Time Well Spent

 At the start of this program, I did not know what to expect because I made a complete career change from having a Masters degree in Biochemistry to seeking another Masters degree in Early Childhood Studies. I knew that I wanted to learn what early childhood education was all about from an academic stand point and also be able to make an impact in the lives of young children.

In the course of this program, I have learned to persevere and to focus on my goals despite the inconveniences I may experience. Meeting up with deadlines and also trying hard to maintain good grades while juggling family live and work was not an easy feat. I have also learned that I need to deal with my implicit biases everyday in order to be an effective educator. While interacting with children and families from different cultures, beliefs, etc, it is necessary to that I am able to offer them a safe place for their children to thrive without prejudices. Finally, I have learned of the importance of the early years of a child's life. The experiences they are exposed to in their early childhood is what determines their outcome in life.

My long term goal is to further my studies in this field or another specialty that offers support to the ECE field. Also, I want to set up an initiative with the goal of offering support to teachers and schools on the issue of gender stereotypes and gender roles.

To Dr. Johnna Darragh Ernst, I want to thank you for always pointing me to the right direction. I also appreciate how kind your corrections were even when I still could not figure things out. Even though this course was intense, it made me soul search a lot and helped me pin point on what I want to put my energy into.

To my colleagues, I enjoyed reading every discussion and blog posts each week and also see the things you were all passionate about. It was truly encouraging and inspiring to see how much the ECE field truly meant to you and also how you plan to make an impact in the lives of children and families. I wish you all well as you continue to achieve your goals.

 

 

Jobs/ Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

 1. Child Rights International Network (CRIN)

CRIN is an organisation that focuses on creating new and dynamic perspectives on human rights issues. They also campaign for a genuine shift in how governments and societies view and treat children. The organisation is fighting for a world where children's human rights are recognised, respected and enforced. Their objectives are as follows:

- Change the narrative so that children become recognised as people with independent human rights.

- Build a collective so that defending children's rights becomes a shared responsibility.

- Seek justice so that when rights are violated, there is a fight for justice, accountability and redress.

2. Save the Children

This is an international organisation that also works hand in hand with their national members which makes their reach to children more effective. The organisation is focused on ensuring the following;

- Children are given the best opportunity to survive and enjoy good health.

- Children have access to quality basic education. Children are deprived from learning as a result of poverty, gender discrimination, ethnic discrimination and even disability.

- Protecting children against all forms of violence which includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and exploitation.

- Advocating for children and to ensure that they are given the best opportunity available.

3. UNICEF

The organisation drives change for children and young people every day across the globe. UNICEF focuses on the following:

- Child protection and inclusion by ensuring that there is gender equality, protection for children with disabilities.

- UNICEF works around the world to ensure that every child is given access to quality learning.

- On gender equality, UNICEF works to empower girls and women to ensure that they are participants in political, social and economic systems.

Job Role: Gender Development Manager (P-4)

- The General manager may supervise and lead experts, international and national consultants, project staff, and will be expected to develop and maintain a network with colleagues from UN Agencies, Government officials, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors, NGOs and civil societies.

- The General manager will report to the P-5 Chief of Education who is also the Head of Education Team in the ECW Secretariat.

To qualify:

-An advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in one of the following disciplines: education, gender development, social sciences, public administration.

- Minimum of 8 years of progressive responsible professional experience in emergency context.

- Excellent understanding of gender and inequality issues.

- Experience in program management and technical leadership.

- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Functional Competencies

- Analysing

- Planning and Organising

- Applying technical expertise

- Relating and Networking.

Reference

CRIN (2020). The CRIN Code. Retrieved from https://home.crin.org/who-we-are-2

Save the Children (2020). What we do. Retrieved from https://www.savethechildren.net/what-we-do

UNICEF (2020). What we do. Retrieved from  https://www.unicef.org/what-we-do

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

1. The first organisation is National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). They connect early childhood education professional to resources that enables them to be informed and up to date on issues concerning children from 0- 8 years old. As a paid membership organisation, they are able to fund research on ECE as well as provide high quality information to its members. 

A current job opening is that of a Business Development Manager in Washington DC.

2. A second organisation is the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations on Early Learning (CSEFEL). This organisation supports the social emotional development of young children from 0- 5 years. This national resource centre is funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau. It works to send out research and evidence based practices to early childhood centres. To improve on its outreach, it has partners in states around the country.

3. Zero to Three is an organisation that supports babies and toddlers. Their goal is to ensure that children reach their potentials. This organisation brings together leaders in the fields of medicine, mental health, child development, etc in order to create quality resources and programs that would be helpful to the community.

A job opening for the role of Director of Equity and Outreach. The director overseas the development and implementation of equitable practices within the National Center on Early Childhood Development and Learning (NCDTL).

Some essential duties include the following;

- Over see NCDTL internal EI & CLRP work group efforts including activities, meetings and reports.

- With the Center Director, create and oversee a quarterly marketing and dissemination plan.

- Contribute to training as needed and required by OHS.

Some essential skills include the following;

- Strong interpersonal skills.

- Approaches activities with an innovative mindset.

- Strong track record of project management and collaborative skills across a set of diverse partners.

Some essential qualities include the following;

- Encourages and practices critical thinking.

- Is self-reflective and empathic.

- Maintains a respectful and accepting approach to others.

Reference

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

 I live in France currently and I have included some organisations that make an impact in the ECE community.

The first is Association Français pour la Sauvegarde de l'enfance et l'adolescence (AFSEA) which is among other association under the Convention Nationale des Association de Protection de l'Enfant (CNAPE). This association has been ensuring that young children and adolescents are protected and also protects the rights of children. They offer support to children and other forms of interventions such as medical assistance and also treatment for those that have suffered abuse, et cetera (CNAPE, 2020). 

The second one is L'association AGIR pour la petite enfance. This association advocates for the cooperation amongst parents, teachers and children. Also the association was set up to publicise events concerning early childhood as well as offer support to early childhood professionals by offering them tools and developmentally appropriate equipment for young children in their care. This organisation also founded the National Early Childhood Week. A week for parents, early childhood professionals and children get to collaborate and interact in all early childhood establishments (AGIR, 2020).

Lastly, Association Des Collectifs Enfants Parents Professionals (ACCEPP). This association is made up of a network of parents and early childhood professionals. Their goal is to ensure that parents are able to contribute to the education of their children by collaborating with the professionals. As a non profit organisation, it has supported the education of parents who want to volunteer at schools, creches and other programs by accessing diplomas (ACCEPP, 2020).

An ideal job would be to volunteer my time in supporting these organisation and also with my education in early childhood studies, it would be a perfect fit with them. By working as a coordinator who would ensure that the mission and vision of these associations are known by families who are more likely in need of their services. In addition, i would also strengthen partnerships with other associations as well as sponsors whose purpose align with the associations.

Reference

AGIR (2020). Association AGIR. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://www.rdvpetiteenfance.fr/lassociation/

CNAPE (2020). La fédération. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from https://www.cnape.fr/notre-organisation/

ACCEPP (2020). Qui somme nous. Retrieved September 19, 2020, from http://www.acepprif.org/

Reflecting on Learning

 Week 8: 21 August, 2020

My most passionate hope for my future as an early childhood professional and for the children and families with whom I will work with is to be able to meet the needs of my students and families whenever I spot them. By saying needs, I mean helping them to come to terms with any form of discomfort they may have as we go on the journey of anti-bias education and learning. This path is one that requires a lot of determination, self-reflection and humility in order to go through the process of stripping oneself of all implicit biases, unlearning them and then creating new perspectives on everything that is different from what is known. 

Another hope of mine is to be relentless in acquiring knowledge and new skills that would be beneficial to me, so that in turn I can use it in creating more effective anti-bias classrooms and building healthy relationships with children and families. 

I want to use this opportunity to thank my colleagues for a successful and engaging 8 weeks on this course. I appreciate our interactions and also got to see things from different points of view in a manner that was enriching and articulate. As we continue towards the completion of our Masters degree program, I hope to meet you all in our final course, but for now, I wish you all well.