NHSA

Parent Gauge and Ready4K Information Session
2023-08-03 14:00 - 14:45 (America/New_York)
Research-Based Family Engagement: Parent Gauge & Ready4K
Does your program struggle with implementing family engagement strategies that are targeted to the needs of your families? If so, we invite you to learn about a unique PFCE solution: Parent Gauge family assessment and Ready4K family engagement curriculum.
Both are grounded in research and use data to drive decision making for your program.
In this info session, you’ll see not only how each product can enhance your program’s PFCE efforts, but how you can maximize results when you use them together.
Can’t attend this session? We have another information session scheduled for October 4, at 4 p.m. ET.

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

Mindful Sleep Series with Starling Minds
2023-08-01 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Join Starling Mind‘s four-week interactive iCBT Sleep + Mindfulness Workshop with Mental Fitness Coach, Tara Achkar. This is available for free to staff and staff’s family for free through NHSA membership.
Duration: 1 hour per week via Zoom
In this workshop, you will learn proven strategies to:

Reverse poor sleeping habits with Mindfulness practices
Strengthen your natural sleep system using different CBT and – Mindfulness strategies
Break down obstacles to healthy, natural sleep
Restore the healthy, natural sleep you need to feel more rested

PRESENTER
Tara Achkar
Mental Fitness Coach, Starling Minds
Tara Achkar is the Mental Fitness Coach, and Sr. Engagement Manager at Starling Minds. Passionate about mental health and wellness, she is taking her love for mindfulness to help people gain the skills and tools they need to live healthier, happier lives. With a holistic approach to yoga and science, her mission is to empower people to improve their mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

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.

Public Transit Accessibility (and Burden) of Head Start Centers
2023-07-25 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
From the base of the Grand Canyon, to the frontier of Alaska, Head Start programs nationwide serve nearly a million of our nation’s most vulnerable children and families each year. But how accessible are Head Start centers?
In partnership with the Civic Mapping Initiative, NHSA found that only 40% of Head Start locations are within walking distance of a fixed route transit stop. An additional 30% are in areas served by public transit, yet their closest stops are beyond walking distance for a toddler. These 30% of centers mean hundreds of opportunities to shift stops by less than half a mile and meaningfully impact childcare access for low-income families.
The American Public Transportation Association and the National Head Start Association invite you to a briefing about how transit agencies and Head Start centers can work together to best serve low-income families in their communities.
Watch the recording to learn about this research, how you can engage with your local Head Start operator and/or transit agency, and ways to participate in the national launch of this map in October 2023.
Presenters:

Abigail Seldin, Civic Mapping Initiative
Art Guzzetti, American Public Transportation Association
Victoria Jones, National Head Start Association

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.

Lifting up Diverse Family Voices in Head Start Programs
2023-07-18 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
In Head Start programs, parent, family, and community engagement (PFCE) strategies are systemic, integrated, and comprehensive, and “family engagement is everyone’s business.” In order to engage with families effectively, leaders must establish strong program foundations and set the vision for the whole team.
Program leaders must ensure that the organizational culture and systems provide staff with the fundamentals to engage in reflective practice and go deep in understanding each family. And it’s up to leaders to advocate for the inclusion of diverse family voices throughout the program.
In this session we will explore how integrating family voice helps programs meet Head Start Performance standards and shows up in the PFCE framework, and the unique role that program leaders play in this process.
We will explore:

The Why: according to the research, why incorporating family voice is important for positive family and child outcomes
The What: What families say is important to them, including real-life examples from the voices of Head Start families
The How: How program leaders can lay the foundation for authentically incorporating family voice into their programs

Participants will get take-home resources to help them engage in self-reflection and begin the process to incorporate more diverse family voices into the next program year.
Presenters:
Sandy Oceguera, is the Sr. Data Product Manager at NHSA. Her background includes 5 years in social services and 5 years in big data analytics lending her a unique perspective in utilizing and developing NHSA’s data products, including Parent Gauge, usefulness for the field. Sandy holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Colorado State University with a specialization in public and nonprofit management.

Mallary Swartz, Ph.D, is Senior Director of Research and Evaluation at ParentPowered and an applied researcher in family engagement and early childhood. She has spent 20 years cultivating relationships, managing partnerships, and leading research, evaluation, and innovation projects at family-focused organizations such as Start Early, Fred Rogers Productions, and Brazelton Touchpoints Center. Mallary also served as Co-Principal Investigator for the Office of Head Start National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement. She has a Ph.D. in Child Development from Tufts University, an M.S. from the University of Pittsburgh, and a B.A. from Duke University.

Can’t attend this session? We will have another session available on September 27, at 4 p.m. ET.

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.

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.

JEDI Listening Session
2023-06-23 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Listening Session
As Head Start celebrates 58 years, its commitment to the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) are steadfast! The National Head Start Association is partnered with the Children’s Equity Project (CEP) to conduct a series of listening sessions with leading early childhood educators and practitioners to explore how Head Start addresses JEDI principles in program goals, standards, and practice.
Please join our session moderators, Dr. Shantel Meek and Dr. Iheoma Iruka of CEP, Tuesday, May 23 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET to participate in the conversation and share your insight and thoughts on how Head Start meets and may expand its JEDI mission.

Moderators:
Dr. Shantel Meek
Dr. Shantel Meek is a Professor of Practice and the Founding Director of the Children’s Equity Project, a multi-university initiative that aims to close opportunity gaps between children from historically marginalized communities and their peers. Dr. Meek previously served in the Obama Administration as a Senior Policy Advisor for Early Childhood Development at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and as a Senior Policy Advisor for Education in the Domestic Policy Council at the White House.

Dr. Iheoma Iruka
Iheoma U. Iruka, Ph.D., is a Research Professor in the Department of Public Policy and the Founding Director of the Equity Research Action Coalition at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at UNC Chapel Hill. Dr. Iruka is leading projects and initiatives focused on ensuring that minoritized children and children from low-income households thrive through the intersection of anti-bias, anti-racist, and culturally grounded research, program, and policy. Dr. Iruka has authored over 80 books and papers and has given over 200 talks in the past two years. She serves on numerous national and local boards and committees, including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs, and the National Science Foundation. In addition to being on the National Advisory Committee for the U.S. Census Bureau and a Census Advisor for the National Urban League, Dr. Iruka is the recipient of the 2022 American Psychological Association Mid-Career Award for Outstanding Contributions to Benefit Children, Youth, and Families and the 2023
Association of University Centers on Disabilities Leadership for All award-winner.

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.

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 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

What is Parent Gauge?
2023-05-24 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
What is Parent Gauge? Maximizing Your Parent Engagement Efforts
Learn more about Parent Gauge, the family engagement assessment tool designed specifically for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. In this session we’ll review how Parent Gauge uses a guided interview by frontline staff to explore family experiences and how leadership uses that information to inform program decisions and continue quality improvement.
Presenters:

Sandy Oceguera, Senior Data Product Manager
Lucricia Delgado, Parent Gauge Consultant

Building Your Digital Portfolio with NHSA
2023-05-23 16:00 - 16:45 (America/New_York)
NHSA can help you showcase your education, professional development and professional achievements with our new Digital Portfolio! Join us to learn how you can build and utilize your portfolio!
NHSA is proud to announce the creation of a Digital Portfolio especially for its membership, which will bring professional recognition directly to you – at no cost!
NHSA’s Digital Portfolio stores all of the professional development (PD) you complete within NHSA and all of the PD you complete outside of NHSA. Whether you complete a course, credential, attend a webinar or conference, this easy to access, easy to share resource will be at your fingertips to showcase that work. Join us for this exciting webinar as we launch the Digital Portfolio and help you showcase your professionalism.
Moderator:

Dr. Deborah Bergeron (or Dr. B as she is known to students and educators) has spent over thirty years working to support the growth and development of children. She worked in public education as a middle and high school classroom teacher, an elementary and high school administrator and holds a school superintendents license in Virginia. Dr. B also started, grew and eventually sold her own supplemental educational services company. In 2018, Dr. Bergeron was asked to lead the Office of Head Start and the Office of Early Childhood Development at the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services. It was here where Dr. B developed her passion for Head Start, Early Head Start and the early learning environment in general. In January, 2021, Dr. B joined the National Head Start Association as the Deputy Director of Community Engagement and Innovation. Here, she aims to bring the Head Start and Early Head Start community together, provide the necessary support to ensure high quality programming and be a constant reminder to the folks on the ground that THEY are the backbone of Head Start and Early Head Start. Dr. B advocates for programming that develops the whole child and embraces the value the family has in that process. “Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher,” is her favorite mantra, compliments of Head Start. Dr. Bergeron holds a B.S.Ed. from Texas State University, a Master’s Degree in Education Leadership and a PhD in Education Policy and Education Psychology from George Mason University. She lives in Virginia with her husband and has four awesome children who, although are all grown up, will always be her heart!

Presenter:

Matt Marinsek is a Senior Manager of Marketing and Design for the National Head Start Association, where among various key projects, schedules, designs, and formats data and marketing emails for the organization’s various messaging to the field, helps compile the Digital Portfolio for The Academy, and more. Prior to joining NHSA, Matt worked for various companies and industries serving in marketing and leadership capacities, and served key leadership roles in non-profit leadership development organizations during and after his undergraduate time at New Mexico State University. Matt enjoys brushing up on the latest tech trends, and teaching others how the latest innovations in digital technology can enhance others’ careers and lives.

Celebrate with the Zoo for Head Start's Birthday
2023-05-18 14:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
Be sure to join us to celebrate Head Start’s Birthday on May 18, 2023 with some of our favorite zoo babies! ?????? ? ? We’ll also party like a flock star with other special animal guests! ??
Do your cuties have questions about flamingos or other babies that live at the zoo? You can get the answers to all of their questions, by submitting them HERE. Make sure to include your program’s name and the zoo crew can give you a shout out during the event or in any of the special follow-up videos!
You can see all of our virtual field trips to zoo in preparation for the birthday party by visiting our NHSA in the Classroom page. We can’t wait to celebrate with the zoo!

Birthday Hat Activity

Printable Smithsonian Activity Guide

Building Mental Fitness
2023-05-16 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
We know that Head Start staff face a unique set of difficult and challenging stressors. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Starling Minds to help you care for yourself and your family.
Join to learn how Head Start Staff can overcome feelings of stress, anxiety, and burnout to lead a happier, healthier work-life balance.

Starling Minds is a 24/7, confidential, digital mental health program for stress, anxiety, and burnout, to the Head Start community for free through NHSA membership. Fun Fact: With Starling Mental Fitness, Head Start staff improve their anxiety scores by 64%.

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

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.

Mental Fitness Course
2023-05-04 19:00 - 20:00 UTC
Mental Fitness Course: Unwinding Anxiety with CBT and Mindfulness

Anxiety is one of the most misunderstood emotions, but it can be our greatest teacher if we know how to harness its power. Join our 6-week workshop to learn the signs, symptoms, and manifestations of anxiety in your life and how to break the cycles of worry and fear to heal your mind and body.

During the workshop, you will learn:

The nature and purpose of stress, fear, and anxiety
Its definition and role in your life
The anatomy and science behind anxiety
Mind-Body Anxiety Reduction Strategies to find your well-being again
The power of treating anxiety using cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness

Presenter:

Tara Achkar, Mental Fitness Coach Starling Minds

Starling Minds is a 24/7, confidential, digital mental health program for stress, anxiety, and burnout, to the Head Start community for free through NHSA membership. Fun Fact: With Starling Mental Fitness, Head Start staff improve their anxiety scores by 64%.

Support Your Staff's Mental Fitness
2023-05-04 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Directors: Helping You Support Your Staff’s Mental Fitness
Join to learn how leaders can support their own mental health and use proven tools and strategies to build resilience within their teams and workplaces.

Summer Garden Storytime
2023-05-03 13:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Summer is here! The Summer Garden Storytime is sure to get you excited about the plants, fruits, and vegetables that will be coming from the garden. Together, we can share the joy of gardening AND storytime with your Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms!
Our storytellers are gardeners, and in these LIVE storytime sessions they will read wonderful garden-themed books to the children, and “show and tell” about interesting plants. Both teachers and students will love this interactive learning session!
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 BA 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 a 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.

Sponsor:

Want even more? Check out our Gardening with Kids Basics course provided by The Academy.

How Head Start Leadership Drives Program Success
2023-04-27 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Leaders Matter Most: How Head Start Leadership Drives Program Success
Research is clear. Strong leaders build strong programs. And, leaders live at all levels of programming. Whether you are a manager, supervising a small team of practitioners or a director, overseeing a large program staff, your ability to influence those who look to you for guidance will directly impact your program’s overall success.
Come find out how The Academy at NHSA is supporting leadership development at Early/Head Start programs across the nation and learn a few new skills while you’re with us! Led by Dr. Deborah Bergeron (Dr. B -) and Kristina Ellis (Director of The Academy at NHSA), this webinar will re-energize your commitment to leadership!

Presenters:
Dr. Deborah Bergeron (or Dr. B as she is known to students and educators) has spent over thirty years working to support the growth and development of children. She worked in public education as a middle and high school classroom teacher, an elementary and high school administrator and holds a school superintendents license in Virginia. Dr. B also started, grew and eventually sold her own supplemental educational services company. In 2018, Dr. Bergeron was asked to lead the Office of Head Start and the Office of Early Childhood Development at the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services. It was here where Dr. B developed her passion for Head Start, Early Head Start and the early learning environment in general. In January, 2021, Dr. B joined the National Head Start Association as the Deputy Director of Community Engagement and Innovation. Here, she aims to bring the Head Start and Early Head Start community together, provide the necessary support to ensure high quality programming and be a constant reminder to the folks on the ground that THEY are the backbone of Head Start and Early Head Start. Dr. B advocates for programming that develops the whole child and embraces the value the family has in that process. “Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher,” is her favorite mantra, compliments of Head Start. Dr. Bergeron holds a B.S.Ed. from Texas State University, a Master’s Degree in Education Leadership and a PhD in Education Policy and Education Psychology from George Mason University. She lives in Virginia with her husband and has four awesome children who, although are all grown up, will always be her heart!

Kristina Ellis is The Academy at NHSA Manager. Her background includes nonprofit management, early childhood development, support services, quality improvement, EHS-CCP, and other strategic partnerships. She holds a BA from the University of Central Oklahoma and an MPA from the University of Oklahoma. As a Head Start alum, Kristina’s interest in early childhood stems from a rich background in social services work and her commitment to early childhood education and family engagement. Before NHSA, Kristina worked for CAP Tulsa, one of the largest anti-poverty nonprofits in Oklahoma and a nationally recognized provider of research-based, high-quality early childhood education for low-income children.

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:

Maximizing Your PFCE Efforts
2023-04-20 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Maximizing Your PFCE Efforts: How Small Changes Can Make Big Differences! The Parent Gauge and Ready4K Trauma-Informed teams have been working together to bring enhanced data-informed decision-making to Head Start programs.
Join us for a webinar to explore how to use information from these two tools in combination to maximize your family engagement efforts.
Moderator: Sandy Oceguera, NHSA Senior Data Product Manager
Expert Presenters:
Victoria Jones, is NHSA’s senior director of data. Victoria has prior experience in early childhood education from her five years working at Sesame Street in New York City. Victoria earned her bachelor’s degree from Barnard College at Columbia University and received her master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Lorena Sernett focuses on Early Childhood Partnerships & Grants for ParentPowered, home of Ready4K. In her role, she facilitates partnerships with education providers to enhance family engagement efforts for parents of our youngest learners.Lorena supported the early childhood learning community at Teachstone Training and Teaching Strategies and was instrumental in the global expansion of CLASS®, The Creative Curriculum®, and GOLD®. Ms. Sernett holds bachelor degrees in International Business and Spanish, and has over 20 years of experience in the education and technology fields.
Brought to you by:

Kids On-Campus: Head Start and Community College Partnerships
2023-04-13 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Exploring On-Campus Child Care Solutions: Head Start and Community College
A chronic shortage of affordable on-campus child care leaves student parents – especially single mothers – struggling to meet a basic need necessary for pursuing post-secondary education. The long-term benefit of obtaining post-secondary education is well understood by parents, but the reality of the lack of affordable childcare solutions is often a barrier.
Join the Association of Community College Trustees and the National Head Start Association as we launch our Kids on Campus project. During this webinar, we will provide insights on the issues faced by student parents at large in accessing childcare and highlight some of the work done thus far that has led to this project and partnership. Together, ACCT and NHSA will develop resources for partnerships to match existing Head Start providers with community college campuses that can offer free facilities.

Prioritizing Funding Wages
2023-04-12 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
The Office of Head Start has encouraged programs to consider a change in scope as one way programs can right-size their budgets giving an opportunity to improve the staff wages. This is how we do it….
President and Chief Executive Officer at Children & Families First, Maria Layne-Stevens will share their process on how they improved staff wages by completing a change in scope, ALL while having open lines of communication with OHS. Attendees will identify strategies to work with what they have locally to make informed decisions and learn more about the advocates who continue to push for increased funding for Head Start programs across the nation.
Improving staff wages is one of the initiatives of the NHSA’s Workforce Development Hub. The Hub is a comprehensive resource and think tank, set up to provide real solutions and support the development of a national workforce pipeline for Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

Presenter:
Maria Layne-Stevens is the President and CEO at Children & Families First. Drawing on her passion for young children and families and her experience as a product of Head Start, she leads her team in executing the strategic direction of the largest Head Start provider in the State, which is also a source of comprehensive services for more than 6,000 families in Guilford and Rockingham Counties. For more than 25 years, Maria has been deeply engaged in issues around early childhood education and she continues to advocate for equitable social, economic and educational outcomes for underserved populations.
Known for being a visionary, Maria has been instrumental in the development of the agency’s programs and staff, successfully growing the budget by $3.5 million over the last five years and securing capital funding in excess of $3 million to build new facilities and complete major renovations at four facilities since 2015.
Maria holds a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Sciences from Ohio University, and a master’s degree in Psychology with a specialization in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Capella University.

Apprenticeships in Early Learning: Getting Started
2023-04-06 11:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Apprenticeships in early childhood education are gaining momentum! This webinar will feature two topics and speakers:

First, we will hear about the newly established National Center for Early Care and Education Workforce from Elizabeth Pufall Jones, the Director of Preparation and Work Environment Programs at the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment.
Then, Heather Bryant, dean of Early Childhood Education and Early Learning at Dallas College, will share about the evolution of their apprenticeship program, and the role of Head Start of Greater Dallas. The session will include time for Q&A.

This webinar will be moderated by the leader of the HeadStarter Network‘s Apprenticeship Work Circle, Pamm Shaw. Pamm is also the VP of Strategic Funding and Partnerships at the YMCA of East Bay.
Can’t join us live? No problem – registrants will receive a recording of the session. Be sure to check out our Apprenticeship Kick-Start Guide.

Sponsored by:

Learn With Walden University
2023-04-05 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Come learn with Walden University as they join you in celebrating early education, young children, teachers, families, and communities.
Every day, you support the academic and emotional growth of your students. Walden wants to support you with a webinar that will help you make your classroom an inclusive space where your students’ social and emotional needs are met.
JOIN US FOR A LIVE WEBINAR:
Calm Heart, Clear Minds, Let’s Learn!
Presenter: MoNique Waters Kirkland
Join MoNique Waters Kirkland as she shares how she includes social and emotional learning, mindfulness, and emotional awareness while prioritizing her students’ mental health in her classroom. These small but impactful shifts will not only benefit individual students but will change the dynamics and behaviors of your whole class. You will walk away with ready-to-implement ideas that will leave you and your students feeling good and learning like never before.
To learn about Walden University and all the degree and certificate programs in education, visit WaldenU.edu/NHSA or call 1-855-628-3427.

Lunch and Learn with Parent Gauge
2023-04-04 12:30 - 2023-04-25 13:00 UTC
Bring your lunch (or coffee or mid-morning snack!) and join the Parent Gauge team for a “Lunch & Learn” series this April. Each Tuesday in the month of April, the team will focus on one component of using the Parent Gauge tool and provide an in-depth demo and best practice tips. We’ll hit important topics like setting up centers, uploading rosters, and utilizing the reports built into the tool.
The series is designed for those already using Parent Gauge, but those interested in learning about Parent Gauge are welcome to sit in! Are you interested in becoming a subscriber? Learn more!

April 4: “Setting Up for Success” Preparing Prior to Your Interview (Watch Recording!)
April 11: “What Does This Button Do?” Buttons, Rosters, and general Parent Gauge Use
April 18: “Remarkable Reporting 101”
April 25: “Remarkable Reporting 102”

This “Lunch and Learn with Parent Gauge” series is brought to you by the Parent Gauge team at NHSA!
