Time Well Spent

I learned a lot from this masters program but if I would only have to highlight three points I would have to choose the following.

1. To become an effective advocate of social change in the field of early childhood care and education requires to network with individuals share a common goal so that a community of practice can be built, creating alliances and leveraging resources.

2. It is important to find ways to keep motivated and passionate so that I can continue to make change.

3. It is okay to question the norm of something if I feel it is unjust. It probably affects others and a change should take place.

One long term goal that I plan on pursuing is to be able to one day teach at the University level and share my experiences in working with families and children to many upcoming child development majors.

I wish my instructors and colleagues a great journey in their professional careers.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The first international organization that caught my attention is the United Nations Children's Fund. This organization has information on statistics from around the world and resources on young children as well as adolescents.  For as long as I have been in the field of childhood studies, little do I hear of programs having information on older children. In past child development courses I hear about including the young child's family in the education and care of the child but we sometimes fail to address the child's older siblings.

The second organization that caught my attention is the World Forum Foundation. They host a yearly gathering of ECE professionals from around the world. They highlight the importance of a global perspective of understand child development with cultural diversity as a base. The upcoming gathering will take place in Puerto Rico and they are expecting 800 individuals to share their social justice issues and to share resources on how to better assist families. I did not see information on their site for people to work for them. I would love to be a part of organizing this event as I would get to first hand talk to individuals from around the world as they register. I would also want to be a presenter for them and talk about the importance of unintended consequences that can occur out of a kind act. I would think that the qualifications for a job like this would have to be for a person has to understand cultural diversity and have the liberty to be able to travel around the world so that they get some firsthand experience.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a great international organization that promotes gender equality and the need to end poverty amongst other issues. I like this organization and would like to ne an ambassador and take to my local ECE community and nation the information that this organization provides. In learning about social justice issues and how factors like poverty creates inequality, I am passionate to learn any resource I can use to combat challenges early on.

International organizations like the ones mentioned above are great resources and it would be a dream come true to be able to work for one. I am sure I would be traveling around the world so I would be out teaching children and begin to teach adults. I am not sure I would want to do this yet. I love working children.

 

Resources

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved on June 15, 2013 from http://www.unicef.org/

United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2011). Retrieved on June 14, 2013 from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco/

 

World Forum Foundation. (2013). Retrieved on June 15, 2013 from http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

The Early Head Start Early Resource Center (EHSNRC) is a federal organization that provides federal, state, and private resources on early childhood development. They provide podcasts on various topics that can be downloaded to a computer, tablet or smart phone. It contains research material on health and nutrition topics that educators and education providers can download to become more educated. Materials can also be used as handouts for families at open houses and at parent workshops.

If you serve families that are low income, this next federal organization can provided the center with various foods. The US department of Agriculture is a great organization to know. One can request fresh fruits and vegetables to be sent to your program.

For housing and community assistance, this same organization has a program called the rural development program (RURDEV). They provide funding for single family homes, apartments for low-income persons or the elderly, housing for farm laborers, childcare centers, fire and police stations, hospitals, libraries, nursing homes, schools, and much more.

I would not like to work for any of these organizations but I sure would like to collaborate with them. I am comfortable working in my community.

Resources

http://www.ehsnrc.org/

http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/rural_child_care.htm#federal

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/LP_Subject_HousingAndCommunityAssistance.html