National Native American Heritage Month
National Native American Heritage Month in 2024 will be celebrated in November. The month is set aside to recognize the history, culture, and contributions of Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. It's also a time to raise awareness of the challenges Native people have faced and continue to face.
Learn more about the Tribal Nations in the State of Washington. Here are a few links to get you started:
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“There is no such thing as primitive in the way Western education has traditionally conditioned people to perceive it.”
-Gregory Cajete, Professor, Native American Studies and Language Literacy Sociocultural Studies, Look To The Mountain: An Ecology Of Indigenous Education
Each week, DCYF ESIT Tribal Program Consultant, Brian Frisina, provides a key topic to help us get to know our Tribal Nation Partners better.
This week’s term is:
What is Native Science?
Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science: Dr. Gregory Cajete Talk
Dr. Gregory Cajete, Director of Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico, explains how Indigenous physicists not only observe the world, but participate in it with all his or her sensual being because everything in native thought is “alive” with energy. Cajete was speaking to an attentive audience at The Banff Centre as part of the Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science: Contrasts and Similarities event.
Listen to Indigenous Dr. Gregory Cajete Talk speak (watch time 29:04):
These Indigenous educators are bringing Western and Native science together in the classroom
By meshing laboratory science with Traditional Ecological Knowledge, college professors aim to cultivate better environmental decision makers — and decisions.
Read full article:
Representative Kildee explains tribal consultation regarding sovereign status of Native (Indian) tribes (watch time 7:08):
Sources
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Look To The Mountain: An Ecology Of Indigenous Education, Book by Cajete, Gregory, First published January 1, 1994, © 2024 Goodreads, Inc. Mobile version.
- Image credit: This Is Indian Country logo, via Facebook.
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Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science: Dr. Gregory Cajete Talk, posted to YouTube by BanffEvents, Jan. 14, 2015.
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These Indigenous educators are bringing Western and Native science together in the classroom, article by Natalie Rademacher, @nrademacher1, as a participant in the Ensia Mentor Program. The mentor for the project was Kari Lydersen.
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Representative Kildee Explaining Tribal Consultation, posted to YouTube by Ted Hamilton, Aug. 29, 2016.
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I am so excited to be a member of PIE, Cohort 7! Our whole household is medically intense and our son received services for Speech Therapy through ESIT from about two and a half to three years old. Emmett graduating from ESIT services helped me learn about IEPs and children being able to get services through the school system.
Prior to becoming a wife, I worked in commercial small business before my health became my primary focus. For a short time, I was a caregiver for my husband, a combat veteran. Now I am mom, wife and caregiver for the household who occasionally gets to craft and make beautiful things. I’m excited to be a part of Parent Institute for Engagement because I want to be able to share our story effectively.
Welcome to PIE, Carly!
Many communities who have experienced forced displacement may have increased stress, anxiety, safety concerns, and heightened distress around elections due to several factors including but not limited to:
- Bigoted and inflammatory political rhetoric,
- Past experiences with election-related violence,
- Witnessing protests, civil disruptions or other election related activities.
Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed communication intervention for helping people cope in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event, disaster or crisis. The communication skills in PFA can also be useful in supporting individuals in distress, including election-related distress. A simplified version of PFA consists of four types of actions, Prepare, Engage, Listen and Link, which can be applied to all crisis/disaster situations. On the next pages, you will find recommendations for applying Psychological First Aid (PFA) to support clients who are seeking help with managing stress, anxiety, and fear related to their experiences during this election cycle.
Read the full guide:
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In an effort to prepare for the launch of ACORN, the ESIT Data Systems and Analysis Team will be hosting number of ACORN training sessions throughout November and December covering several ACORN related topics. You can sign up for the following training sessions today!
ACORN for Beginners
This session is ideal for those users who haven’t begun exploring the ACORN platform. We’ll cover user roles, the login process, basic navigation skills, and more. Click below to register:
ACORN for Transition Service Partners
Are you a school district partner who missed the September ACORN training sessions? Then you’re in luck! Join a repeat session where we’ll cover: the login process, navigational tips, and your ACORN access. Click below to register:
ACORN Administrative Functions
This session is designed to teach Lead FRCs, Lead Agency Managers, and Agency Managers how to navigate the administrative functions available in ACORN. Check out one of these training sessions to learn about managing agency and provider data, and how to navigate user management functions. Click below to register:
Don’t worry if you aren’t able to make it to one of these sessions. The Data Systems and Analysis Team will be sending out additional training topics and dates soon!
Questions?
If you have specific questions about ACORN development and support activities, please contact ESIT Data Systems and Analysis Manager, Kim Hopkins, at Kim.Hopkins@dcyf.wa.gov.
For technical assistance with accessing and/or navigating the ACORN training environment, please contact ESIT.Help@dcyf.wa.gov.
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The ESIT state leadership team plans to highlight individual providers or ESIT provider agencies that are demonstrating one or more of the Seven Key Principles in their work in a new section of the ESIT Weekly titled Key Principles in Action. This new section will help us recognize the high-quality agencies and efforts of individual providers across the ESIT statewide system. Nominators will remain anonymous (though we may contact you for more details about your nomination).
Principles
- Families are equal partners who bring to the team skills, experience and
knowledge about their child; and, are the final decision makers as to what
will work best for their family.
- Early intervention recognizes that family relationships are the central focus in the life of an infant or toddler.
- Infants and toddlers learn best through everyday experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar settings.
- The early intervention process, from initial contact to transition, must be responsive, flexible and individualized to reflect the child’s and family’s priorities, learning styles and cultural beliefs.
- All families, with the necessary supports and resources, can enhance their children’s learning and development.
- The role of the service provider is to work in a team to support Individualized Family Service Plan functional outcomes, based on child and family needs and priorities.
- Early intervention practices must be based on the best available current evidence and research.
Read and download ESIT's Guiding Concepts.
Submit Your Nomination!
To make a nomination, please complete the form linked below:
As 2025 is quickly approaching, we are gearing up for our annual Unsung Hero campaign in honor of Parent Recognition month (February) and we are hoping you can help us spread the word far and wide.
Since 2011, with your help, we have honored 366 parents and caregivers in Washington for the roles they have taken with their families, schools and communities. They have been recognized because they have shown strength, courage and empathy in their communities. Parents and caregivers around Washington State are supporting their children, families, and communities in exceptional ways and we want to show our appreciation. Please help us in honoring 28 more in February 2025 by nominating a parent/primary caregiver/guardian/community members for the Unsung Hero award. The nomination form is available in three languages (English, Spanish and Somali). A parent panel will select an honoree for each day in February and then all honorees (including their family or supporters) and their nominators will be invited to an in-person celebratory dinner event in Olympia.
All nominations must be submitted by January 3, 2025. The nominations can be emailed to strengtheningfamilies@dcyf.wa.gov.
Save the Date
We hope that you will join us for the 2025 Infant and Early Childhood Conference (IECC), May 5-9, 2025 hosted completely virtual via Zoom.
Call for Presenters
IECC is currently seeking proposals for its 2025 conference. The IECC Conference is well known within the State of Washington for providing high quality, evidence based training for families and professionals working with young children (ages birth to eight) and their families.
- If you or someone you know may be interested in submitting a proposal - please submit proposals no later than Monday, January 13, 2025. To apply online, click here.
- IECC will be evaluating session proposals using a Rubric developed by DEC - we encourage presenters review our selection criteria before submitting their proposal.
IECC Partnership Opportunity
IECC is so thankful for its many community partners. Due to their support IECC has been able to shift its platform and offer the conference registration complimentary for all attendees the past few years. If your organization would be willing to partner with us please email the conference coordinator, Amanda Cardwell directly at amandacardwell@frontier.com.
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Join us for listening and brainstorming sessions and contribute your expertise! Anyone providing support to young children and families in Washington State is invited to participate, including infant mental health specialists, home visitors, child care providers, community health workers, early intervention specialists, and other trusted community members. There are two opportunities to participate, based on your role.
Direct Service Providers
This group is for individuals who directly engage with families, infants, or communities.
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Format: Two, 2-hour sessions over Zoom (4 hours total)
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Session A: Listening and storytelling about your experiences working in the infant and early childhood mental health field.
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Session B: Brainstorming solutions to expand, diversify, train, and retain the workforce.
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Requirement: Participants must attend both sessions.
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Compensation: Participants will receive a $100 gift card after each session, totaling $200.
Program Directors and Administrators
This group is designed for directors, program administrators, and supervisors.
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Format: One, 2-hour session over Zoom.
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Focus: Discussing workforce challenges, current solutions, and generating new ideas for workforce development.
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Compensation: Participants will receive a $100 gift card for attending this session.
Important Note: Individuals may only participate in one focus group.
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This class will focus on creating and implementing low-tech communication systems for emerging communicators in and out of the classroom setting. The class will begin with a brief review of what is augmentative alternative communication (AAC). It will provide examples of no-tech, low-tech, mid-tech, and high-tech AAC systems. Participants will then learn the difference between a communication system and a classroom support. Designing and implementing a low-tech system will then be discussed. Participants will learn how to create low-tech communication systems and classroom supports using the PASS software.
Registration
Sat., November 2 | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Live Webinar & Recording Available
Presenter: Shari Sayan, M.S., CCC-SLP
Learning Objectives
- Describe the difference between no-tech, low-tech, mid-tech, and high-tech AAC.
- Describe the difference between a communication system and a classroom support.
- Name two considerations when selecting vocabulary for a low-tech communication system.
Pricing
- WSLHA Members | $75
- WSLHA Non-Members | $99
- ASHA CEU Members | $5
- ASHA CEU Non-Members | $7
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DaSy State of the State Map
A high-quality statewide data system provides the information needed to address important questions about early intervention and early childhood special education. DaSy has updated its State of the States Maps with 2023 data on the national status of features of high quality Part C and 619 data systems. Respondents provided information on the following 11 features, which are included in the maps:
- Child-Level Data Systems
- Child Data Elements Linked or in 1 System
- Workforce-Level Data Systems
- Child Data Linked to Workforce Data
- Unique Child ID
- Same Unique Child ID in Part C & Part B 619
- Part C Child Data Linked to Part B 619 Data
- Child Data Linked to Other Early Childhood Education Data
- Child Data Linked to K-12 General Education Data
- Data Governance Body
- Child Data Linked to K-12 Special Education Data
Electronic surveys were sent to Part C and Part B 619 coordinators in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Watch for some forthcoming briefs summarizing more exciting findings from the data collection. State Part C or Part B 619 coordinators or data managers may provide information, make a correction, or request a copy of their responses by contacting DaSy.
Promoting First Relationships Parent Handouts are vetted and available in the following languages:
- English,
- Spanish,
- Somali,
- Arabic,
- French,
- German,
- Polish,
- Russian,
- Tagalog, and
- Ukrainian.
ESIT providers who have completed PFR level 1 training or higher can email pcpr@uw.edu to request copies of any of the above languages.
Languages coming soon:
- Amharic,
- Korean,
- Chinese Traditional, and
- Chinese Simplified.
30+ additional languages are awaiting review and will be released once vetted.
Emergency Broadband Benefit Funds Available
The WA Office of Broadband has funds available to assist families with internet costs. More details on this benefit and how to apply are located here.
Discounted Internet Service Available to Low-Income Households
The federal Affordable Connectivity Program offers eligible households a high-speed internet plan for no more than $30 per month. More details on this program and how to apply are located here.
Digital Navigation Toolkit Available
Digital Health Navigators are individuals who address the whole digital inclusion process - connectivity, devices, and digital skills - to support community members and provide access to healthcare. The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC) has released a new toolkit that provides helpful resource links relating to digital navigation.
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