Trying Together is a trusted early childhood nonprofit based out of Southwestern Pennsylvania that has been supporting the work of early childhood for the last 60 years.
Why does it matter?
Supporting the work of early childhood matters because when children have the opportunity to receive high-quality early learning experiences, they can grow and develop in healthy ways.
Brain research shows that 90% of brain development occurs during the first five years. This means that a child’s environment and experiences play an important role in shaping their future quality of life.
Supportive environments help children learn new skills. When children are in an environment where they are loved and taken care of — and adults are there to motivate and encourage them — they will be more likely to develop strong social and emotional skills. For example: the ability to self-regulate their emotions; have increased thinking and planning skills; negotiate solutions; and increase their language capabilities.
With healthy brain development and the increased ability to form healthy relationships, young children have the opportunity to experience better long-term outcomes for their well-being. With advocacy, community resources, and professional development offerings that meet their needs, the caregivers of young children supported by Trying Together are better able to prepare children to have confidence and to provide them with the resources and tools they need to also grow up and become healthy and successful adults.
What are you supporting when you make a contribution to Trying Together?
When you donate to Trying Together, you are helping to create a future in which:
- All children have access to high-quality, early learning environments;
- All families have the resources they need to support their children’s early learning experiences; and
- All caregivers feel valued.
Help us support the work of early childhood and donate today at tryingtogether.org.
2023-2027 Strategic Roadmap
By 2027, Trying Together will sustain a culture of belonging within its staff and Board of Directors and with families, educators, and community partners that values curiosity and collaboration, and nurtures a community of accountability and continuous learning. With this ecosystem in place, Trying Together will be:
- A trusted source for families to collaborate with regarding their child’s early experiences.
- An experienced facilitator of inclusive learning opportunities for educators that aims to ensure every child has access to high-quality early care and education.
- A collaborative convener that coordinates and helps to connect systems to support early care and education.
- A committed advocate mobilizing for policy change alongside communities to elevate the needs of young children, families, and educators for an equitable early care and education system.
- An accountable nonprofit that prioritizes ethics when raising funds in support of its mission and provides transparent stewardship to its donors.
The Trying Together Board of Directors, staff, and community partners are currently working together to meet these goals, and have had the following impact in recent years:
Community Resource Impact
- The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center has provided diapers and formula for hundreds of families.
- Community Learning Hubs provided care and education for 1,170 students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Buzzword has distributed thousands of BUZZ Boxes to families to support their young children’s early literacy development.
Family Engagement Impact
- 50,229 pageviews of Allegheny Child Care at tryingtogether.org since July 2020.
- 259,504 pageviews of the Developmentally Appropriate Parenting (DAP) Resource Series pages at tryingtogether.org since July 2020.
- 3,191 referrals given to families by the Family Resource Coordinator.
- 1,130 DAP Resource Series card sets distributed to caregivers and families.
Public Policy Impact
- $109M in increased investments for pre-K.
- $25M in increased state investments to child care.
- $16M in increased state investments for home visiting.
- 3,168 actions taken by advocates.
Professional Growth Impact
- Supported 460 early care and education professionals in the application process to receive funding to attend higher education programs.
- 144 professional development events were attended by 3,629 participants.
- Three virtual UnConferences were hosted with the support of PNC Grow Up Great, engaging 916 early childhood professionals.
- 15 early learning professionals, 12 Apprenticeship Coaches, and seven employers were served through the Southwestern Pennsylvania Apprenticeship Program.
- Nine community-based Child Development Associate (CDA) cohorts were conducted, serving 203 early learning professionals, with 12 pursuing a higher education degree.
- Nine Trying Together CDA students have matriculated to Carlow University for college credits.
Reinforce our work and increase the impact on young children, families, and caregivers by donating today at tryingtogether.org.
Story and Photography by Trying Together
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