Time Well Spent

            When reflecting upon my time in the Early Childhood Studies program, I realize I have learned many new things and some of those had a long lasting impact on myself.  Within in the scope of my job, I train and work with teachers and directors.  The reason behind my obtaining my Master’s was to be more effective in this area of my job.  The courses I took on adult learning gave me new and useful knowledge.  I have gained tips and techniques for engaging adult learners and supporting their learning whether it is in a two hour training or ongoing coaching support.  I am forever grateful for these courses and the knowledge that I gained from them.

            During my time, I realized the importance of collaborations, how effective they are, and how to do my part to make them effective.  I have always been a person that does not depend on others and would rather do it myself to ensure that it is done correctly.  However this does not always work and sometimes more can be done if multiple people are working together for the greater good.  Over the course of the year I am seeing more collaborations being created in my community on the behalf of children and their families.  I am excited to be a part of these and now have the knowledge to effectively do my part within these collaborations. 

            As a supervisor and responsible for leading a team, I realized that my communication skills needed improvement.  The courses in this program have helped me be more conscious of my communication skills and how to improve them.  A combination of communication skills and knowing how adults learn has helped me to change my approach with my staff, other co-workers, and providers.  The results have already led to a more positive working atmosphere and productivity. 

            I have two long-term goals.  My first long-term goal is to obtain my Doctorate in Early Childhood.  It is a goal I want to achieve but I know that it will take some time before I will be able to obtain it.  I want to take some time to spend with my son and family.  Plus I have added several things to my plate and I need to concentrate on those first.  However, it is a goal and dream of mine and I will achieve it.

            Another long-term goal is to ensure that all the providers in my community have had training and technical support in cultural competence.  My capstone project dealt with cultural competence and I want to continue my work that started in this project.  I do not want my hard work to go to waste.  I want to be advocate for cultural competence and the importance of it for the lives of young children and their families.             

            We are asked to write a farewell message to our instructor and colleagues.  However, I believe that farewell is not the correct word to use.  Due to the passion that my colleagues and I share, I believe that our paths will cross again in the future.  Our futures are bright and I am excited to see what everyone else will do.  In the meantime, I do wish you the best of luck in all that you do in your efforts to improve the lives of young children and their families and the field of early childhood education.  I have gained much knowledge from each and every one of you that has and will continue to make me a better person.  Thank you.  If there is anything you should ever need, email is the best way to reach me.  My email address is myraburrell730@yahoo.com.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: International

                  The first international organization that fosters the well being of children and families in our field is Save the Children.  Save the Children is an organization in which people can sponsor children to give money to ensure their health and education, people can help fundraise for the children, and people can advocate on the behalf of children for bills and laws to help improve the lives of children and their families (www.savethechildren.org, 2011).  My interest was peaked when researching this website because of the work people do and the fact it is mainly run on volunteers.  This helps with overhead costs to maximize the amount of money that goes to help the children.  Also people can choose which child they want to sponsor.  This organization appealed to me because of the fact that the organization is raising money to help the children meet their basic needs, which allows them to learn.  The jobs advertised are for skill-based volunteers in areas such as fundraising, public policy, finance, and social media.  Although skills and experience are not listed because they check applications against the positions available, they do list expectations of the volunteers such as committing to work at least two days a week for a minimum of 14 hours (www.savethechildren.org, 2011). 

                  Another organization that I researched is one that I have experience with but wanted to know more about, Stop Hunger Now.  Stop Hunger Now is an organization that packages meals to ship all over the world to feed children and their families (www.stophungernow.org, 2015).  Their goal is to end world hunger within our lifetime.  They also provide life saving aid to other countries such as helping them with clean water.  Stop Hunger Now asks organizations to donate money and in turn they bring food to the organization.  Then volunteers work together for two hours carefully packaging the food to be shipped both national and internationally.  I have been a volunteer to package the food and it was a rewarding experience.  My husband and son also helped and it was a great experience to teach him the value of helping others and that other children in the world are not as lucky as he.  Like Save the Children, the majority of jobs are volunteers and specifics of being a volunteer are not listed.  I did think it was interesting during my research that the organization was founded in Raleigh, North Carolina, which is about 20 minutes away from my house.  Knowing that it is so close and that I am finishing up my schooling, once I graduate I am going to check into more opportunities to volunteer with this organization (www.stophungernow.org, 2015). 

                  The third organization I looked into was UNICEF.  I have seen the commercials on television and seen some of their fundraising efforts but honestly I had not researched them.  UNICEF works to promote children’s survival, protection, and development (www.unicef.org, n.d.). UNICEF seeks to meet children’s basic needs in order to meet their educational needs, which they also work towards.  One of the job listings peaked my interest because it is similar to what I do in my current job.  The job is for an Early Learning Education Specialist.  This job consists of providing technical assistance to early education through assessments and monitoring.  Education requirements include an advanced university degree in education, child development, or related field.  Other requirements include at least 8 years of experience at the national or international level in education, excellent communication skills, and fluency in English with proficiency in another United Nations language preferred.  The big difference I noticed between this job listing and my current job is the emphasis on global development.  It makes sense because this is an international organization but it also reflects the realization that we are all connected together.  This is a concept that is emerging and UNICEF is a leader within this concept (www.unicef.org, n.d.).  

References

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org. 

 

Stop Hunger Now.  (2015).  Retrieved from http://www.stophungernow.org.

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

Exploring Roles in the Early Childhood Field: National/Federal Level

            As I was researching national/federal organizations, I narrowed my search down to three that appealed to me because their mission reflected some of my professional goals and desires.  The first organization is Zero to Three-The National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families (www.zerotothree.org, n.d.).  The mission of Zero to Three is grounded in research that shows the rapid brain growth during the first few years of a baby’s life and the importance of quality of care and experiences a child has with parents and other adults.  Therefore Zero to Three ensures that all babies and toddlers have a strong start by providing parents, professionals, and policymakers the knowledge and information needed to nurture early development.  One of the job opportunities at Zero to Three is Program Manager of Resource Development.  This peaked my interest due to my desire to move up in management and the description of the job and skills needed are similar to my current job, which I love.  Some of the skills needed to be a Program Manager are having knowledge and experience with infants and toddlers and other agencies that impact these years such as Early Head Start.  The Program Manager needs to know how to use logic models and track outcomes.   Part of my current job is tracking outcomes and I am starting the process next week of re-writing/updating the logic models of my department.  Other experience includes having at least 10 years experience in early childhood and at least 5 years of leadership and supervision.  A Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood or related field is required with a Master’s Degree preferred (www.zerotothree.org, n.d.).  Again this job description is similar to my current job, which could be the foundation for one day being a Program Manager with Zero to Three.  I need some more managerial experience. 

            Another organization that I chose was The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) (www.iwpr.org, n.d.).  The name of this organization quickly grabbed my attention so I researched further to learn what it was about.  The IWPR conducts research and spreads the results to promote public dialog to find ways to strengthen families, communities, and societies.  The research is also used to advocate and inform policymakers and the public on economic and social policy issues that affect women and families.  Policies that affect women and families ultimately affect children and their experiences and quality of life.  Therefore this research is important because of the impact it has on children.  This interested me because of the “trickle down” effect this organization has and it address issues of families that affect our young children.  One of the job opportunities at IWPR is for a Study Director.  The Study Director oversees research and projects and ensures that all components are being completed and then share the findings.  I was intrigued by this job because of its potential to impact social policy.  Also I realize I am not always the best researcher but I want to be a part of it.  I feel like this job would allow me to be part of research yet not have to actually conduct the research.  Qualifications for this job include having a Doctorate in a social science such as economics or sociology.  Experience is key because one would need at least 5 to 10 years in applied research and experience with a variety of research methods.  A Study Director also needs to show the ability to supervise people, knowledge of different reports, be familiar with other organizations and networks related to the job such as policy makers, scholars, funders, and show the ability to be able to raise money (www.iwpr.org, n.d.).

            The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) was the third organization that I researched (www.childrensdefense.org, n.d.).  CDF works to ensure that all children have a level playing field through a healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start, and a moral start in early childhood and in life with the help of caring families and communities.  CDF works to be the voice for all children to help them get what they need.  For example CDF advocates for policies and program that help children and families move out poverty or they work to protect children from abuse and neglect.  My ultimate professional goal is to help all children and tackle all the issues that affect their development and future successes.  The CDF sounds like a perfect fit for me.  When looking at job opportunities, I was drawn to another managerial job, that of Database Manager.  I was drawn to it because I have found a love for reporting, ensuring its accuracy, and being able to lead people based off of reporting outcomes.  The Database Manager requires a minimum of three years experience on a Raiser’s Edge database, one of which I have not heard of.  Other skills and qualifications include ability to prioritize, organize, excellent communication skills, work independently, have a Bachelor’s Degree, and a minimum of 5 years experience in a nonprofit environment (www.childrensdefense.org, n.d.).  I like this job because without the data and reports, advocacy and sharing of knowledge could not take place.

           

References

Children’s Defense Fund. (n.d.).  Retrieved from http://www.childrensdefense.org/.

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research. (n.d.).  http://www.iwpr.org/.

Zero to Three. (n.d.).  Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

            When researching and considering local and/or state agencies and organizations that foster the well being of children, families, and the field, I realized I am lucky.  I am working with two organizations that I consider my dream jobs, the Partnership for Children and North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children (NCaeyc).  However my work with these two organizations may not last forever so I looked at other availability.  The first organization inspired my love and passion for advocacy efforts for early childhood education.  The North Carolina Child Care Coalition is an advocacy coalition made of a variety of other organizations and members that support the Coalition’s work such as financially (www.ncchildcarecoalition.org).  The mission behind the Coalition is to promote high quality, accessible, and affordable childcare in North Carolina.  The job that interests me the most with the Coalition is that of the Executive Director (ED), which is currently filled.  The ED has the responsibility of running the Coalition and being the face of advocacy efforts on the Coalition’s behalf.  Since I love to advocate and build relationships, this would be an interesting job for me.  Skills and experience needed for this job include having excellent communication skills and previous work experience within the early childhood field such as teacher or professional at another agency or organization. 

            Another organization I researched that I am interested in is a nationally nonprofit agency, Child Care Services Association (CCSA) (www.childcareservices.org).  The CCSA also works to ensure affordable, high quality, and accessible child care for children through research, services, and advocacy.  Some of the services provided by the CCSA include free child care referral services to families, technical assistance, and educational scholarships for professionals through the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship, and salary supplements for providers through the WAGE$ Project.  My interest and current job openings at the CCSA involve technical assistance.  Through technical assistance, one can help improve quality in programs by giving the providers tools and resources to use in their classrooms.  The first opening is for a regional Healthy Social Behavior Specialist (HBS).  The HBS is responsible for providing behavior management technical assistance to child care programs.  When programs are having social or behavior problems with children, the HBS can work with the program to come up with techniques to help the teacher best work with these children.  Requirements of the job include at minimum a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood or related field, knowledge of North Carolina licensing rules, knowledge of social and emotional development, and communication skills.

            Another job with the CCSA is the Regional Infant Toddler Specialist.  The Infant Toddler Specialist works with programs to improve the quality of their infant and toddler classrooms.  Qualifications include a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree, at least two years experience in delivering technical assistance, knowledge of the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS), and excellent communication skills. 

            Another job that I have been interested in is a licensing consultant.  A licensing consultant ensures that programs are meeting the requirements set forth by the state to ensure the quality and safety in child care.  In North Carolina a licensing consultant works for the Division of Child Development of Early Education (DCDEE), which is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (http://ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us).  The mission of DHHS is to protect the health and safety of everyone in North Carolina and provide essential human services.  Licensing consultants meet this by protecting the health and safety of children in quality programs.  They provide technical assistance to programs, evaluate the education of providers, issue stars in the star-rated system, investigate complaints, and are the regulatory compliance agency in which they write up programs not following child care rules and laws.  Currently there are not any openings in North Carolina.  Qualifications include at least a Bachelor’s Degree, experience in technical assistance, knowledge of childcare rules and laws, and communication skills. 

References

http://ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us/general/mb_aboutus.asp

http://www.childcareservices.org

https://www.ncchildcarecoalition.org