbance in parental self-regulation can affect a parent’s interpretation of, and response to, their infant’s behavior. The workshop will include interactive PowerPoint presentation material and opportunities for discussion in order to orient the participants to developmental-relational practice. These activities will support workforce skills and well-being in service of capacity to serve young children and their families.
Presenter:
Jayne Singer, Ph.D. IECMH-E
Dr. Singer is a clinical psychologist and Endorsed® Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Clinical Mentor with over 40 years of experience working in community, hospital, and school based programs, serving children and families with a wide variety of developmental, medical, social, emotional, and familial challenges. At the Brazelton Touchpoints Center in the Division of Developmental Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, she serves as Director of Developmental and Relational Health as well as Director of Clinical Training. She engages in clinical practice and continuous national and international teaching and intensive reflective mentoring of the Brazelton Touchpoints Approach and the Newborn Behavioral Observations system. She spearheaded adaptations of the Touchpoints Approach that developed within the field of primary care pediatrics for application in the fields of Early Intervention and Developmental Disabilities, Early Care and Education, Mental Health practice, and Substance Use Disorder Recovery. She is Past President of the Massachusetts Association for Infant Mental Health, and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, a ZTT-certified trainer of the DC:0-5 system, and the 2022 recipient of the William M. Schafer, PhD, Award to Honor Excellence in Reflective Supervision, Leadership and Inspiration awarded by international Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health

EHS Best Practice: Educación Musical (Spanish)
2023-08-09 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
This webinar will be in Spanish: “El mejor regalo… La importancia de la educación musical desde la infancia temprana hasta la etapa preescolar”
El desarrollo musical de los niños se encuentra estrechamente vinculado a su desarrollo cognitivo, físico, emocional, social y de lenguaje. Por esta razón, es crucial brindar actividades musicales apropiadas y enriquecedoras para todos los bebés y niños pequeños. Esto puede representar un desafío para padres y madres, al igual que proveedores de centros infantiles. Ambos grupos se plantean las mismas preguntas:
¿Cómo puedo fomentar el desarrollo musical de mi hijo o hija?
¿Cuándo es el momento adecuado para introducir actividades musicales en el cuidado de los niños y las niñas?
¿Dónde puedo encontrar materiales para ofrecer actividades apropiadas para bebés, al igual que para niños y niñas en edad preescolar?

Esta sesión destacará actividades que ejemplifiquen las mejores prácticas respaldadas por la investigación y validadas en el campo educativo. Padres, coordinadores y directores tendrán la
oportunidad de adquirir conocimientos sobre actividades musicales adecuadas para cada etapa de desarrollo, desde la infancia temprana hasta la etapa preescolar. Además, se proporcionarán
recursos prácticos que podrán utilizar tanto en el hogar como en los centros educativos, ilustrando cómo se relacionan con los momentos clave en el desarrollo infantil.

Presentadora: YOLANDA BORRÁS
Educadora dominicana y fundadora de I’m Bilingual!® Languages Through Music, ha dedicado su vida profesional a la educación para niños de edad temprana y a la gestión empresarial educativa. Yolanda es facilitadora de talleres especializados en educación musical para docentes y participa como expositora en conferencias internacionales. Obtuvo el título de Licenciatura en Música en el Peabody Conservatory de la Universidad Johns Hopkins y maestría en Administración Educativa en Teachers College de la Universidad de Columbia. Mediante la plataforma educativa de I’m Bilingual!® Yolanda ofrece herramientas y recursos eficaces que los educadores pueden utilizar para enriquecer sus programas y fomentar el desarrollo de habilidades musicales y de lenguaje en los niños desde edad temprana. Su colección de música infantil y sus libros de canción ilustrada han sido galardonados a nivel internacional.

2023 Fall Leadership Institute
2023-09-18 - 2023-09-22

EHS Advocacy: Turning Alumni into Advocates
2023-09-27 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Early Head Start alumni are the most powerful advocates.
As part of the Early Head Start Rising Advocacy series, Preparing Your Head Start Alumni to be Advocates, will share tips and techniques to help you cultivate a culture of alumni becoming advocates on behalf of Head Start. There are powerful ways to engage your alumni and capture their testimonies. Together you all can advance the critical mission of Head Start / Early Head Start.
Presenter:
Malkia Payton-Jackson, Director of Alumni Engagement
Head Start Alum, Malkia Payton-Jackson, who is NHSA’s first-ever director of alumni engagement. Back in Cambridge, Head Start is where she made her first best friend — and now, she’s inviting Head Start alumni to connect with one another, share their unique stories, and help keep Head Start strong for generations to come.

EHS Best Practice: Earning Your CDA in Spanish
2023-10-04 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
NHSA supports anyone who wants to achieve their CDA, in English and in Spanish!

Tackling Challenging Behaviors with JOY
2023-10-10 16:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
In this Tackling Challenging Behaviors webinar series, we will share innovative approaches to building a positive classroom environment. These strategies not only mitigate challenging behaviors, they significantly increase delightful interactions!
Join our experts as they share how to develop strong trust with the children in your care. You will learn:

how to use music and movement for joy, fun, and increased focus;
turn transitions into meaningful parts of your day;
how to inspire the desire to behave well;
and so much more!

Tackling Challenging Behaviors with JOY: mistakes are a part of life and that’s where the learning happens! Join us as we discuss how to create a joyful classroom environment that embraces mistakes.
Head Start Behavior Experts:
Dr. Deborah Bergeron served as director of the Office of Head Start from 2018-21. From 2019-21 she broadened her leadership as director of the Office of Early Childhood Development in the Administration for Children and Families. Known as “Dr. B” to former students and teachers, she spent three decades in pre-K–12 public education as a classroom teacher and school administrator and currently serves as deputy director for Community Engagement and Innovation at NHSA.

Nick Young has been sharing the joy and enrichment of interactive music and movement with children for over 30 years. Nick began his career as a preschool teacher and created The Young Music Company—a mobile music school for preschoolers—bringing music into the lives of thousands of children every year.

GroMoreGood Grant Application Walk-through
2023-11-09 15:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
The GroMoreGood grant application is open and we want to invite to an application walk-through event! Join us for this 30-minute webinar to learn about the grant application, walk through the application and award process, and ask questions.
Grant Information:
In collaboration with the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, the National Head Start Association is honored to bring the life-enhancing benefits of gardens to more children and families in the Head Start community. Our desire is for this garden grant program to foster exciting, hands-on experiences for Head Start children and families, connecting them with their natural world, increasing their appreciation and understanding of fresh healthy foods and nutrition, and inspiring a lifelong love of gardening.
2023-24 Gro More Good Garden Grant Application:
NHSA will be awarding grants in variable amounts depending on demonstrated need and proposal in the application. Grant awards will supplement needs of existing garden projects, help launch new garden projects, or supplement/launch outdoor green space projects (land that is partly or completely covered with grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation and an option for children and the community to learn).
The Garden Grant Applications deadline is December 18, 2023.
As part of the grant award, Head Start programs will be expected to host a Community Build Day, bringing together Head Start students and families, community partners, and Scotts Miracle-Gro associates (if available) in a day of community service to build and celebrate the garden. Community Build Days should be held during the March through June timeframe and grantees are allowed maximum flexibility if inclement weather or other circumstances result in a delay.
Application Walk-through Presenter:

Sarah Pounders, while working toward her master’s degree in Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University, Sarah Pounders served as a school garden coordinator and conducted research on the benefits of using school garden programs to teach nutrition. She went on to work at various botanical gardens and for Cooperative Extension in Virginia and Texas. Since 2005, Sarah has been an education specialist at KidsGardening, coordinating numerous children’s gardens and writing curricula and activities for youth of all ages. Sarah enjoys gardening at home with her two children and serves as the volunteer garden coordinator at her son’s elementary school.
Sponsor:

Tackling Challenging Behaviors with INSIGHT
2023-11-14 16:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
In this Tackling Challenging Behaviors webinar series, we will share innovative approaches to building a positive classroom environment. These strategies not only mitigate challenging behaviors, they significantly increase delightful interactions!
Join our experts as they share how to develop strong trust with the children in your care. You will learn:

how to use music and movement for joy, fun, and increased focus;
turn transitions into meaningful parts of your day;
how to inspire the desire to behave well;
and so much more!

Tackling Challenging Behaviors with INSIGHT: if you could only use one method in the classroom, it should be asking questions. Join us to learn how this teaching strategy can enhance every aspect of your classroom from how to walk in the hallway, play safely on the playground, sit in circle time, move during centers, speak to each other – everything!

Head Start Behavior Experts
Dr. Deborah Bergeron served as director of the Office of Head Start from 2018-21. From 2019-21 she broadened her leadership as director of the Office of Early Childhood Development in the Administration for Children and Families. Known as “Dr. B” to former students and teachers, she spent three decades in pre-K–12 public education as a classroom teacher and school administrator and currently serves as deputy director for Community Engagement and Innovation at NHSA.

Hayes Greenfield is the founder of Creative Sound Play and the Greenfield Method. He is a professional musician and artist who has taught with the PNC Bank Grow Up Great Initiative, consulted at Bank Street Head Start and led professional development workshops and programs for the New York City Dept of Ed.

The Future of ERSEA in Head Start (Nov. 2023)
2023-11-28 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
With our partners at Wipfli, NHSA is hosting an online, two-day training series on current best practices with your professional peers and exploring challenges and solutions regarding the future of ERSEA in Head Start.
Learning Objectives:

Review regulation requirements from the HS Act and for 45 CFR Part 1302, Subpart A (ERSEA).
Share best practices in implementing ERSEA in the program.
Explore future challenges and solutions regarding ERSEA in Head Start.

Description:
Head Start/Early Head Start programs have a specific set of requirements to assist program leaders in identifying, recruiting, and selecting those children and families with the most need in their communities. This training will focus on all of the eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance requirements, best known by the initials ERSEA, including adjusted guidelines and areas of Determining community strengths Documentation Recruitment options Attendance Fees, And more!
Presenter:
Tammy Jelinek, Principal
Tammy has spent more than 20 years working in and with grant-funded and fee-for-services nonprofit organizations. She engages with leadership teams to strategically align their goals to grow, expand, and meet their mission. Tammy has trained nationally in the areas of OMB Uniform Guidance, Head Start/Early Head Start Act and program regulations, parent/volunteer involvement, organizational development, human resources, leadership, and management. In helping clients make changes to impact their communities, she has engaged in organizational development and culture initiatives, process design and implementation, financial analysis, and change management (including coaching). Tammy holds a B.S. in business management (psychology minor) and an M.B.A. (emphasis in organizational development) from Upper Iowa University. She answers questions for the My Wipfli Annual Membership.
Certificate of completion is good for two months.
Regular Rate: $350
NHSA Member Rate: $300

2023 Parent and Family Engagement Conference
2023-12-04 - 2023-12-07

Tackling Challenging Behaviors with LOVE
2024-01-09 16:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
In this Tackling Challenging Behaviors webinar series, we will share innovative approaches to building a positive classroom environment. These strategies not only mitigate challenging behaviors, they significantly increase delightful interactions!
Join our experts as they share how to develop strong trust with the children in your care. You will learn:

how to use music and movement for joy, fun, and increased focus;
turn transitions into meaningful parts of your day;
how to inspire the desire to behave well;
and so much more!

Tackling Challenging Behaviors with LOVE: shifting your classroom to a trust-based, healthy culture starts with empowering your students to state their needs. Join us to learn about effective tools that will allow you and your students to express your needs and achieve more happiness and joy within the classroom environment.

Head Start Behavior Experts
Dr. Deborah Bergeron served as director of the Office of Head Start from 2018-21. From 2019-21 she broadened her leadership as director of the Office of Early Childhood Development in the Administration for Children and Families. Known as “Dr. B” to former students and teachers, she spent three decades in pre-K–12 public education as a classroom teacher and school administrator and currently serves as deputy director for Community Engagement and Innovation at NHSA.

Ron Shuali, M.Ed. has been called the “Messiah of the Mind”, the “Behavior Master” and the “Bad Boy of Early Childhood.” His laughter filled keynotes, workshops and assemblies are always full of eye-opening experiences as audiences have multiple “Ah-HA!” moments. He is the creator of the internationally acclaimed Yogarate and Behavior Mastery systems. Ron holds a Master’s of Education specializing in Early Childhood, is a best-selling author, motivational speaker, and most importantly…He is funny. His background of martial arts, yoga, reiki, professional wrestling and improv creates hilarious and educational experiences focusing on mindfulness and connecting with fellow humans and their inner-child.

Inspiring Curiosity and Wonder with the Smithsonian
2024-01-17 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Program:
Curiosity and wonder are at the heart of the desire to learn and the development of a love of learning that can last a lifetime. But what do curiosity and wonder look like in our classrooms? How can you drive learning through curiosity for preschoolers? What about infants and toddlers?
The Smithsonian Institution has so many resources for teachers to use to help to foster curiosity and wonder. This session will introduce you to some of our favorite strategies and ideas to help you foster curiosity and wonder in your classroom and help students Get a Head Start with the Smithsonian.
This interactive session will include discussion and opportunities to practice with hands-on components, so bring your sense of fun and excitement to engage with the instructors and other participants in the class.
In this session, you will:

Explore why curiosity and wonder are at the core of learning in early childhood.
Learn about ways to make your classroom environment a playground for curious minds.
Discover a world of amazing resources from the Smithsonian Institution to inspire young learners.
Gain skills and tools to help you meet key ELOF “Approaches to Learning” goals.

Presenters:

Ann Caspari is an Early Childhood Education Specialist at the National Air and Space Museum. With over 30 years of experience connecting young children to museum objects and content, Ann works to develop NASM’s learning experiences for young children and their caregivers in both locations (DC and Virginia) as well as the virtual environment. She designs and leads professional development in teaching inquiry science for early childhood teachers in the District of Columbia Public Schools and other early childhood teachers across the United States. As a founding member of the Smithsonian Early Learning Collaborative, Ann has championed early learners at the Smithsonian since 2008. Ann holds a BA in Religion and Cultural Anthropology from Trinity College (Hartford, CT) and MAT in Museum Education from The George Washington University. Before joining NASM, Ann worked as Manager of Museum Programs for the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center where she gave professional development seminars on museums and young children. Ann also worked with audiences that included young children at the National Building Museum and the Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland. Ann co-authored, with Carol Kuhlthau and Leslie Maniotes, Guided Inquiry: Learning in the Twenty-first Century and Guided Inquiry Design: A Framework for Inquiry in Your School.

Julia Smith is a Museum and Early Learning Specialist at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center’s (SEEC) Office of Engagement. In this position she offers curricular support to classroom educators working with children birth through kindergarten. She aids in developing lessons grounded in play and utilizing the surrounding museums and community. Additionally, Julia brings SEEC’s expertise in museum-based education for young children out to the world through professional development for educators, public programs, and partnerships with other educational institutions. Julia began her role at SEEC as a toddler educator. She is committed to advocating for the inclusion of all young children, particularly those 0-3 years, in educational spaces.

Moderator: Rachel Hutchison, Manager of Online Instructional Design
Rachel Hutchison is the Manager of Online Instructional Design at the National Head Start Association (NHSA). In this role she oversees the design and management of 100+ online courses for the Academy at NHSA. In 2021, Hutchison launched NHSA in the Classroom, an initiative that aims to increase access to world-class arts and educational resources through virtual programming. Rachel earned her bachelors in writing and communication at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and her masters in creative writing at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. Rachel grew up in Havre, Montana and enjoys puppetry, music, and hiking

2024 Winter Leadership Institute
2024-01-22 - 2024-01-25
Explore meaningful policies, meet with lawmakers, and advocate for Head Start. The 2024 Winter Leadership Institute will take place in Crystal City, Virginia from January 22-25, 2024.

Sensory Gardens
2024-01-31 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Coming to Our Senses: Fun & Easy Ways to Use Gardens and Greenspaces to Enrich Sensory Integration
Sensory Gardens Program:
Increasingly, we are finding that children are demonstrating sensory integration challenges that present as behavioral challenges, anxiety, and being overwhelmed. These issues can impact learning and play. Join occupational therapist and therapeutic landscape design consultant Amy Wagenfeld and mom, gardener, and garden educator Em Shipman from KidsGardening to learn how to design a garden or greenspace for kids ages 3-5 intended to engage each of the body’s sensory systems.
We’ll share five specific activities to use in a garden or greenspace to help young children integrate and organize their senses, as well as tips and tricks for managing challenging sensory-related behaviors.
Learning Objectives:

Learn about the eight sensory systems from an occupational therapy perspective
Understand the behavioral symptoms of sensory overload and sensory processing challenges in children ages 3-5
Learn how to design a garden or greenspace (sensory garden) for kids ages 3-5 to engage each of the body’s sensory systems
Learn five specific activities to use in a garden or greenspace to help children ages 3-5 integrate and organize their senses

Presenters:
Em Shipman, MSM, Executive Director, KidsGardening
Em is a nonprofit executive with nearly 20 years of experience leading transformative programs in food systems, agriculture, and education. She holds a B.A. in Public Policy from Hobart and William Smith College and an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from Marlboro College Graduate School. Em is a passionate advocate for children and the planet and believes that garden-based learning and hands-on, placed-based education benefit both. Em has also worked as a professional gardener and garden designer and spends all of her free time (and then some) digging in the dirt. Em chairs her local school forest committee and volunteers for an award-winning Vermont-based children’s science museum. She sits on the School Garden Support Organization Network’s (SGSO Network) Governance Board.

Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA
Amy is an occupational therapist, therapeutic and universal design consultant, educator, researcher, and author. She is Affiliate Associate Professor in the University of Washington’s Department of Landscape Architecture and Principal of Amy Wagenfeld | Design, a therapeutic design consulting organization. Amy is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association, holds specialty certification in environmental modifications (SCEM) through the American Occupational Therapy Association, and certification in Healthcare Garden Design through the Chicago Botanical Garden. Amy publishes and presents widely on topics related to nature and health and is co-author of the award-winning book, Therapeutic Gardens: Design for Healing Spaces (Timber Press), Nature-Based Strategies for Allied Health Practitioners (Jessica Kingsley Publishers), and The Nature of Inclusive Play (Routledge, Inc.).

Moderated by NHSA’s Rachel Hutchinson

Tackling Challenging Behaviors with FUN
2024-02-13 16:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
In this Tackling Challenging Behaviors webinar series, we will share innovative approaches to building a positive classroom environment. These strategies not only mitigate challenging behaviors, they significantly increase delightful interactions!
Join our experts as they share how to develop strong trust with the children in your care. You will learn:

how to use music and movement for joy, fun, and increased focus;
turn transitions into meaningful parts of your day;
how to inspire the desire to behave well;
and so much more!

Tackling Challenging Behaviors with FUN and AARF! Let’s face it – Acronyms are fun and they work. The components of this one will drive motivation in your classroom: Achievement, Respect, Freedom, and Fun (AARF). Join us to learn more about how to balance these four essential elements of personal wellbeing for everyone in your classroom.
Head Start Behavior Experts:
Dr. Deborah Bergeron served as director of the Office of Head Start from 2018-21. From 2019-21 she broadened her leadership as director of the Office of Early Childhood Development in the Administration for Children and Families. Known as “Dr. B” to former students and teachers, she spent three decades in pre-K–12 public education as a classroom teacher and school administrator and currently serves as deputy director for Community Engagement and Innovation at NHSA.

Nick Young has been sharing the joy and enrichment of interactive music and movement with children for over 30 years. Nick began his career as a preschool teacher and created The Young Music Company—a mobile music school for preschoolers—bringing music into the lives of thousands of children every year.

The Future of ERSEA in Head Start (February 2024)
2024-02-14 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Registration is Closed.
With our partners at Wipfli, NHSA is hosting an online, two-day training series on current best practices with your professional peers and exploring challenges and solutions regarding the future of ERSEA in Head Start for February 2024.
Learning Objectives:

Review regulation requirements from the HS Act and for 45 CFR Part 1302, Subpart A (ERSEA).
Share best practices in implementing ERSEA in the program.
Explore future challenges and solutions regarding ERSEA in Head Start.

Description:
Head Start/Early Head Start programs have a specific set of requirements to assist program leaders in identifying, recruiting, and selecting those children and families with the most need in their communities. This training will focus on all of the eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance requirements, best known by the initials ERSEA, including adjusted guidelines and areas of Determining community strengths Documentation Recruitment options Attendance Fees, And more!
Presenter:
Tammy Jelinek, Principal
Tammy has spent more than 20 years working in and with grant-funded and fee-for-services nonprofit organizations. She engages with leadership teams to strategically align their goals to grow, expand, and meet their mission. Tammy has trained nationally in the areas of OMB Uniform Guidance, Head Start/Early Head Start Act and program regulations, parent/volunteer involvement, organizational development, human resources, leadership, and management. In helping clients make changes to impact their communities, she has engaged in organizational development and culture initiatives, process design and implementation, financial analysis, and change management (including coaching). Tammy holds a B.S. in business management (psychology minor) and an M.B.A. (emphasis in organizational development) from Upper Iowa University. She answers questions for the My Wipfli Annual Membership.
Certificate of completion is good for two months.
Regular Rate: $350
NHSA Member Rate: $300

Creating an Effective Professional Development Plan for Head Start Education Staff
2024-03-07 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Get ready to elevate your expertise as a Head Start Education Coordinator! This exciting training session is designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge to craft comprehensive and effective professional development plans for your Head Start center’s education staff. Discover the secrets of conducting needs assessments, setting clear training goals, and selecting the most effective strategies to captivate your team’s learning journey. Unleash your creativity in developing relevant training content that aligns with your school readiness goals, the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF), and your program grant.
Whether your staff write their professional development plans with their supervisors or a coach, this series will be valuable for your program. Get hands-on with logistical planning to ensure a seamless training experience. By the end of this exhilarating series, you’ll be armed with the tools to inspire your staff and create a powerful impact on your center’s success. Let the training adventure begin!
PART I (March 7, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET)

Reflect on your current practices and identify areas for improvement

3 areas that are strong and 3 areas to improve

Head Start’s guiding resources in professional development plans
Why we create plans – workforce turnover and development
Review the process of developing a professional development plan

PART II (March 14, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET)

Introduce resources that can improve your plan development practice
Learn how to create intentional professional development plans with individual staff members
Writing meaningful goals
Develop a plan that supports those goals
Align with your school readiness goals, ELOF, and program grant

Objective: This training session aims to equip Head Start Education Coordinators with the skills and knowledge to design and implement effective professional development plans for staff working in Head Start centers. There will be a strong emphasis on incorporating School Readiness Goals into the professional development plan.

Presenter:
Dru O’Connor, NHSA Content Consultant & Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency Education Coach and Disabilities Manager
Dru has worked in many different roles for Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency’s Head Start program starting in 1994. She has been an Education Coordinator, Training Coordinator, an Early Head Start Manager and she currently is an Education Coach and Disabilities Manager for the direct operated preschool classrooms. She has been in this current role for 14 years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Preschool Education from Central Michigan University then received her Master’s in Early Childhood Education from Grand Valley State University. For the past 5 years Dru has served as a Content Consultant for the National Head Start Association where she assists the association in providing current and relevant conference topics for the Head Start community. Dru currently resides in northern Michigan with her husband and children.

Tackling Challenging Behaviors with OPPORTUNITY
2024-03-12 16:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
In this Tackling Challenging Behaviors webinar series, we will share innovative approaches to building a positive classroom environment. These strategies not only mitigate challenging behaviors, they significantly increase delightful interactions!
Join our experts as they share how to develop strong trust with the children in your care. You will learn:

how to use music and movement for joy, fun, and increased focus;
turn transitions into meaningful parts of your day;
how to inspire the desire to behave well;
and so much more!

Tackling Challenging Behaviors with OPPORTUNITY: everyday you have time when you need to engage the whole group of children in your care. Join us to learn how the Good Thinking strategy can engage everyone, even the distracted ones, and how using sound (and silence) can establish clear expectations and set boundaries.
Head Start Behavior Experts
Dr. Deborah Bergeron served as director of the Office of Head Start from 2018-21. From 2019-21 she broadened her leadership as director of the Office of Early Childhood Development in the Administration for Children and Families. Known as “Dr. B” to former students and teachers, she spent three decades in pre-K–12 public education as a classroom teacher and school administrator and currently serves as deputy director for Community Engagement and Innovation at NHSA.

Hayes Greenfield is the founder of Creative Sound Play and the Greenfield Method. He is a professional musician and artist who has taught with the PNC Bank Grow Up Great Initiative, consulted at Bank Street Head Start and led professional development workshops and programs for the New York City Dept of Ed.

STEM Learning in the Garden
2024-03-19 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Description:
A garden offers an array of exciting opportunities to introduce science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in fun ways that align with early learning outcomes and standards; thus, STEM Learning in the Garden just makes sense! Join educators from KidsGardening and explore hands-on, garden-based STEM lessons and activities that you can share with your students. You will leave excited to try these practical ideas for digging into STEM through gardening!
Presenters:
Noel Nicholas (she/her) is the educational content manager for KidsGardening, where she co-develops original educational materials designed to help kids play, learn, and grow through gardening. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from University of Southern California, where she developed a passion for informal education while teaching poetry at 32nd Street School/USC Magnet. Prior to joining KidsGardening, Noel worked as museum educator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, developing and delivering educational programs for diverse, multi-generational audiences, and managing the museum’s Storytime Live program. In her spare time she teaches in the school garden at Third Street Elementary in Los Angeles.

Sarah Pounders, while working toward her master’s degree in Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University, Sarah Pounders served as a school garden coordinator and conducted research on the benefits of using school garden programs to teach nutrition. She went on to work at various botanical gardens and for Cooperative Extension in Virginia and Texas. Since 2005, Sarah has been an education specialist at KidsGardening, coordinating numerous children’s gardens and writing curricula and activities for youth of all ages. Sarah enjoys gardening at home with her two children and serves as the volunteer garden coordinator at her son’s elementary school.

Marketing 101 for Head Start Recruitment
2024-03-20 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Registration is now closed.
With our partners at Working Smarter Consulting, NHSA is hosting a live and virtual training session on Marketing for Head Start Recruitment. Working Smarter Consultants, with over 25 years of experience in Head Start and marketing, will guide you through innovative strategies tailored to increasing your market presence while driving new traffic and increasing engagement.
Description:
Learn tools and resources to reach your target audience quicker, and enhance the look and feel of your organization’s digital presence. Solve enrollment challenges through better messaging and virtual content development.
Regular Rate: $325
NHSA Member Rate: $225
Learning Objectives:

Understanding your target audience
Identifying how to communicate successfully with your audience
Developing a marketing plan specific to recruitment that produces
retention.
Marketing strategies for any budget.
Chance to network with similar programs and share ideas and strategies.

Presenters:
Gerald Washington, Chief Executive Officer
With a longstanding history of taking brands and businesses to the next level of success, Gerald’s leadership, innovation, and business acumen will be sure to shock Head Start Programs. Prior to this venture, Gerald was the partner and president of Steve Harvey World Group, partner and president East 112th Street Productions, and president of the Steve Harvey Radio Network, where he led business development, production, and operations for all three companies. Gerald successfully secured major partnerships and endorsement deals with household names such as T-Mobile, Ford, State Farm, NBC, ABC, Fox and BET. He led the launch and growth of new business ventures with Match.com and Garrett’s Popcorn Shops, as well as the transformational coaching company Act Like a Success and Easy Bacon, Steve Harvey’s first food product. Through his leadership, the Steve Harvey World Group tripled in revenue and grew by 65 percent. It is this experience that makes Gerald an asset to any program working through contracts, contract negotiations, service, and lease agreements. Gerald has the uncanny ability to see the potential in staff that they don’t often see in themselves. He coaches people into leadership roles with ease. Gerald is ready to take your Head Start program to the next level.
Kenna Pruitt, Chief Operating Officer
With more than 13 years of Head Start experience, Kenna brings knowledge that is unmatched in the field/industry. She began her Head Start journey working as the Family and Community Partnerships Manager, for a large Head Start and Early Head Start program in Texas. This program served more than 1,500 children and families in 22 centers across Texas. This experience helped Kenna become well versed in data capturing, data analysis, processes and systems, leadership, management, supervision, and a deep understanding of all service areas. After working in a Head Start program, Kenna ventured out to the federal level. Working for DANYA, which, at the time, had a contract with the Office of Head Start, for Federal Reviews. Kenna’s time spent as a Content Area Lead for HSKI-C Reviews and Leadership, Governance, and Management Systems Reviews afforded her the opportunity to travel the country and visit Head Start programs in every shape and size. Kenna was able to see the complexities of a variety of programs, as well as, how programs attack and troubleshoot unique situations. It was at this point, that Kenna wanted to take the information she was learning from all these programs and share it with others. From here she went to work for ChildPlus Software, the data management system most used by Head Start programs. It was here, that Kenna was able to explore and dig into data. Understand how programs were and were not using it effectively. Her role as a ChildPlus Consultant fostered her skills in creating processes and policies, sharpened her abilities to find holes in data and create a plan to repair them, as well as, customize any training for varieties of staff. Starting Working Smarter Consulting, was a dream that would allow Head Start programs the ability to get training, coaching, and consulting from one place. Let’s Work Smart Together!
Take advantage of this one-of-a-kind opportunity to revamp how your program recruits children.
