Time Well Spent

Throughout my early childhood studies, I have shared and developed a sense of community with my early childhood community of practice. I have gained knowledge, abilities, and leadership skills that will help me both in and out of the classroom. I have expanded my knowledge of effective programs and services and how to make informed decisions through research that will impact and improve my ability to work with children, early childhood professionals, and the communities.

My long term goal is to continue to promote positive learning experiences in early childhood programs for ALL children and their families.

As I look at the title of this blog, I began to shed some tears. It has definitely been “TIME WELL SPENT” on this journey of obtaining my Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Studies with a Specialization in Administration, Management, and Leadership. My final Capstone Project was challenging, but has tremendously deepened my understanding and knowledge in the early childhood field. I can remember Dr. Davis putting in some of the course assignments: “the sky is the limit”- when you envision your own growth and accomplishments in the field. My understanding of this phrase is to mean that the potential you have in the early childhood field is limitless. There is no limit on how you can advocate for social change for children and their families in the early childhood field.

To my Instructor and Colleagues- Words of Encouragement:

 

 

Job/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Three international organizations that appeals to me:

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): http://www.unicef.org

UNICEF believes that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstone of human progress. UNICEF was created to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. They believe that we together can advance the cause for humanity. Also, they advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, promote girls’ education- ensuring that they complete primary education as a minimum, act so that all children are immunized against common childhood diseases, and are well nourished, work to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people, and involve everyone in creating protective environments for children.

Save the Children- http://www.savethechildren.org

Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. This organization help children and families help themselves by commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration in the heart of communities.

Academy for Educational Development (AED) - http://www.aed.org

Academy for Educational Development’s mission is to make a positive difference in people’s lives by working in partnership to create and implement innovative solutions to critical social and economic problems. This organization works in all the major areas of human development, with a focus on education, health, and economic opportunities for the least advantaged in the U.S. and developing countries throughout the world.

Job Opportunities

The job opportunity I found interesting to me internationally was a Coordinator at Early Steps to School Success (ESSS). Early Steps to School Success provides early childhood education services to pregnant women and children birth to five years of age, education services to their parents, and ongoing staff training to the community early childhood educators. The Coordinator will recruit pregnant families and children ages birth to five into the program, develop and schedule the program activities, provide regular home visits to families, organize and conduct parent/child groups in the elementary schools, conduct child screenings and make referrals to community providers, coordinate/collaborate with program partners, participate in training and technical assistance activities, and participate in the evolution of Early Steps, including data collection, interviewing and videotaping activities. The education requirements and experience I will need for this position will be an AA degree in Early Childhood or related field with 2-3 years related experience, experience and training working in an early childhood/parenting education program, experience leading parent groups, and experience in collaborating with early childhood programs in the community.

References:

Academy for Educational Development (AED). (2013). Retrieved from http://aed.org

Save the Children. (2013). Retrieved from http://savethechildren.org

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2013). Retrieved from http://unicef.org