Education for Every Early Learning Provider
BrightSpark partners with CCA of WA’s Professional Development Academy to provide a variety of opportunities for you to achieve your STARS hours, such as in-person training, virtual training, workshops, customized training at early learning programs, book studies, or institutes/conferences. All of our professional development opportunities meet Washington State’s mandated training program requirements for early learning providers.
You've got options!
Our Professional Development team offers a wide range of classes to suit you and your teams’ needs. From virtual trainings hosted on Zoom to customized in-person workshops, we offer information on a variety topics that are meaningful for early learning providers providing all types of care. View our different options below!
Quarterly Class Offerings
Every quarter, the Professional Development offers new, exciting classes taught by either BrightSpark staff or community leaders in early learning. Classes are held either online or virtually, and always earn attendees STARS credits! For updates on seasonal class offerings, check out our Professional Development events page!
Customized Trainings
No matter how big or small your team is, the BrightSpark Professional Development team can create customized trainings that suit your needs! Offered either virtually or in-person (on-location at your program site!), we work with your schedule to offer trainings on the topics that are most important to you.
Deep Dive Trainings
Deep Dive trainings are offered throughout the year and cover a variety of complex trainings that are critical for early learning educators. These trainings last multiple sessions, are lead by BrightSpark experts, and provide a wholistic understanding of several nuanced topics, including expulsion prevention, the business of Child Care, and trauma-informed care.
More information coming soon!
Professional Development Institute
We offer a yearly Professional Development Institute (or PDI), which is a weeklong, “conference” jam-packed with multiple STARS-approved classes per day!
The 2024 PDI is happening May 13 – 18th, 2024.
All sessions May 13 – 17 will be virtual
NEW for 2024, Saturday, May 18th will be in-person in Renton, WA.
Registration for the Professional Development Institute for 2024 opens at the beginning of April. Continue to check back for updates.
Our BrightSpark Approach
First and foremost, everything we do at BrightSpark is informed by our agency’s mission to nurture and sustain child-centered, antiracist early learning communities.
Our professional development offerings help you better support the growth and development of the children in your care (child-centered). Our agency highlights and challenges racist assumptions and practices that adversely impact many children so that, in partnership with you, we find ways to give every child an equitable start in life (antiracist).
Our work is also informed by YOU! We are committed to strong workforce development, engaging adults to meet the ever-changing needs of children, families and the communities they serve and support.
Integrating Core Competencies
We strive to ensure that our professional development offerings meet community and individual needs, while aligning with the Washington State Core Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals. The Washington State Core Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals and the Core Competencies for School-Age Child Care and Expanded Learning Professionals can be found here (available in English, Spanish and Somali).
These core competencies are utilized in planning all of our professional development offerings:
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Child Growth and Development: Understand how children acquire language and creative expression and develop physically, cognitively and socially.
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Curriculum and Learning Environment: Establish an environment that provides learning experiences to meet children’s needs, abilities and interests.
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Ongoing Measurement of Child Progress: Observe and assess what children know and can do in order to plan and provide curriculum that meets their developmental and learning needs.
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Families and Community Partnerships: Develop strong relationships with families and work collaboratively with agencies/organizations to meet children’s needs and to encourage the community’s involvement with early care and education.
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Health, Safety, and Nutrition: Establish and maintain an environment that ensures children’s safety, health and nourishment.
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Interactions: Establish supportive relationships with children and guide them as individuals and as part of a group.
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Program Planning and Development: Establish, implement, evaluate and analyze an early care and education setting.
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Professional Development and Leadership: Serve children and families in a professional manner and participate in the community as a representative of early care and education.
Training Resources
Navigating STARS requirements and other trainings to maintain your provider license can be confusing, but we’re here to help! (All preservice training and in-service training is mandated through the Washington State Administrative Code, Chapter 110-300, titled “Foundational Quality Standards.”)
Links to DCYF Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about BrightSpark’s Professional Development program, or are you looking to connect with us? We’d love to hear from you!