PICA Head Start

Guess what...October is Head Start Awareness Month! Head Start programs provide early learning, health, and family support services to children and families. Join us in celebrating the impact of this incredible program! More posts to come as we share all month long what PICA Head Start and Head Start has to offer children and families! #HeadStartAwarenessMonth #CelebratingHSAM

Minnesota Head Start delegation was fortunate to meet with Senator Smith today in Washington DC. Sharing with her how Head Start impacts the lives of children and families. #HeadStartAdvantage #FLI24 National Head Start Association

Thank you Bauer Design Build for your thoughtful work and partnership with us.

Did you know that writing provides stress relief? It also helps with memory and retention, sparks creativity, and builds communication skills. In another PICA U training session, PICA's Executive Secretary Glaiza Regis shares how writing saved her life. She shares the process of publishing her own Memoir and using her story to encourage others to write and find their voice, purpose and promote Health & Wellness. Staff got to participate in a writing session where they got to hear one another's story and realize how we are more alike than we know, and how to be supportive of one another in the work space through effective communication. #WritingIsTherapy #Write #Speak #Motivate #PICAU #Training #Community #PICAPride

Which dish is your favorite? On Friday, PICA's nutrition staff broke into four groups for our annual cooking competition at PICA U to see who could make the best food item. They were judged on taste, presentation, creativity and had to incorporate a secret ingredient. Based on the votes, Team 1 took the win so we'd like to congratulate them for an awesome plating. This was a great way to bring cooks from different centers together to collaborate and create something delicious while having fun. #CooksCompetition #PICAU #Cooks

At the opening of our PICA U training, we had an incredible keynote speaker come in to share his story as a testament to the power of resilience, determination, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. By sharing his fraught with adversity and overcoming significant challenges, he reminded PICA staff of their purpose and that it's not just about us, but the families, children, and communities we serve. That in order to have a strong foundation, you need a strong base. We have to change our perspective, to be thankful, to get excited about ourselves, and remember that the word future is synonymous with Legacy! The acronym he left us with was G.I.D. (Get It Done!) We thank Jonathan for his time and great energy. He has shared his “Strategies for Success” with other Head Start agencies and over 2 million people across more than 45 states and 10 countries. He is the author of 10 books and is currently a Harvard student studying the psychology of human performance. You can find out more about him at https://lnkd.in/gqAUkCKA #Keynote #Motivational #Inspire #HeadStart #PICAPride

We'd like to give a heartfelt thank you to all the vendors, speakers, trainers, staff and community members who helped facilitate our largest agency wide training last week. "PICA U" as we call it, consists of a week long training to provide high quality federal and state mandated trainings that enhance professionalism, team spirit, health and wellness and of course PICA Pride! This year's theme was "Building a Strong Foundation for the Future." Stay tuned for a recap of this past week's events! #PICAPride #PICAStrong #Trainings

Once again!! We are proud to announce that PICA has been named a 2024 Star Tribune #TopWorkplace. Thanks to our employees who helped make this happen. This is all a result of your honest input and participation.

Todd Mitchell was a former PICA Driver, Cross-Cultural Specialist and Center Supervisor. He devoted over 20 years of his career with PICA. Todd loved fishing so much that in honor of him, PICA began an annual fishing event that continues to grow each year. This year, we had nearly 500 parents, children and families who showed up and enjoyed the beautiful weather with Todd Mitchell Annual Fishing t-shirts, food, fishing poles and a lot of fun! #PICApride #Family #Community #MaleInvolvement #Fishing #FamilyFun

With nearly 60 vendors at PICA's #ParentConnect event, we would like to thank all of you for coming out and providing some great resources to our families and the community! In addition to informative material, we had activities, food, prizes, and a full house with a great turnout. To our incredible staff who gave their time in setting up, guiding families, providing meals and creating a welcoming space...it all comes from a place of loving what we do and the impact we make. #TeamWorkMakesTheDreamWork #HeadStartWorks #Community #Resources #Connection