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PSESD Awarded Office of Head Start Federal Grant 

Funding to serve Head Start and Early Head Start children across King and Pierce counties

Renton, Wash. — Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) is pleased to announce that it has recently completed the grant application process for the Early Head Start/Head Start 412 federal grant and will receive $15.5 million per year over the next five years. This grant will fund programs and services for nearly 1,000 children enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start through PSESD. 

According to PSESD’s Early Learning leadership team, “PSESD is honored to continue to partner with so many amazing providers across the region to provide access to high quality, comprehensive early learning and care services, as we know these opportunities change trajectories for children and families and are strongly aligned with our end: success for each child and eliminate the opportunity gap by leading with racial equity.”  

The total funding available through this grant was $20.2 million, to serve children and families in King and Pierce counties. Alongside PSESD, Neighborhood House was awarded $4.7 million per year for five years, to serve infants and toddlers in the Burien and White Center area. PSESD and Neighborhood House are working together to transition services and will collaborate to provide a continuum of services to the community.

PSESD applied for all $20.2 million available with the intent to serve over 1,300 infants, toddlers and pregnant women in King and Pierce counties. Recent expansion opportunities for ECEAP (Washington State-funded preschool) that were also awarded to PSESD will provide several hundred additional enrollment opportunities for preschool-aged children in the two-county region. Kay Lancaster, PSESD Early Learning Department Executive Director shared, “The excellent timing of ECEAP expansion opportunities will help to bring these early learning experiences to more children across our region, thereby helping our youngest learners to be well-prepared with strong school and life readiness skills.”

PSESD is one of nine regional educational agencies serving school districts, tribal compact schools and state approved charter and private schools in Washington State. Educational service districts, created by the legislature, are essential regional delivery systems for early learning and K–postsecondary services in the state. PSESD is committed to becoming an antiracist multicultural organization in order to achieve our agency end: success for each child and eliminate the opportunity gap by leading with racial equity.

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Archive

AI Innovators Event

Unlock the Power of AI! Join our dynamic educational series where educators dive into the world of artificial intelligence. Over the course of five sessions, you’ll learn from learning about AI basics to using generative AI to assist in crafting lesson activities and strategies. Get ready to transform your teaching and empower students with cutting-edge knowledge!

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Safeguarding Student Data & Privacy and Strengthening Cybersecurity Awareness

Join us on Thursday, May 16th for engaging and informative sessions focused on critical topics for school district personnels, building leaders, and educators. Participants will delve into essential areas related to student privacy, data sharing, and compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

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Puget Sound Educational Service District Selected for Grant Program to Help Local Students Pursue Education and Career Training After High School

Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) is proud to announce that our region has been selected to be part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Horizons Regional Grant Program, a three-year initiative to help more local students continue their education after high school and achieve their goals.

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Amidst the ongoing violence and bloodshed of the Israel-Gaza conflict, we cannot ignore the countless lives lost and devasting impact, particularly to the young people ensnared in this turmoil. As a community committed to fostering peace and championing for the welfare of all, we stand together in unequivocal condemnation of violence and in our unwavering support for humanity. 

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Observing the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Observed each year on March 21 – the tragic day in 1960 when the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire on participants in a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws," killing 69 people, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination remains an important one in the calendar’s attempt to fight racism and racial discrimination.

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Honoring our Education Support Professionals—This Week, and Every Week!

In education, the thousands who serve among the support professionals are an integral part of the industry and its importance.

That’s why it’s so important to celebrate their contributions each year for Education Support Professionals week, which takes place this year from March 11-15, 2024. The week was first noted for celebration in 1975 by PSE in order to salute the irreplaceable contributions of Education Support Professionals (or ESPs, for short) in the public school system.

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PSESD Presents: AUTHENTIC LEARNING IN THE AGE OF AI, with Dr. John Spencer

The AI revolution is here: How will you respond? And what AI tools can be utilized for personalized learning? Don’t miss this essential two-part event ("Authentic Learning in the Age of AI") for K-12 Educators, Leaders, and Administrators in ALL content areas, taking place on Saturday, March 30, and Saturday, May 4, 2024!

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Last Chance to Submit 2024-25 Teacher/Educator of the Year Nominations!

This week is the last chance to submit nominations for Teacher of the YearClassified School Employee of the Year, and Principal/Assistant Principal of the Year! Nominate your candidates online using the Educator of the Year Nomination Form. Applications are for all categories are open until Friday, March 1, 2024 at https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7127358/2023-EoY-Nominations.

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Frederick Douglass's Birthday

Frederick Douglass was a towering individual, an escaped slave who became an impassioned activist, abolitionist, and icon. However, it is an ironic fact that the brilliant Frederick Douglass would surely appreciate that while we now honor his birth date each February 14, Douglass himself was, until late in his life, not entirely sure of the date of his birth.

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Image of Dior Davenport at our PSESD agency all staff celebration

Free Workshop for PK-12 Washington Educators
Join us for an engaging professional learning opportunity for PK–12 educators, principals, and school leaders. Focusing on computational thinking concepts and coding skills, this symposium will highlight Sphero's commitment to supporting district implementation of vertically aligned curriculum and activities that align to Washington's Computer Science standards.

Sphero Symposium (in partnership of Sphero and Puget Sound Educational Service District 121)
Date: Thursday, March 14th, 2024
Time: 8:30 am – 2:30 pm
Location: Puget Sound Educational Service District
| 800 Oakesdale Ave SW, Renton WA 98057
 

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Solution Providers Spring Expo

Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) and Washington Learning Source (WLS) are thrilled to invite you to participate as an exhibitor at our upcoming Solution Providers Spring Expo! This event provides an excellent opportunity to showcase your company products and/or services to a diverse audience. You will have the chance to engage and build relationships with educators and potential clients.

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Solution Providers Spring Expo

Join us at Puget Sound ESD 121’s Solution Providers Spring Expo, where you can discover the latest trends and innovations for FREE! This expo is a great opportunity to connect with like-minded education professionals and knowledgeable specialists while exploring a variety of dynamic products and services.

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