This webinar series offers tips on how to manage back-to-school
You and your family are in the middle of what is already an unprecedented start to the school year, not to mention all we experienced last spring. You’re processing lessons already learned, adjusting to new ways of preparing your kids and often figuring it out for yourselves. A lot of us are asking … So Now What?
The So Now What? virtual series brings the country’s leading experts in education and childhood development, including PBS Kids, WQED Education, Fred Rogers Productions, Common Sense Media, Learning Heroes and UPMC Children’s Hospital, together with parents and caregivers to share and learn from one another. This series will cover a range of topics specific to this moment in time, including social-emotional wellness, mental health, learning resources, communication, tech safety and much more. Together we will navigate the start to this new, uncharted school year, and make plans for what comes next, no matter what tomorrow brings.
Parents and caregivers are welcome to join any number of sessions. All webinars are free. Each Wednesday evening, a new topic will be covered. Below is a complete schedule of the upcoming webinars and presenters or click here for the flyer. To register, click here.
7-7:30 p.m. Sept. 2: COVID-19 and Kids Health: An evidence-based practical guide & FAQ. Presented by Dr. Megan Culler Freeman, MD, PhD, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Join Dr. Freeman from UPMC Children’s Hospital for a presentation on the effects and spread of COVID-19. Dr. Freeman will provide practical information about COVID-19 as well as answer your questions on how to manage your kids’ health as we return back-to-school.
7-7:30 p.m. Sept. 9: Supporting young children’s social and emotional wellness as we return to school. Presented by Gina Masciola, WQED Education and Roberta Schomburg, Fred Rogers Center and consultant to Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood for Fred Rogers Production. PBS Kids is a treasure trove of digital and non-digital resources for parents. Join us for a comprehensive overview of the most useful and well-liked PBS programs, such as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and media tools. Explore materials on social and emotional wellness for young children in this fast-paced session that integrates games with books, apps, and videos, while connecting home to school and back. Find out what’s new and explore the many ways in which PBS Kids naturally embeds best practices and rich content into a broad range of programs. This webinar is intended for Pre K- 3rd-grade parents.
8-8:30 p.m. Sept. 9: Tweens, teens and mental health. Presented by Jennifer Ehehalt and Michael Robb, Common Sense Media. When the coronavirus pandemic upended our lives, school, social activities and work were all pushed online almost overnight. It’s too early to know the lasting effects of this radical shift but this report from Common Sense Media explores and synthesizes the research on what’s known about the relationship between digital technology use and adolescent mental health — as well as outlines what parents, caregivers and stakeholders can do to help.
7-7:30 p.m. Sept. 16: Ready to Partner: 5 Steps for a different kind of school year for families and schools. Presented by Windy Lopez-Aflitto, Learning Heroes. Every parent is a learning hero. You’ve got what it takes — you know your child best. But even superheroes need a team. When parents and teachers join forces, students succeed. This year it will be more important than ever. In this interactive session, we’ll share easy-to-use resources and five steps that will help keep your child on track, no matter where learning takes place, and how you, as the parent/caregiver, can effectively partner with your child’s teacher.
7-7:30 p.m. Sept. 23: How to be safe online and balance tech usage in a world of virtual learning. Presented by Jennifer Ehehalt, Common Sense Media. More time online might expose kids to more mean online behavior. Help kids dodge the drama and stand up for others. Come learn tips on how you can help your family find a healthy media balance online, even during distance learning, as well as keep your kids safe online.
7-7:30 p.m. Sept. 30: Learning resources for families. Moderated by Remake Learning Days Across America and Kidsburgh. Through this unusual time, parents and caregivers have a new lens into how their kids learn. To help parents and caregivers extend learning beyond school, this webinar will highlight free and low-cost learning resources and tools such as Wide Open School, the Readiness Check, and more for students in grades K-12.
