dae is currently accepting applications for our 6-Week Tech Creators Program! This program is open and cost-free to 9-12th graders who attend New Haven Public Schools. In the program students get hands on experience working on Web Development, Video Game Design and Internet-of-Things. They come away with completed projects that can easily be shared with college admissions offices and potential employers.

Our first session just started but students are still welcome to join! It will run until April 11th. Our second session will run from April 23rd until May 30th. We meet Tuesday-Thursday from 3:00-6:30pm. We are conveniently located at 770 Chapel Street in downtown New Haven (two blocks from the Green and central bus hub).

Students can apply here: mydae.co/6week

Flyer for the program is here:

6-Week%20Flyer_v3.pdf

United Way of Greater New Haven has 3 brand new open positions we would like to fill.

Please click on these links to learn more about these open positions and apply!

Community Impact Education Manager

https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/1933201

Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) Coordinator (PT)

https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/1932966

Community Impact Operations Manager

https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/1923156

Early Head Start Director

We Love What Makes You Unique

Your perspective fuels our mission-driven work at United Way of Greater New Haven. We are committed to building a team that is inclusive across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and lived experience. As an organization, we are committed to addressing systemic racism and injustice in our community, our partnerships, and our practices. 

Who We Are Looking For

Are you committed to supporting infants and toddlers, their families, and the programs that serve them? Do you have deep knowledge of Early Head Start and/or Head Start requirements, and want to help community partners successfully incorporate Early Head Start services and systems into their early care and education programs? Do you have leadership and relationship-building skills and experience with connecting programs and services so they work more effectively?  Do you have a strong track record of working with the programmatic, financial, and data-related aspects of federal programs? If so, our Early Head Director position may be perfect for you.

What You Are Great At

• You are a strong Early Head Start/Head Start (EHS/HS) professional who has led a team. You are deeply familiar with the EHS/HS regulations and performance standards. You have experience supervising and supporting other staff to implement the various components of EHS/HS, and know how to monitor and support programs to ensure program quality.
• You are a detail-oriented planner who creates and thrives within systems. You relish creating and working to improve processes and systems and have experience in developing and running initiatives and programs related to early childhood. You know how to manage the details and logistics, while at the same time seeing how things connect to create a bigger whole.
• You are a strong communicator. You can convey your message clearly in writing and orally to a variety of audiences, including board members, partner staff, and parents.
• You’re a team player. The Early Head Director will report to the Vice President of Education and will work closely with other members of the Community Impact Team as well as external partners. While you are confident in your abilities and knowledge, you approach your work from a place of humility.

What You Will Do

• Ensure that Head Start Performance Standards are well‐known and supported and implemented across the program partners.
• Support and monitor EHS partners to ensure compliance with all Head Start and Early Head Start mandates, applicable laws, and regulations and assure that standards are being fully met.
• Conduct on-site visits to programs and plan and facilitate regular meetings with partners.
• Review documentation and data, including working within the program’s online database work closely with the VP of Education to staff the UWGNH EHS Board Committee.
• Supervise EHS staff and consultants.
• Manage all aspects of the EHS Policy Council, and Meet with the finance staff on a regular basis to review and revise the budget as necessary in addition to monitoring the budget as it relates to actual spending of Early Head Start funds.
• Work with local partners to expand services and supports available to EHS families
• Lead an annual self-assessment process for the program and develop annual plans for improvement; ensure that a community needs assessment is conducted as required.
• Recommend and implement changes as needed in program design, administration procedures, etc. as they affect program performance.
• Prepare and submit for approval necessary programmatic reports, forms, etc. as required by Federal, state, and local regulations.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with funding sources, other state and local agencies, organizations, groups, etc. as they relate to programmatic activities.
• Plan and coordinate shared governance training for Policy Council and Board of Directors as required.
• Plan, coordinate, develop, and implement annual refunding application.

What You Need

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood development or other relevant field.
• Three to five years’ experience as a Head Start/Early Head Start Director of a small program, or significant senior management experience within a large Head Start/Early Head Start program.
• Substantive knowledge about the early childhood landscape in Connecticut and Early Head Start/Head Start.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• A successful track record in setting priorities, and keen analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills which support and enable sound decision making.
• Excellent relationship building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience working with government grants a plus.
• Experience in grant writing and managing budgets.
• Proficient with MS Office365 and demonstrated comfort in learning new software/ online tools as needed.
• Ability to work with diverse staff and volunteers.
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of UWGNH. 
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required.

About United Way

United Way of Greater New Haven brings people and organizations together to create solutions to Greater New Haven’s most pressing challenges in the areas of Education, Health, and Financial Stability grounded in racial and social justice. We tackle issues that cannot be solved by any one group working alone. We operate according to these organizational values.

In accordance with organizational policies, this position requires a criminal background check as a condition of employment.

United Way staff are currently working hybrid, with at least two days per week in our office in New Haven.  This is a full-time position; the salary range for this position is $85,000 - $90,000.

United Way is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. United Way of Greater New Haven is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

To Apply: Careers | United Way of Greater New Haven (uwgnh.org)

NEEDED!

School Readiness Education Coordinator

 Who We Are Looking For

Are you a talented early childhood professional looking to help programs across our city improve their quality? Are you good at working with teachers and directors to help them be the best they can be? Are you a self-directed individual who can help craft and implement a new position while working within a collaborative structure? If you answered yes to the questions above, this position may be an opportunity for you to use your talents as a force for good in our community!

United Way is seeking a School Readiness Education Coordinator who is enthusiastic and organized to work with 21 early care and education center- and school-based programs that receive School Readiness funding. This person will work as part of a team with the School Readiness Liaison to identify program needs around meeting state quality standards and then help provide training, technical assistance, and resources to help programs improve their quality. Salary is $60,000-$65,000/year, commensurate with experience, and includes benefits. This is a two-year, grant-funded position.

What You Will Do

Ï   Conduct site visits and classroom observations of early childhood programs that receive School Readiness funds to assess program needs. You will also review records and other documentation provided by the programs to ascertain program quality.

Ï   Deliver training, coaching and support to help programs improve their quality. This could include intensive coaching (individual/group) related to teaching practices, providing support to staff about implementation of curriculum and ongoing assessments, and helping programs with planning around quality improvement.

Ï   Coordinating and connecting resources to programs tied to their assessed needs. You will help plan and coordinate professional development/in-service training needed by program staff, and develop and disseminate early childhood information and resources to support teachers, classrooms, and program quality improvement efforts.

Ï   You will work as part of a team. You will report to the School Readiness Liaison and work together as a team to support early childhood programs in centers and schools throughout New Haven. You will also work with the New Haven Early Childhood Council, a group of volunteers working to improve access to and quality of early care and education in New Haven. As a staff member at United Way, you will have supportive colleagues who are working on a variety of initiatives to improve lives in our community.

 What You Need

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or related field; Master's degree preferred
• 2+ years of relevant experience teaching in and/or directing early childhood programs
• Familiarity with classroom observation tools such as the CLASS and Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales is preferred
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills
• Thorough understanding of early childhood development
• Strong computer skills, with a preference for proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Community minded with high-level active listening skills and the ability to connect with people of different economic and ethnic backgrounds
• Ability to analyze data and develop concise, accurate reports
• Local travel is required

About United Way

United Way of Greater New Haven brings people and organizations together to create solutions to Greater New Haven’s most pressing challenges in the areas of Education, Health, and Financial Stability grounded in racial and social justice. We tackle issues that cannot be solved by any one group working alone. We operate according to these organizational values.

In accordance with organizational policies, this position requires a criminal background check as a condition of employment.

United Way staff are currently working hybrid, with at least two days per week in our office in New Haven.

United Way is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To apply: www.UWGNH.org/careers

Then we have a newly created position you may be interested in!!!!

Who We Are Looking For

Are you a talented early childhood professional looking to increase access to high-quality early care and education programs across New Haven? Are you good at supporting program directors to help them be the best they can be? Do you like finding new ways of engaging families and community members in the work of expanding early care and education opportunities?  If you answered yes to the questions above, this position may be an opportunity for you to use your talents as a force for good in our community! 

United Way is seeking a School Readiness Liaison who is enthusiastic and organized to work with the 22 early care and education center- and school-based programs that receive School Readiness funding in New Haven. This person will work as part of a team with the School Readiness Education Coordinator (housed at United Way) and staff at New Haven Public Schools who manage the contracts and payments for this grants program. Salary is $75,000-$80,000/year, commensurate with experience, and includes benefits.

 What You Will Do

• Serve as the staff to the New Haven Early Childhood Council, an appointed group of volunteers who make decisions about the School Readiness grant from the Office of Early Childhood and serve as an advisory body on early childhood issues to the Mayor and Superintendent. Tasks will include preparing agendas and materials for meetings, providing orientation to new members and encouraging member participation, helping to gather and analyze data about the needs of young children, their families, and providers, and providing leadership that supports implementation of Council priorities.
• Manage the School Readiness and Quality Enhancement Grants, including designing and implementing the annual Request for Proposal process, including submitting the community application to the Office of Early Childhood; gathering and analyzing data about School Readiness and Quality Enhancement usage, effectiveness, and reach; and supporting new programs that seek to become School Readiness-funded programs. You will also work closely with staff at New Haven Public Schools, which serves as the fiscal agent for these grants, to ensure that contracts and payments are accurate and timely.
• Conduct regular site visits and classroom observations of early childhood programs that receive School Readiness funds to ensure compliance with School Readiness grant regulations. You will also review records and other documentation provided by the programs to ascertain program quality.
• Organize and facilitate monthly provider meetings for School Readiness programs. Meetings are intended to be a forum to share information and best practices, review and clarify policies, assess needs and set priorities, problem solve, share resources, and provide technical assistance on policies and practices related to the School Readiness quality components.

• Serve as the point of contact for the CT Office of Early Childhood (OEC). You will attend OEC liaison meetings and respond to OEC requests for information.  
•  You will work as part of a team. You will report to the Vice President of Education and supervise the School Readiness Education Coordinator, working as a team to support early childhood programs in centers and schools throughout New Haven. As a staff member at United Way, you will have supportive colleagues who are working on a variety of initiatives to improve lives in our community.

What You Need

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or related field; Master's degree preferred
• 5+ years of relevant experience directing early childhood programs and/or serving as a program coach or manager
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills
• Thorough understanding of early childhood development
• Strong computer skills, with a preference for proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Community minded with high-level active listening skills and the ability to connect with people of different economic and ethnic backgrounds
• Ability to analyze data and develop concise, accurate reports
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of UWGNH 
• Local travel is required

About United Way

United Way of Greater New Haven brings people and organizations together to create solutions to Greater New Haven’s most pressing challenges in the areas of Education, Health, and Financial Stability grounded in racial and social justice. We tackle issues that cannot be solved by any one group working alone. We operate according to these organizational values.

In accordance with organizational policies, this position requires a criminal background check as a condition of employment.

United Way staff are currently working hybrid, with at least two days per week in our office in New Haven.

United Way is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. United Way of Greater New Haven is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

 To apply:  Careers | United Way of Greater New Haven (uwgnh.org)

Help New Haven students collect data on school transportation. The students will use the data to propose ways to improve transportation and reduce climate and air pollution.  Take the 3 minute survey here.

Transportation is a crucial part of NHPS students’ lives but is also a major source of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions. These emissions contribute to global warming and air pollution, having many harmful effects on the environment and people's health. However, by using environmentally-friendly ways of transportation –such as walking, taking the school/city bus, and carpooling– we can make a positive impact! This is a change that the school district wants to see in the near future. By taking this survey, you will provide us with invaluable data, which we will use to create change in our school district. Your input is greatly valued! Families are welcome to complete this survey together!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6J6Fue61GwRMmXOE-h9waJqJXMH83NJfmI3UJv0IVP957XQ/viewform

Climate Change Teaching for Our Children's Futures

by Ginny Monk May 19, 2022

Connecticut schools will soon be required to teach climate change as a part of the science curriculum, a move state legislators and advocates say will mean changes at a small percentage of schools that aren’t yet bringing the subject to the classroom...

https://ctmirror.org/2022/05/19/ct-schools-will-soon-be-required-to-teach-climate-change/

The New Haven Early Childhood Department still has openings for students in the PreKindergarten.

Requirements: 

• MUST be a New Haven resident.
• MUST be 3 or 4 years old and
• Must NOT already enrolled in a PreK program OR be on the NHPS Magnet Pre-K waitlist

If you meet these criteria call 475-220-1463 for information about available free and low cost Pre-K programs.

The link below is to a spreadsheet listing educational companies offering fee subscriptions due to school closings:

http://www.amazingeducationalresources.com/

This guide includes resources by grade from Pre-K to High School, by subject and for English learners. Get it here:

https://storage.googleapis.com/pt06-1/messages/attachments/d8e398cdb0906a769124dc23ee866ad8bac47cd0/Connecticut-Covid19-Resources-to-Support-Student-Learning-002-final.pdf

Now that we’re parents ourselves, the tables have turned. We’re faced with myriad of decisions about where to send our kids to school, which play dates to organize, where we should spend extra money in the store’s organic section or what to do when our little one is bullied. Why do our childhoods seem like the ancient past, and how did our parents survive this constant decision-making process without completely sabotaging our development?

Parents have important choices to make regarding their kids’ education—and these decisions are coming sooner and sooner. Kindergarten is seen as the new first grade and academic rigor is increasing. This means it’s even more important for parents to make sure their kids are on a good developmental footing. One of the best ways to do this is through a quality preschool education program.

But there are still plenty of people who don’t believe preschool is important or are otherwise skeptical of its benefits. We’ve asked early childhood education experts to weigh-in on some of the commons myths or misunderstandings about preschool and help explain exactly why preschool is so important...

More: https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/why-preschool-important-myths/

Important Messages

It wasn’t too long ago that a lot of people were talking about a post-racial America. We had elected a Black president for the first time, and then went ahead and re-elected him four years later, and the country was feeling pretty good about itself.

While Barack Obama’s presidency was indeed a profound and meaningful mark of true progress, racism, of course, never really went away. The presence of a black president, hockey star, or movie-franchise superhero, however welcome and exciting, cannot reverse centuries of racial injustice.

In fact, racism is built right into every level of our society in ways that might surprise you...

https://www.benjerry.com/home/whats-new/2016/systemic-racism-is-real#.W2JO84J-_QY.email

When the president of the United States says “America first,” he is making his voters happy. I can understand that. But from a global perspective, this statement isn’t relevant. Everything is interconnected today...

Continue reading:

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-dalai-lama-alt-we-need-an-education-of-the-heart-20171113-story.html?fbclid=IwAR2ptNxav_imP95XAl8kWrM3kJTcCZjo4BCmj7E9M9-Ci1TrPYvbnrN0naY ;

The arts can be a source of joy in a child’s day, and also come in handy for memorizing times tables.

Green Schoolyards America connects ecological innovation with education, equity, and community engagement.

Source: 

Read more: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/schools_most_untapped_resource