Time Well Spent

          

           As one journey ends, another is just beginning. I want to congratulate every one of my colleagues for completing the Capstone Course at Walden University. As we conclude our Master’s Degree program, we begin a new journey in becoming advocates for social change within the early childhood field.

            The Early Childhood Studies program at Walden has offered me many deeply felt learnings. One of the most impactful pieces I will take away from the program is on how to go about being an advocate for social change. There are a plethora of resources and organizations already established within our society which can aid us in achieving our advocacy dreams and I am excited to tap into these resources to make a greater impact on the early childhood field. I also have learned about the importance of collaboration, specifically, collaboration within a community of practice. I had never heard of the term ‘community of practice’ prior to my Capstone Course, yet now I see how without establishing a community of practice, my goals will be harder to reach and perhaps less effective in their application. A final deeply felt learning from this program was on learning more about myself in terms of my own bias, stereotypes, values and beliefs. I have learned the importance of identifying the root of these beliefs and the effect they can have on both my personal and professional relationships. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to explore my values, beliefs and bias further throughout the past two years and look forward to continually learning about myself in order to be the best educator possible for my students.

            My long-term goal is to eventually open up my own early childhood center, focused on inclusive schooling. I want to implement new, innovative ideas and strategies to ensure all children receive access to high-quality education and feel supported throughout their early schooling years. While I know this will take time, patience, and a strong community of practice supporting me, I believe my passion will help me in the end to accomplish this goal.

            Finally, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to Dr. Darragh and my classmates. As Julie Benavides explains, everyone has the ability to inspire others (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). You all have been such a strong support system to me throughout this course, as well as previous courses which I have collaborated with you. It is your specific feedback, dedication to the field of early childhood, and profound passion which has empowered me to continue on my journey to being an early childhood advocate. I wish you all the best of luck in your future career and I truly hope this is not the last time we will collaborate together in making a greater difference within the field of early childhood education.

Reference

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). EDUC 6990: Practical application in the

early childhood field. [Multimedia]. Merging vision, passion, and practice. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Having the unique opportunity this week to explore professional job opportunities within international organizations and communities of practice have allowed for me to feel as if I can have a greater impact on the world’s children than what I had thought I could in the past. Allowing myself to take part in international organizations will not only offer me once in a lifetime opportunities, but I will in turn be making a difference in the lives of thousands of children worldwide.

UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund)

UNICEF is perhaps the most popular, as well as world’s largest organization seeking to protect the rights of young children (UNIFEF, 2014). This organization appeals to be because it seeks to ensure children’s rights to developments are embraced on an international level (UNIFEC, 2014). This organization never gives up on children and is constantly advocating for the rights of young children and through their success and commitment, I have been inspired to find my voice and join such a remarkable organization.  

Current Vacancy: Consultancy assignment: Strengthening data and inclusion of children with

                                disabilities in education

“UNICEF world’s leading organization working for the rights of children, seeks a consultant to undertake an assessment of the existing Education Management Information System (EMIS) in 2 UNICEF programme countries and based on the assessment to support piloting of disability inclusive EMIS in these countries, depending on agreement from the concerned Ministry of Education to proceed with the pilot. The consultant will also develop a paper making a case for investment on children with disabilities to support advocacy and action in education as well as other sectors” (UNICEF, 2014 p.1).

Skills & Qualifications;

*Advanced degree in relevant field, preferably education or social sciences.
• 15-20 years of professional experience at the national or international level in relevant field, preferably on issues around disability and education.
• Strong background in working with data, statistical analysis, monitoring and evaluation, disability measurement, EMIS.
• 2-3 major publications.
• Ability to work in international environments.
• Ability to work in a team and as a team leader.
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills.
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s mission

Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI)

            The Association for Childhood Education International (2011) is an organization which aims to bring together individuals in order to share new approaches to education, allowing for young children to reach individualized goals through education. I chose this organization because it seemed to be a model for an effective community of practice as it brings together educators from around the world in order to expand their curriculum and approaches to helping children to reach their developments. The organization seeks to ensure young children, as well as their educators feel supported and develop a passion for life-long learning, which is also a goal of mine in my professional career (AEIC, 2011).

Current Vacancy: Summer Online Research/Data Gathering Internship

            “ACEI often has internships available during the summer months, with applications being reviewed during the spring. Interns are given the opportunity to gain work experience consisting primarily of online research and data gathering that will contribute to the development of briefing papers and other types of resources. In addition to their day-to-day assignments, interns will have the opportunity to attend various meetings related to childhood education” (ACEI, 2011, p.1).

Skills & Qualifications;

“*Schedule which allows for the opportunity to attend various meetings related to childhood education for 8-12 weeks.

*Enrolled in a graduate degree program that focuses on global education issues with a particular interest in children's education.

*Interns who have had some international experience(s) working or living outside the U.S. are preferred.

*Must reside in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area during their assignment

*Must be responsible for arranging their own housing and transportation” ACEI, 2011, p.1)

           

Save the Children

Save the Children “gives children in the United States and around the world what every child deserves – a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When disaster strikes, we put children's needs first. We advocate for and achieve large-scale change for children. We save children's lives” (Save the Children, 2014, p.1). This organization appeals to me as they appear to be extremely proactive in helping children in any way they possibly can. I wish nothing more than for all children in the world to feel loved, provided for, and supported, and Save the Children does just that. They seek to ensure the lives and developments of all children are fostered in a way which allows for them to reach their goals in life without having to deal with extraneous variables which may hinder their achievements (Save the Children, 2014).

Current Vacancy: Fall Early Childhood Development Intern

            “The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) team seeks an intern to support its role in thought leadership. The intern will assist in coordinating the global ECCD working group and support the Senior Director in facilitating advocacy and dissemination of evidence” (Save the Children, 2014, p.1).

Skills & Qualifications;

·         Be able to organize Webinars

·         Able to help facilitate country status mapping

·         Strong documentation skills

·         Bachelors degree (with preference for Master's underway) in early childhood development, education, international development, public policy, communications or other related field

·         Possess strong written skills, solid interpersonal skills and ability to work within a team

·         Must be proficient in Microsoft Office

·         Must be eligible to work in the U.S.

·         Must be enrolled in a relevant undergraduate, graduate or post-graduate academic program

Reference

Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). (2011). Internships at ACEI.

Retrieved from http://www.acei.org/about-us/internships-at-acei.html.

Save the Children. (2014). Careers. Retrieved from

https://ch.tbe.taleo.net/CH07/ats/careers/requisition.jsp;jsessionid=379DE7876A76D3FEA7A4A4F04B677827.NA10_primary_jvm?org=SAVETHECHILDREN&cws=5&rid=2600.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNIFEF). (2014). UNICEF: Employment. Retrieved from

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_74673.html

Jobs in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

            This week I had the privilege of exploring job opportunities through early childhood advocacy organizations on a national level which supports my Capstone Project topic of inclusion. While I have never considered job opportunities outside of my state before, upon reflecting on the opportunities each of the organizations I found had available, it has sparked my interest in potential career options for my future.

Division of Early Childhood Education-Council for Exceptional Children

            The Division of Early Childhood Education was the first national organization which caught my attention. The mission of the Division of Early Childhood Education’s Council for Exceptional Children (2014) is “All Children Together” (p. 2). Working with this organization would be a dream of mine as they continually seek out opportunities to help not only the children in the early childhood field, but to provide further support and education to families, educators and the overall community.

            Current Position Opening: Professional Development Specialist

“The successful applicant will provide support for the professional development of kindergarten teachers as part of an educational intervention project to improve school readiness of disadvantaged children. He or she will also participate in research activities and receive training in the project’s specific coaching model in order to conduct classroom observations of teaching practices and curriculum implementation. Skills and experience needed include; experience working on early intervention projects, experience providing professional development to kindergarten teachers, experience teaching and implementing content-based curricula in early elementary school,  access and ability to transport self to school sites, knowledge of early childhood development and curriculum, ability to pass a criminal background check” (p. 6).

Zero to Three

Zero to Three is an organization comprised of individual policy makers who are passionate and focus on the advocacy of research-based information to be shared with as many people possible in regards to children’s learning and needs (Zero to Three, 2012). This organization interests me as they have as the individuals who work for the organization hold a wealth of knowledge and focus on spreading their knowledge of early childhood education through monthly publications. One focus area for this organization in early care and education where they focus on ensuring children reach their full developmental potentials within the early learning setting, which is my aim in ensuring my inclusive students are supported to reach these gains (Zero to Three, 2012).

Current Position Opening: Senior Training Specialist

“The Senior Training Specialist is responsible for contributing to the efforts of the EHS NRC to develop a comprehensive body of knowledge for the EHS and MSHS community by

organizing and enhancing the quality of EHS NRC training efforts. This position will provide a limited number of research based training through face-to-face venues, as well as distance venues (audio conferences, webinars and/or webcasts). This position will work closely with the Senior Training Coordinator to ensure quality across EHS NRC trainers by reviewing power point slides and other materials for consistency; organizing the electronic filing system for maintaining PowerPoint slides and training handouts, and creating training templates, utilizing previously developed PowerPoints and other materials. This position will serve as an integral part of the EHS NRC team, contributing to other duties as needed” (Zero to Three, 2012, p.1).

            Skills needed; Strong knowledge of early childhood development and early childhood systems; with a specific focus on infant and toddler development,  strong knowledge of Early Head Start program development, the Head Start Program Performance Standards, and EHS

technical assistance resources, excellent training skills and experience providing training to a variety of audiences, strong skills in the use of Microsoft Office products, strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks, strong oral skills, experience working in various databases, ability to work collaboratively with individuals representing a range of backgrounds and skill levels, ability to be flexible and adaptable to dynamic changes in the work environment, ability to work with a team as well as independently, and ability to travel” (Zero to Three, 2012, p.1).

National Institute for Early Childhood Research

            The National Institute for Early Childhood Research, specifically their Center for Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO), focuses enhancing the knowledge and experiences of individuals working with young children in order to increase the quality of their early learning programs through the creation of learning communities (National Institute for Early Childhood Research, 2014). I was excited to find this national organization because it appears to align with what I have learned about the past several weeks in relation to the importance and impact a community of practice can have as they have already developed their own communities. I look forward to continually learning more about this organization as I aim to help increase the active involvement of the participants in the inclusion process, just as this organization does for all children.

            Current Position Opening: Data Collectors

“Founded in 2002, the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) is affiliated with the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University, a Research I institution. We are currently seeking year-round data collectors.  NIEER supports early childhood policy development by providing independent research and analysis. The Institute’s work includes large-scale, multi-state evaluations of the effectiveness of PreK programs, randomized trials of alternative programs and policies, research syntheses, and national and international evaluations of early childhood programs. 

The National Institute for Early Education Research is seeking Data Collectors year-round. Applicants should be graduate students, have a BA or be upperclassman undergraduate students with a focus on child development, early childhood, psychology or related field. Knowledgeable about child development and developmentally appropriate early childhood teaching practices (e.g. Teacher) preferred. Experience in classroom settings and/or working with children highly preferred. Must be available to work 2-3x per week during data collection period; days are flexible and must be available to attend intensive trainings that vary between 2 days and a full week. The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate an excellent academic record (GPA should be 3.0 or better)” (National Institute for Early Childhood Research, 2014).

Reference

Division of Early Childhood Education. (2014). Council for Exceptional Children. Retrieved

from http://careers.dec-sped.org/.

National Institute for Early Childhood Research. (2013). Center for Enhancing Early Learning

Outcomes. Retrieved from http://nieer.org/about-nieer/ceelo-project-description.

Zero to Three. (2012). Early experiences matter. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/.