NHSA

Four-Week Mindfulness Workshop for Head Start
2023-02-21 19:00 - 2023-03-14 20:00 UTC
NHSA is proud to partner with Starling Minds to offer a four-week mindfulness workshop to help Head Start staff to learn self-care tools for better mental clarity, presence of mind, and calmness. This workshop will allow you the time and space to focus on your wellbeing and learn self-care tools.

February 21, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. ET
February 28, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. ET
March 7, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. ET
March 14, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. ET

This Four-Week Mindfulness Workshop for Head Start is available for free through NHSA membership! Not a member? Encourage your program to start the year off right and sign up today!

Family Service Certification Information Session
2023-02-21 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Curious about NHSA’s Family Service Certification? In this one-hour information session, you will meet our reviewers and learn about the process of building a portfolio. We will also share information about the learning platform candidates will use, and the support that is provided to candidates as they work through the competencies. The end result is a certification that meets the qualification requirements laid out in the Head Start Performance Standards for family service staff, and an achievement of which you can be very proud.
Attendees will gain:

a better understanding of what this certification entails;
course intensity;
what support is provided by the enrollment process;
what support is needed for the student;
understanding of the program’s policy and procedures;
understanding of family services as the comprehensive support of Head Start; and
knowledge and skills needed to be a family services worker.

Moderator: Rachel Hutchison
Presenters:
Donita Brunson
Donita Vaughn-Brunson has worked in family services with Head Start for nearly three decades, training staff in areas of family engagement, eligibility services, home-visiting, and mentoring/coaching. In addition to grading NHSA’s Family Service Credential portfolios, she is certified to train the Exploring Parenting 21 st Century program and Conscious Discipline Parenting Education Curriculum. Donita is passionate about supporting families in becoming self-sufficient.

Sara Langi
Sara Langi is part of a Head Start/Early Head Start program in sunny Florida. She holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology and Master’s in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University. Sara has vast experience coaching staff utilizing the PFCE Framework and navigating the family partnership process. Sara has also earned NHSA’s Family Service Credential and is eager to support others through the process.

The Future of ERSEA in Head Start
2023-02-15 14:00 - 16:00, 2022-11-09 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

Family Engagement in the Trenches
2023-02-14 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
A look at family engagement in the trenches from fellow practitioners. A three-part informational series supporting family engagement through the use of data, tools, and best practices. Experts from across the topics will convene to host transformational webinars to share their tried and true strategies with fellow practitioners.
Attendees register once and can choose one or more occurrences to attend.
Feb 14, Mental Health Wellness (Watch Recording!)
Feb 21, Administrator Planning and Organizing (Watch Recording!)
Feb 28, Staff Interview Sensitivity Training (Watch Recording!)
Family Engagement in the Trenches: Mental Health Wellness
Presenter: Maria Valdez with Communify Santa Barbara County, CA

Family Engagement in the Trenches: Planning and Organization of Data
Panelists:

Liz Bender of Youth in Need, MO
Nyanda Finley de Santos of Community Services for Children, PA

Family Engagement in the Trenches: Staff Interview Sensitivity Training
Panelists:

Sherry Day, Family Service Worker, Leads, Inc.
Jessie Hixon, Family Service Worker, Leads, Inc.
Scott Sykes, Family Service Worker, Leads, Inc.

Sponsored by:

How to Create a Positive “Classroom” Environment!
2023-02-02 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
How to Create a Positive “Classroom” Environment with Social & Emotional Learning!
NHSA is teaming up with Harmony Social & Emotional Learning to bring you an outstanding, 2-part, positive classroom training. We intentionally put classroom in quotations because the best practices, resources, and examples shared in this series can be applied to ALL places Head Start supports are provided: in the classroom, in the home, in the play areas, on the bus, in the community, in the dining area, and on and on!
Developing healthy relationships with children is vital to their social and emotional development. The Sanford Harmony Essentials Kit can help you make every interaction a meaningful one! In this interactive session, attendees will learn how to use the Meet Up and Buddy Up tools. Every participant can then sign up to receive the toolkit – FREE.
Education Managers: you can sign up to receive a kit for every educator you support.

Presenter: Jako Tjoutuku

Sponsored by:

Want More Professional Recognition?
2023-02-01 16:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
If you answered YES! to wanting more professional recognition, then we have a program for you! NHSA can help you to showcase your education, professional development and professional achievements with our new Digital 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, Dr. B 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. She currently serves as deputy director for Community Engagement and Innovation at the National Head Start Association.

Presenter:
Tawsha Scord has been an Account Manager at Accredible since September 2021. She manages about 80 accounts and ensures they are getting the most out of their partnership by being her customers’ biggest advocate and providing business reviews and strategy planning. Outside of work, Tawsha enjoys living the adventure life in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons.

2023 Winter Leadership Institute
2023-01-23 - 2023-01-26
Explore meaningful policies, the role of Head Start in our country’s recovery, and meet with lawmakers to help provide a level of stability that will make all the difference. The 2023 Winter Leadership Institute will take place in Crystal City, VA January 23-26.

NHSA and Zoo in the Classroom
2023-01-19 14:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
NHSA and Zoo in the Classroom is a high-energy, interactive experience that include music and movement. It is designed to keep children active, engaged, and thriving.
Join the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (SNZCBI) and NHSA for three LIVE learning opportunities about Zoo animals, created specifically for Head Start and Early Head Start programs across the country!

Program 1: Thursday, October 20: Small Mammal House (watch recording)
Program 2: Thursday, January 19: Cats of All Kinds
Program 3: Thursday, March 2 (National Reading Day): Elephants (register here)

Presenters for NHSA and Zoo in the Classroom:
Emily Porter – Manager of Early Childhood and Family Learning Experience
Rachel Hutchison – Associate of Special Projects, NHSA
Nick Young – Preschool Musician, PlayMotion Music
Smithsonian’s National Zookeepers

Winter Garden Storytime
2023-01-18 13:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Do you know what plants can grow in a winter garden? Let’s find out! 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.

Supporting and Retaining Staff with Accredible
2023-01-12 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
As program leaders, you can support and retain your staff by helping them to showcase their education and professional achievements with NHSA’s Digital Portfolio!
NHSA is proud to announce the creation of a Digital Portfolio especially for its membership, which will bring professionalism to your staff directly – at no cost to you! NHSA’s Digital Portfolio stores all of the professional development (PD) your staff completes within NHSA and all of the PD they complete outside of NHSA.
Whether they complete a credential, attend a webinar or travel to an in person conference, this easy to access, easy to share resource will be at your staff’s fingertips. Join us for this exciting webinar as we launch the Digital Portfolio and help you support your staff to showcase their professionalism. This is an incredible resource for you and your team.
Moderator:

Dr. Deborah Bergeron, Dr. B 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. She currently serves as deputy director for Community Engagement and Innovation at the National Head Start Association.

Presenter:
Tawsha Scord has been an Account Manager at Accredible since September 2021. She manages about 80 accounts and ensures they are getting the most out of their partnership by being her customers’ biggest advocate and providing business reviews and strategy planning. Outside of work, Tawsha enjoys living the adventure life in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons.

Financial Wellness Assets for January
2023-01-12 13:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Financial stress is the most common and persistent form of stress we face, impacting our physical and mental health, the health of our communities, and our satisfaction in our work. Join NHSA for Financial Wellness Thursdays for Leaders with The Beans (a financial wellness company founded by a former educator and a Head Start alumna!). This program is built specifically for Head Start/Early Head Start program leaders, to help you learn how you can stress less about money – and help your team stress less, too.
Presenters:
Melissa Pancoast, CEO & FOUNDER
Melissa Pancoast is the founder and CEO of The Beans, a financial care company changing the way hard working Americans relate to their finances. She started her career as a teacher, where she saw the impact of financial stress firsthand in her community. After completing graduate work at the University of Oxford, she served as a researcher in the University of Oxford’s Center for Evidence-Based Interventions. Her work, a series of “Economic Strengthening” workshops has been shared with 300 million people worldwide as a pillar in the global emergency response to COVID-19. Melissa has a MS in Evidence-Based Social Intervention from the University of Oxford and a BS in Political Science from Stetson University.
Alex Orozco, FOUNDING DESIGNER + HEAD OF PRODUCT DESIGN
Alex Orozco is the founding Designer and Head of Product Design at The Beans. As a Head Start alumna, she knows the power of Head Start first hand. In college, she taught English to teachers in Mexico and recruited educators. She earned her MSEd in Teaching English as a Second Language and started her career as a 5th grade ESL math teacher. Additionally, Orozco also coached basketball and chess to help pay down nearly 90k in student loans. She is responsible for the design and user experience of the app, The Beans brand, and the Customer Success team.

Webinar: Tackling Mid-Year Behaviors
2023-01-11 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
We are halfway through this academic year! Are you noticing new behaviors in your classroom? If so, this webinar has what you need to help address those mid-year behaviors. We will share three innovative approaches to the classroom environment. These strategies not only mitigate challenging behaviors, they significantly increase delightful interactions!
Join our experts as they share how to make transitions a meaningful part of your day; how to use movement to increase focus; and how to inspire the desire to behave well.
Presenters:
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. She currently serves as deputy director for Community Engagement and Innovation at the National Head Start Association.

Hayes Greenfield founder of Creative Sound Play and the Greenfield Method (TGM), is a professional musician and teaching artist who has been teaching young people since 93. He’s taught TGM in Detroit with the PNC Bank Grow Up Great Initiative, consulted at Bank Street Head Start, has led professional development workshops and created programs for special needs high school students and teachers for the New York City Dept of Ed. Hayes has taught Applied Saxophone at Teacher’s College, Improv Camp at Lehman College, and has performed internationally with his interactive Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz, music/performance/workshop program. He has been recognized by New York University with their 2005 Jazz Educators Award, and his family CDs “Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz” and “Music for a Green Planet” have received critical acclaim and many awards.

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. After witnessing the social, emotional, and educational benefits of interactive music in early childhood, Nick created The Young Music Company—a mobile music school for preschoolers that brings music into the lives of thousands of children every year. Nick has presented his dynamic music and movement workshops at hundreds of conferences, conventions, and institutions. In 2016, Nick created the PlayMotion Music, music and movement curriculum and teacher training program to empower teachers to bring the magic of music and movement into their classrooms.

Sponsored By:

Cost-Saving Benefits with Amazon Business for Nonprofit! Webinar
2023-01-11 13:30 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
NHSA is excited to share more information about the cost-saving benefits for Head Start programs!
Amazon Business for Nonprofit and NHSA will host a webinar to launch and deep dive into our 2023 partnership. The Amazon Business team will share:

cost-saving benefits offered to Head Start Programs,
demo account best practices to maximize & manage grant spend-down dollars, and
answer questions during an open Q&A session.

Meet our Presenters:
Leon Bart Williams: Senior Strategic Accounts Representative, Nonprofits
Sydney Zeller: Customer Advisor, Nonprofits

More information about Amazon Business:
Amazon Business helps millions of customers worldwide—from small businesses, schools, hospitals, non-profit organizations, and government agencies, to large enterprises with global operations—reshape their procurement with cost and time savings, greater productivity, and insightful purchasing analytics. Procurement and business leaders enjoy convenient shipping options on hundreds of millions of supplies across categories like office, IT, janitorial, food service, and professional medical supplies. Customers also have access to a variety of business-tailored features and benefits, including a curated site experience, Business Prime, business-only pricing and selection, single or multi user business accounts, approvals workflow, purchasing system integrations, payment solutions, tax exemptions, dedicated customer support, and more. Amazon Business is currently available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and India.

Stand-Up Meeting
2023-01-09 16:30 - 17:00 UTC
The purpose of this NHSA Members’ weekly Stand-Up Meeting is to share real-time updates and pressing information with colleagues across the country.
Please note: there will be No Stand-Up Meetings on the following observances:

New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Day
Presidents’ Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Veterans Day
Christmas Eve Day
Christmas Day
Conferences
Other recognitions as noted via email to registered attendees

Early Head Start Advocate Training
2022-12-16 13:00 - 14:00, 2022-11-17 13:00 - 14:00, 2022-10-14 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Only 1 in 10 income-eligible families are able to access Early Head Start. Together, we can change this and NHSA’s Early Head Start Rising campaign is here to help! This research-based 1-hour advocacy training is designed to help you hone your ability to effectively educate and advocate for Early Head Start in your daily interactions and with policymakers and community leaders. This training will also give you an opportunity to become familiar with NHSA’s Early Head Start Rising Advocacy Toolkit. We hope you can join with other Head Start leaders passionate about supporting pregnant women, infants, toddlers and their families at this important training!
Moderated by NHSA Staff

Financial Wellness Thursdays for Leaders
2022-12-08 13:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Financial stress is the most common and persistent form of stress we face, impacting our physical and mental health, the health of our communities, and our satisfaction in our work.
Join NHSA for Financial Wellness Thursdays for Leaders with The Beans (a financial wellness company founded by a former educator and a Head Start alumna!). This program is built specifically for Head Start/Early Head Start program leaders, to help you learn how you can stress less about money – and help your team stress less, too.
Upcoming Financial Wellness Programs:
On the registration page, you can choose to register for one or more of the following sessions.

Thursday, December 8, 2022
Thursday, January 12, 2023

Presenters:
Melissa Pancoast, CEO & FOUNDER
Melissa Pancoast is the founder and CEO of The Beans, a financial care company changing the way hard working Americans relate to their finances. She started her career as a teacher, where she saw the impact of financial stress firsthand in her community. After completing graduate work at the University of Oxford, she served as a researcher in the University of Oxford’s Center for Evidence-Based Interventions. Her work, a series of “Economic Strengthening” workshops has been shared with 300 million people worldwide as a pillar in the global emergency response to COVID-19. Melissa has a MS in Evidence-Based Social Intervention from the University of Oxford and a BS in Political Science from Stetson University.
Alex Orozco, FOUNDING DESIGNER + HEAD OF PRODUCT DESIGN
Alex Orozco is the founding Designer and Head of Product Design at The Beans. As a Head Start alumna, she knows the power of Head Start first hand. In college, she taught English to teachers in Mexico and recruited educators. She earned her MSEd in Teaching English as a Second Language and started her career as a 5th grade ESL math teacher. Additionally, Orozco also coached basketball and chess to help pay down nearly 90k in student loans. She is responsible for the design and user experience of the app, The Beans brand, and the Customer Success team.

Parent Advocacy Engagement Call
2022-12-07 19:00 - 19:45 (America/New_York)
Families Unite for Head Start: Parent Advocacy Engagement Call
Parent engagement is one of our top priorities!
Join the nationwide community of Head Start parents and caregivers. This is a space for parents to receive the latest Head Start updates and advocacy resources from the National Head Start Association as well as connect with Head Start families from across the country.
As parents and caregivers, you are your child’s biggest advocate. The National Head Start Association is looking to empower, support, and inform Head Start families interested in the healthy development and education of children.
Sign up now to join us for our quarterly parent advocacy engagement calls!
This is the final engagement call for 2022.

Special in-person meet-up during the week of Parent and Family Engagement Conference (December 12th – 15th)
Please stay tuned for our 2023 schedule.

Program of Excellence Informational Webinar
2022-12-06 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
NHSA’s Program of Excellence Accreditation recognizes and supports the outstanding performance of Head Start grant recipients across the country. This designation is earned by programs that consistently demonstrate excellence in program management and service performance and continually support the achievement of robust outcomes for children birth to five years old, pregnant people, families, and the communities where they live.
This informational webinar will allow potential Program of Excellence (PoE) candidates an opportunity to learn more about the program, ask questions, and hear from past awardees to make sure their program is ready for the commitment of completing the application process.
Applications for the 2023 Program of Excellence Accreditation will open in December 2022 and the cohort will begin in February 2023. Join the waitlist here.

Moderator:
Kristina Ellis is The Academy at NHSA Manager. Her background includes nonprofit management, early childhood development, support services, quality improvement, and 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.

Panelists:
Toni Noma Andrews, Child Development Director with Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency for over 15 years, serving as the administrator of two grants in central New York: Oneida and Herkimer Counties operating Head Start and Early Head Start which offers both center base and home base for 753 children and their families and the Head Start program for Madison County, serving 119 children and their families.

LaVonne Maplhus-Nelson, MS, is the Manager of Family, and Community Engagement, and Program Governance and Administration for the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners Head Start/Early Head Start program. With over 20 years of experience in Public Sector Administration and Head Start Management Systems, LaVonne’s background includes Human Services Administration, Case Management, Compliance Management, Quality Assurance Systems, and Strategic Planning. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and a Master’s Degree in Organization Management and Leadership. She is driven by her passion for children, families, and community and is encouraged by inclusive cultures and environments which ensure progress for all. Her focus is on providing high-quality services for all children and their families.

Webinar: Paving the Way to Your CDA!
2022-11-16 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Earning a CDA® credential demonstrates educators’ knowledge, skills, and abilities in the early childhood education field as well as their commitment to professional development. Designed for working Head Start and Early Head Start professionals, The Academy’s CDA® Training Pathways program gives learners the flexibility and support they need to achieve their goals.
Join us as we share how NHSA is making the CDA credential a smooth process for professionals. Together, we will explore the CDA pathways to determine which path and learning experience is just right for YOU!
We are here to support you as you achieve your goals. To do so, we have created a comprehensive curriculum that includes all of the materials you will need. In this webinar you will get to hear from the course author, 2 graduates, a program leader, and a CDA coach. Please join us to learn how you can pave your way to your CDA!
Moderator: Zuly Vazquez

Zuly is the Manager of Early Head Start Professional Learning Programs at NHSA. She has worked with Head Start, and Early Head Start programs for over a decade, specializing in training, mentoring, coaching, facilitation, curriculum implementation, and management. She worked for several years in the classroom, providing high-quality education to children from different cultures, traditions, and ethnicities. She is a former EHS/HS parent. She has vast experience supporting and providing technical assistance to teachers, family child care providers, education specialists, and families in large EHS/HS programs in Florida and Georgia. Over her career, she designed a supplemental Christian early childhood curriculum, bilingual online lessons, and classroom observation tools and has facilitated early childhood education courses in English and Spanish at the college level. As an active early childhood advocate, she is a board member of her local NAEYC affiliate and Family Child Care Home Alliance of Georgia. She is a senior advisor of Latinas United for the Children of America.

Post-Election Debrief & Discussion
2022-11-10 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
NHSA will host a post-election webinar with our three outside government affairs consultants, Marc Lampkin, Michael Higdon, and Lee Foley, who will discuss the results of the 2022 midterm elections. Each consultant will speak briefly on what they see as the big talking points coming out of the elections, how those issues will impact Head Start, and who they see as the emerging Congressional leaders for Head Start on key committees and in the incoming freshman class.
This informative, post-election webinar is open to the entire Head Start field.
More information TBA.

Early Childhood Innovation Summit
2022-10-19 09:00 - 2022-10-21 12:00 (America/New_York)
Who is going to teach the next generation of learners?
The early childhood education sector is facing both reduced capacity and raised expectations, with long-term ramifications for staffing. It’s vitally important that we stay agile but also stay in the conversation, experimenting, and learning from one another and from some giants of innovations that make the world a better place. The promise of exploring new ideas is a key reason we’re looking forward to the Early Childhood Innovation Summit, but it’s not the only one. What we mostly look forward to is bringing people together-curriculum developers, practitioners, innovative researchers, and funders.
We have seen experimentation, learning, and adaptation happening faster than ever before in the early childhood space. We will carry that spirit of innovation into this year’s summit.

Mental Fitness Challenge: Depression and Burnout
2022-10-18 19:00 - 20:00 UTC
The impacts of the pandemic and its variants have created a massive strain on members. According to recent polls, 70% of people are struggling with burnout, yet do not have the time and energy to care for themselves. Chief Science Officer and founder of Starling Minds, Dr. Andrew Miki is hosting a 6-week Mental Fitness Challenge to help Head Start staff members prevent and combat burnout and depression.
The Mental Fitness Challenge includes:
– Guided support and training around Starling Mental Fitness program– Weekly live session with Dr. Andrew Miki that includes a Q&A period– Weekly homework exercises to put learning into action
The webinar series topics include:

Session 1: What is Burnout 101?
Session 2: Managing stress, anxiety, and depression
Session 3: Finding emotional regulation skills that work for you
Session 4: Making effective plans and assertive goals to move forward
Session 5: Managing your thoughts when you’re down
Session 6: How to manage burnout and your work

Speaker: Dr. Andrew Miki
Dr. Andrew Miki is the founder and Chief Science Officer of Starling. Andrew founded Starling with the mission to improve access to effective mental healthcare. Andrew leads Starling’s research, strategy, and solutions to address mental health requirements and create validation frameworks to measure and report each digital program’s efficacy. With a background in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience, Andrew has expertise in neuropsychological assessments and the treatment of Anxiety Disorders, Mood Disorders, and Traumatic Brain Injuries. He continues to practice as a registered psychologist and provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for individuals with depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma to help them feel stronger, more confident and resilient. Andrew holds a BSc in Psychology from Queen’s University, an MA in Behavioral Neuroscience from Wilfrid Laurier and an MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from York University.
FAQs
The Starling Mental Fitness program personalizes mental health support and training to help each member better manage their stress, anxiety, and burnout. It will help Head Start staff to:

Learn how to raise their awareness of stressors and reactions
Discover strategies to help them relax and recharge
Learn how to see the “small wins” in their day-to-day life
Learn how to have more balanced, objective, and realistic thoughts

The Mental Fitness Challenge will help members build the skills they need to cope with burnout.
What is required to participate?
To participate in the Mental Fitness Challenge with Dr. Andrew Miki, members need to:

Register for the webinar series “6-Week Mental Fitness Challenge Series with Dr. Andrew Miki”
Register for a Starling Minds Mental Fitness program with access code
Take a check-up before the 1st interactive session
Attend and participate in the various interactive activities throughout the challenge

Is it free?
Yes, it’s free for all staff (and their family members) who work in an NHSA member program.
Is it confidential?
Starling Minds’ members’ privacy and confidentiality are of the utmost importance. All of your personal information, answers, and interactions with Starling Minds information is kept private and anonymous.

Introducing Starling's Mental Fitness Program
2022-10-17 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
This highly interactive presentation will focus on stress, worry, and anxiety and how these can be challenged in achieving or maintaining a work-life balance. The webinar will answer the following questions:

What is Starling Minds and how can the platform support our mental health?
How can we recognize and deal with our triggers?
What strategies can we use to set limits that allow us to better manage our mental health?

Speaker: Dr. Andrew Miki
Dr. Andrew Miki is the founder and Chief Science Officer of Starling. Andrew founded Starling with the mission to improve access to effective mental healthcare. Andrew leads Starling’s research, strategy, and solutions to address mental health requirements and create validation frameworks to measure and report each digital program’s efficacy. With a background in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience, Andrew has expertise in neuropsychological assessments and the treatment of Anxiety Disorders, Mood Disorders, and Traumatic Brain Injuries. He continues to practice as a registered psychologist and provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for individuals with depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma to help them feel stronger, more confident and resilient. Andrew holds a BSc in Psychology from Queen’s University, an MA in Behavioral Neuroscience from Wilfrid Laurier and an MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from York University.

Parent Advocacy Engagement Call
2022-10-12 19:00 - 19:45 (America/New_York)
Families Unite for Head Start: Parent Advocacy Engagement Call
Parent engagement is one of our top priorities!
Join the nationwide community of Head Start parents and caregivers. This is a space for parents to receive the latest Head Start updates and advocacy resources from the National Head Start Association as well as connect with Head Start families from across the country.
As parents and caregivers, you are your child’s biggest advocate. The National Head Start Association is looking to empower, support, and inform Head Start families interested in the healthy development and education of children.
Sign up now to join us for our quarterly parent advocacy engagement calls!
Upcoming engagement call opportunities for 2022: The first Wednesday of the month

October 12th, 2022 (rescheduled from the 5th in observance of Yom Kippur)
December 7th, 2022
Special in-person meet-up during the week of Parent and Family Engagement Conference (December 12th – 15th)

Fall GroMoreGood Gardening Webinar
2022-10-12 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Discover the many ways gardening activities can be used to promote the health and wellness of young children and their families with our fall gardening webinar!
KidsGardening will offer garden inspiration, instruction and expertise and share additional resources to help programs prepare their applications and begin their garden planning. Past grantees will provide first-hand experiences with the application process and managing the grant.
Gardening activities can be used to promote the health and wellness of young children and their families. Focusing on gardens in the early childhood setting, speakers present on a wide variety of tips for best practices for planning, planting, and sustaining a food garden along with important safety procedures to consider when preparing and consuming your harvest. In the Fall gardening webinar, you will also hear first-hand stories from successful programs about garden-based nutrition education program.
Presenters:
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.
GroMoreGood Garden Grantee Representatives

Sponsors:

Want even more? Check out our Gardening with Kids Basics course provided by The Academy at NHSA and the GroMoreGood Garden Grants.

Supporting Your Staff's Mental Fitness with Starling Minds
2022-10-11 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Discover the power of digital mental health and how like physical health, we improve our mental health by strengthening our minds through short training and exercises. In this 45-minute webinar, you will learn:
– A detailed demonstration & overview of the Starling Minds program– How Starling Minds will be working with you to help promote the program– Next steps
The session will be followed by a live Q&A session.
Speaker: Dr. Andrew Miki
Dr. Andrew Miki is the founder and Chief Science Officer of Starling. Andrew founded Starling with the mission to improve access to effective mental healthcare. Andrew leads Starling’s research, strategy, and solutions to address mental health requirements and create validation frameworks to measure and report each digital program’s efficacy. With a background in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience, Andrew has expertise in neuropsychological assessments and the treatment of Anxiety Disorders, Mood Disorders, and Traumatic Brain Injuries. He continues to practice as a registered psychologist and provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for individuals with depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma to help them feel stronger, more confident and resilient. Andrew holds a BSc in Psychology from Queen’s University, an MA in Behavioral Neuroscience from Wilfrid Laurier and an MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from York University.

Fall Garden Storytime
2022-10-05 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
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.
