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Office of Early Childhood & Out-of-School Learning |
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Share Your Questions at an Upcoming Listening Session
The Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) is hosting regional sessions across the State with Director Courtney Penn.
Child care providers and other early childhood professionals can share their opinions and ask questions during these sessions. Local chapters of the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (INAEYC) are hosting the following events:
- Bloomington | October 30 at 6 p.m. ET
- Valparaiso | November 12 at 6 p.m. ET
- Indianapolis | November 13 at 6 p.m. ET
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Activate Your Premium Calm Subscription
The Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL), SPARK Learning Lab, and our mental health partner Calm have collaborated to offer you a free premium subscription to the Calm application.
This offer is available to individuals who work, own, or volunteer in an Indiana-based early childhood education or out-of-school care program. Fill out a short form and enjoy your subscription until February 2026.
To access your subscription:
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Head to IndianaSpark.com/calm
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Click the 'Get Started Here' button
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Complete the interest form
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Use the unique code on the confirmation page to redeem your premium subscription
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Follow the instructions on the next page to get started with Calm
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Attend the Indiana Educator Job Board Webinar Series
If you're hiring for your child care program, a new webinar series can help you find the right candidates. Join Dr. Kristin Trostel from Nimble, the Indiana Educator Job Board software operator, to learn how to attract high-quality job seekers to your organization.
Register online and earn training certificates through this series of three webinars:
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Wednesday, October 23 at 12 p.m. ET
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October 30 at 12 p.m. ET
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November 6 at 12 p.m. ET
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Support Multilingual Learners in Early Learning
Early learning educators and administrators can now access instructional guidance and resources to support multilingual children and their families. The Indiana Department of Education's (IDOE's) Office of Kindergarten Readiness and the Office of English Learners and Migrant Education have collaborated to provide these best practices.
Register to join us in the Indiana Learning Lab to explore this collection of resources and guidance this Thursday, October 24 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET.
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Discover Upcoming Opportunities with INAEYC
The Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (INAEYC) has several ongoing opportunities, including:
Apply for the Non-Formal CDA Project: Child Development Associate (CDA®) credential courses are available through the Indiana Non-Formal CDA Project, which is administered by INAEYC. These courses are available at no cost to recipients through funding by the Child Care and Development Fund, and the Department of Workforce Development. Classes begin in January 2025 across the state of Indiana. View eligibility requirements online. To apply or ask questions, email pd@inaeyc.org.
Submit a Proposal for the 2025 Indiana Early Childhood Conference: INAEYC invites you to submit a proposal for the 2025 Indiana Early Childhood Conference. Proposals should outline workshops or sessions that offer timely, relevant, and thought-provoking learning opportunities. Learn more submission tips online. The submission deadline is October 31.
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Five Things to Know About the SPARK Help Desk
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The SPARK Help Desk can help you and your program find resources and assist you through challenges.
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The Help Desk is operated by SPARK Coaches in real time.
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There are three ways to contact the Help Desk: calling 1-800-299-1627, emailing Help@indianaspark.com, or by using the 'Chat with an Expert' feature on IndianaSpark.com. This chat is managed by our Help Desk Coaches.
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If our team doesn't have an immediate answer, our Coaches will get back to you with solutions as soon as possible. They can also connect you with another ECE partner who can help.
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If the wait time is longer than usual, you can leave a callback number for the Help Desk. A SPARK Coach will contact you as soon as possible.
The Help Desk is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET every Friday. You give your best to Indiana's children, let the SPARK Help Desk Coaches give their best to you.
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Train with SPARK Learning Lab
Explore valuable upcoming training opportunities through SPARK Learning Lab. See a full list of upcoming face-to-face training, live webinars, and live resources, plus read training descriptions and find registration instructions at IndianaSpark.com/training.
Review this week's training schedule:
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