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/.
