BCIU for YOU

Mrs. Jacqueline Westerfer, Oley Valley School District Paraprofessional, Receives the 2020 Annie Sullivan Award Award recognizes local educators for their service to students with special needs Thursday, October 22, 2020 READING, PA – The Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU) honored the nominees and Mrs. Jacqueline Westerfer, recipient of the 2020 Annie Sullivan Award, with a virtual reception and award ceremony on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Colleagues, friends, and family gathered...Read More

On Thursday, October 22, the Children Matter Action Fund partnered with Berks County Head Start to host a virtual event called Candidate Conversations: Views on Early Learning and Child Care Issues.  The event featured candidates for public office discussing key issues around early learning, including the impact of COVID-19 on child care infrastructure, retention of qualified child care staff members, and the ongoing need for state-funded early learning programs.  Speaking at the event were State Senator...Read More

The Committee on Legislative Action (COLA) held its first meeting of the 2020-2021 school year on Tuesday, November 10. The committee convened for a virtual session with special guest Dr. Mark DiRocco, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA), who provided an overview of PASA legislative priorities and updates from Harrisburg.    In addition, the committee reviewed the efforts from the 2019-2020 school year while laying the groundwork for 2020-2021’s legislative priorities. Those priorities, as determined...Read More

The Berks County Intermediate Unit, along with intermediate units from across Pennsylvania, has continued advocating for full funding of Preschool Early Intervention programs in the Commonwealth.    The 2020-2021 interim state budget, signed by the Governor on May 29, 2020, only funded Early Intervention services for five months, through November 30, 2020. All direct service Pre-K – 12 education programs, including Basic Education Funding, Pre-K Counts, Head Start Supplemental, Career & Technical Education,...Read More

Fifty-nine shelters serving families experiencing homelessness, domestic violence survivors and their families, and others in 28 counties across Pennsylvania received over $400,000 in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education / Department of Human Services (DHS). The funding, distributed by the Pennsylvania Key’s Head Start Collaboration Office and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), can be used to improve internet and wireless access and to support the purchase of computer equipment and supplies for parents and children to use while staying...Read More