STATE, LOCAL LEADERS RECOGNIZE PROVIDER APPRECIATION DAY Johnstown, PA (May 6, 2026) – Early Childhood Alleghenies, a service of The Learning Lamp, will join organizations across the country in observing Provider Appreciation Day on Friday, May 8, 2026, with special recognition from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, State Senator Pat Stefano, Johnstown City Mayor
CELEBRATING NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK WITH EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKFORCE FOCUS Johnstown, PA (April 28, 2026) – The Learning Lamp joins partners across the country to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), April 26 through May 2, 2026. The nationwide event highlights the value of Registered Apprenticeship in building a skilled workforce and strengthening the economy. Coordinated by
FREE SUMMER LESSON PLANS FOR PA CHILD CARE, SCHOOL, COMMUNITY PROVIDERS Johnstown, PA (February 9, 2026) – Summer planning just got a whole lot easier for child care and other youth-serving programs in Pennsylvania thanks to Best Day Ever! The ready-made, child and teacher-tested resource has just released 24 brand new summer camp
Johnstown, PA (March 12, 2026) – Child care is a challenging business with high stakes and razor thin operating margins. Children’s brains develop most rapidly in the first five years, with 90% of development happening before entering kindergarten. That’s why quality child care is so critical. And yet, early learning is grossly underfunded, with most of
BACK-TO-SCHOOL SERIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR Karian Wise is an Interaction Design Strategist at Trying Together, a Pittsburgh nonprofit dedicated to high-quality early childhood care and education. She facilitates the Everyday Interactions Matter approach, helping educators reflect on their relationships with young children. Karian also teaches early childhood education at
FREE SUMMER LESSON PLANS FOR PA CHILD CARE, SCHOOL, COMMUNITY PROVIDERS Johnstown, PA (May 6, 2025) – Summer planning just got a whole lot easier for child care and other youth-serving programs in Pennsylvania thanks to Best Day Ever! The ready-made, child and teacher-tested resource offers 24 free summer camp lesson plans for
RAISING YOUR PA STARS WITH SHARED SERVICES “EC Alleghenies has played a crucial role in helping me provide high-quality care to my families. I’ve recently moved to a STAR 4 facility, and their services were instrumental in achieving that milestone.” ~ Kristi Tataleba, Owner, Tataleba’s Quality Childcare Home in Berlin, PA By joining EC
Several local child care providers have applied for EC Alleghenies' $1,000 mini-grants to help them open new facilities, expand to serve more members of their communities, or purchase necessary supplies and equipment. The mini-grants are available to new or expanding child care providers in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties. The Legacy Learning
$24,073 RAISED THROUGH JOINT FUNDRAISING “We did a fundraiser and had a great experience. It was so easy to fill out the spreadsheet with our orders and then they took care of the rest. We will be working with them on fundraising in the future!” ~ Mandy Naugle, Harbor House Preschool and Kindergarten in
Early Childhood (EC) Alleghenies, a network of child care providers in south-central Pennsylvania that shares resources and engages in strategies to support members and the children and families they serve, has approved a second round of mini-grants to help new startup programs and existing providers seeking to expand. EC Alleghenies previously dispersed 15 mini-grants of
