July 2024 Newsletter
Contents: Announcements | Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities | Recommended Free Resources | Well-being in the Workplace
Happy Summer from the Early Learning System Initiative (ELSI)! We are so happy you are all here and excited to share some of the things we have been working on!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Professional Learning Core
In-Person STEAM Camp Recap
STEAM Camp was a blast! We had 28 early educators and coaches from across Oregon come to the Hallie E. Ford Center on OSU’s Corvallis Campus for three days of learning, connection, and so much s’more.
STEAM Camp was filled with hands-on activities, community-building, and learning with lots of laughter and play in between. Campers had the opportunity to stay at the residence halls on campus, participate in 10+ hours of professional learning hours, discover new STEAM resources, and enjoy the summer (somewhat cloudy) weather.
Thank you to all our STEAM campers for dancing with us, making friendship bracelets for us, learning with us, and playing Jenga with us, too. You all amaze and inspire us!
And a very special thank you to our friends and partners at OMSI and TERC for facilitating two fun and interactive sessions with our participants! We’re so grateful to have learned from you all. Thank you Annie Douglass, Scott Pattison, Smirla Ramos Montañez, and Julie Allen - we look forward to future collaborative opportunities!
Want to know more about the experience? Here’s what campers had to say:
“Every topic and every presenter was very knowledgeable about the topic. The material and hands on was very helpful. Everything was great!”
“Long training events can always create tension in my head. Is it going to be boring? Is it going to be the same trainer the entire time? Are they going to be educated about what they are talking about? I know I am critical. But I walked out of the STEAM camp, rejuvenated, enlightened, and passionate about STEAM. They made learning fun, engaging, and simple yet impactful. The time flew by so fast that I was sad to see the time gone. This is information that I could easily pass on to the educators I coach and help them see the benefits and what they are already doing well. You could tell that every trainer was passionate about STEAM, which made it easy to translate to us. I would HIGHLY recommend STEAM camp to others in the future.”
If you’d like to learn virtually with us this summer, please register for ELSI’s free Virtual STEAM Camp - 2-3 hour trainings in the evenings of July 15-19th on Zoom - live Spanish interpretation is available!
Coaching Core
Practice Based Coaching
The ELSI Coaching Core will be hosting their second annual in-person Practice-Based Coaching training series in August 2024. The summer intensive will include a suite of four Set-2 trainings focused on key elements of the Practice Based Coaching (PBC) cycle. For those who have already taken the full suite of PBC training, there will be additional extension opportunities. To register, follow this link.
Foundations in Coaching Online Course
Are you new to coaching in early learning programs, or interested in becoming a coach? Foundations in Coaching is a 100% self-paced online professional development course designed to build a foundational understanding of Oregon Coaching Competencies. By participating, you will learn about these competencies and be introduced to Practice-Based Coaching through interactive activities, videos, graphics, knowledge checks and reflections. You will also have the opportunity for self-assessment of the Oregon Coaching Competencies, and to self-reflect on areas of strength and opportunities for growth. The course is available in 5 languages (English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese and Traditional Chinese). To register, visit the website.
Impact & Evaluation Core
The Impact and Evaluation core is currently working with our community partners at the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) and Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies running statewide webinars to better understand how professional learning opportunities offered by ELSI and other agencies are being utilized around the state. Our goal is to ensure equitable access to resources for all communities in Oregon and to offer data-driven insights and guidance to our teams within ELSI and other community partners serving Oregon’s early learning professionals. Please stay tuned as we plan to make these insights available in the near future.
UPCOMING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Virtual STEAM Camp
July 15-19, 6pm PST | Join us on Zoom throughout the week of July 15th-19th for virtual STEAM Camp! We will host five evenings of free STEAM-focused learning for early educators in the evenings starting at 6pm PST. All trainings are 2-3 hours long, are ORO-approved, and will have live Spanish interpretation as well.
Monday July 15th, 6-9pm PST | The Wondering Years: Building Curiosity in Early Childhood
Tuesday, July 16th, 6-9pm PST | Technology and Nature
Wednesday, July 17th, 6-9pm PST | Dollar Store Engineering in the Early Childhood Classroom
Thursday, July 18th, 6-8pm PST | Natural STEAM: Using Art to Teach Preschool Science and Math
Friday, July 19th, 6-9pm PST | Developing Math Centers and Related Activities for Young Children
Learn more about each session at Early STEAM Oregon and register here. Email Kiki Omoto at kiki.omoto@oregonstate.edu with any questions.
Summer Practice-Based Coaching Intensive - Corvallis
August 6-8, 9am-4pm PST | This FREE event has two different tracks - one for those who will dive into PBC Cycles and an Extension Opportunity for those who have already completed this training. Priority is for those in coaching roles.
Track 1: August 6-7, 9am-4pm PST | Collaborative Partnerships, Shared Goals and Action Planning, Focused Observation, Reflection and Feedback
Track 2: August 7-8, 9am-4pm PST | Adult Learning Principles, Group Coaching Formats, Using Data to Support PBC
Learn more and register here. Email elsicoaching@oregonstate.edu with any questions.
BIPOC Community of Practice
*The BIPOC Community of Practice will be taking a summer break in July and August and will resume on Wednesday, September 11.*
Every second Wednesday of the month, 3-4 PM PST | A Community of Practice is a place where people come together to share a common interest and passion. Please join Daphnee Nicolas (li/she/her) and Dominic Paz (he/him/él) from the Early Learning System Initiative (ELSI) in a virtual Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Community of Practice. We welcome coaches, educators, parenting educators, and anyone interested in relationship-based learning focused on inclusion, equity, and social justice to strengthen the early learning system. In this Community of Practice, we will focus on community care, storytelling, self-care, and wellbeing practices. We will also provide resources that you can share with those you support. For more information and to register, please email Daphnee at daphnee.nicolas@oregonstate.edu.
Statewide Webinar | The Wondering Years: Building Curiosity in Early Childhood
October 22, 2024 6-9pm PST | What do you say when children ask WHY? Join us as we explore techniques to build curiosity in the minds and bodies of young children. We will examine what curiosity means and what it looks like in the classroom; practice open-ended questions and other conversation starters; and design open-ended activities for young children, too.
Please register through your local Child Care Resource & Referral agency (CCR&R), via the ORO Training Calendar, or contact ELSI for more information at elsitraining@oregonstate.edu
FREE RESOURCES & PARTNER OPPORTUNITIES
STEAM Camp Resources
Check out all of the new free STEAM Resources from STEAM Camp including session resources and lots of additional free printables.
2024 STEMIE Fest - Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education
October 14-15, 2024 | Virtual on Zoom, FREE | STEMIEFest is a gathering of early childhood professionals, families, faculty, STEM industry members, and more to engage in innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning experiences and activities for each and every child. Register here.
WELL-BEING IN THE WORKPLACE
At ELSI, we encourage each other to find rest, joy, and play in our summer and throughout the entire year. I offer that encouragement to all of you as well and to build a summer “Play List” (a list of activities that bring you joy and energy) and then DO those things as much as possible! And since this is the ELSI summer of STEAM, try making a STEAM Play List and add an activity from each category of this STEAM and Well-being Guide!
