Pyramid PIECES: A Free Resource for South Carolina Educators

Pyramid PIECES: A Free Resource for South Carolina Educators

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) — On March 17, South Carolina Partnerships for Inclusion launched the website for Pyramid PIECES, a new initiative offering free online training modules to anyone in South Carolina.

The Pyramid PIECES website (www.scpyramidpieces.org) is a valuable resource for teachers that aims to foster positive social and emotional growth in young children.

“We designed this website to provide valuable resources to teachers, trainers, and state-level decision-makers. It will allow them to support the healthy social and emotional development of young children and prevent challenging behavior as well as support intervention if a child exhibits persistent challenging behavior,” said Heather Googe, SCPI’s Principal Investigator. “The site also provides a place to request support such as training, coaching, and consultation for teachers, administrators, and families. Research has shown that the use of these practices can prevent harmful disciplinary practices, such as suspension and expulsion for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.”

Through the website, teachers can access free e-Modules that offer curriculum and resources specifically designed to foster healthy social and emotional development in a supportive classroom setting. Moreover, upon completing each course, teachers can earn continuing education units or childcare training credits, which have been approved by SC Endeavors.

Now in its 10th year of operations, SCPI has developed its new Pyramid Model to act as a framework of evidence-based practices used for supporting the social and emotional behavior development of young children, giving them the proper resources to grow in their learning environments. The Pyramid Model also promotes educators’ confidence to address the social, emotional and behavioral outcomes of young children from birth to age five.

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South Carolina Partnerships for Inclusion (SCPI) is an early childhood technical assistance center focused on increasing inclusive opportunities and school readiness for preschool children with disabilities. SCPI understands that the path to successful adulthood begins with positive early childhood experiences. It reinforces this by partnering with school districts to build local capacity to support all young children and their families to belong and thrive within their communities. It uses a professional development model of technical assistance, training, and ongoing support to meet the needs of districts, schools, and educators.