TIME WELL SPENT

The time spent during this program has really been enlightening. I have learned so much about early childhood because of this master’s program and the experiences I have gained in the field. I entered the early childhood field five and half years ago as an early childhood inspector and I felt I was not doing justice to the field because I had no previous experience or training. Although I had interests in early childhood my real journey began when I decided to work with the Early Childhood Commission.  I feel more confident and ready to take on any challenge that comes my way. So far as an advocate I am beginning to see the fruits of my labor and I am say I have great expectations. During my time as a student I have come to recognized how important it is for you to be trained in early childhood. There are so many people in country where we have the blind leading the blind. Policy makers have absolutely no clue what early childhood is about and the decisions they have lasting negative impacts. But all of this is changing, thanks to institutions like Walden that promote social change. You can’t leave the way you came in.

I have three long term objectives: (1) to work as a sector supervisor in the field of early childhood or (2) instruct at the tertiary level; (3) to start an advocacy organization in Jamaica for early childhood, especially, for the practitioners. Currently there are no organizations in Jamaica that really lobby for the improvement of early childhood professionals. We often get what is left over from the budget and sometimes nothing at all. It is sad but it is the reality.

I’m not sure if I should say good bye because anything is possible we might just end up in the same doctoral program. I just want to thank all my colleagues, my instructors, family and friends who supported me for the last 18 months. Even though we communicated mostly in virtual reality we bonded and connected well. I wish you all the best for the future. You can contact met at newgreenmotorsale@gmail.com.

  

  Learning   

      Knowledge    

                  Advocacy         

                             Professionalism

                                            Connections             

                                                       Communication    

                                                                           Bonding

                                                                                    Tolerance

                                                                               

 Families

                           Social Change

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

I have always wanted a job with UNICEF because of the enormous of amount work they do with children around the world. I have several friends and old school mates and family members who have worked with this organization. UNICEF appeals to me because of their mission. UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. I particular like the fact that this organization focus on girls in countries that are not only riddled with poverty but on countries where the females are highly discriminated. The UNICEF also upholds the Convention on the Rights of a Child. The vision statement is “We're passionate about our cause and committed to our mission: to promote the equal rights of children, and to support their full participation in the political, social and economic development of their communities.”  Some of the job positions that is currently being advertised (1) Health specialist; (2) Fundraising specialist and (3) Education specialist. I would particular want to work in an area that directly relates to early childhood and advocacy.  These jobs require that you are trained in the areas of specialization. For example, the applicant should have training in a medical field so as to carry out the functions of a health specialist.

The second organization that has appealed to me is “Save the Children.” This organization invests in children. Various job opportunities include Program and policy work in the areas of U.S. programs, Child Protection and HIV/AIDs, Education and Child Development, Health and Nutrition, Hunger and Livelihoods and Humanitarian Response. (2) Marketing and Communications; (3) Resource Development and (4) Finance. The aim of Save the Children” is to give children all over the world a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.  Like the UNICEF, Save the Children has a wide network. The organization is well organized and makes an appeal to the general public to help children who are in need.

The third organization I am interested is UNESCO. This organization works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO offices various internship programs and job positions. Some of these positions include interpreters and translators. It is therefore important for prospective employees to possess the necessary qualification to join the work force.

All three organizations have one major thing in common. These organizations aim to change  the lives of people for the better. They deal with real issues that affect people. The organizations provide support to families and children and make a positive impact on our world.

References

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.unicef.org/

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2011). Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco/

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

Three organizations that appeal to me are (1) Zero to Three , (2) P.A.C.E. and  the N.A.E.Y.C. The Zero to Three is an organization that provides a wealth of information on early childhood issues. ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development. Nutrition plays a very big role in in the health and development of children especially as it relates to brain development and early childhood. ‘Zero to Three’ provides interested persons in early childhood to help in advocacy. The organization did not provide direct information about the job opportunities and skills that are needed but much of their work is grounded on research and experience; multidisciplinary; collaboration; cultural responsiveness; clinically informed and accessible.

The second organization P.A.C.E is very close to me because I have experienced first- hand the work that this organization has been doing in many early childhood institutions in Jamaica. The organization supports early childhood through different ventures such as (1) providing school supplies; (2) training of early childhood practitioners; (3) other special initiatives. You can donate your resources or volunteer your professional skills such as helping with parenting and practitioners work- shops.

The third organization the N.A.E.Y.C. is a very resourceful organization that provides even smaller communities of practice with information to assist in early childhood practices. N.A.E.Y.C. promotes getting involved in early childhood through their websites. They carry out many seminars for training and provide the most up to date research on early childhood. Various professional positions are also available on their websites such as leadership.

Reference

National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (2015) Get Involved. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/getinvolved.

Project of the Advancement of Childhood Education (n.d) Adopt a School Program. Retrieved from http://pacecanada.org/our-programs/adopt-a-school/.

Zero to Three. Zero to Three’s Fact Sheet.(2014) Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/zero-to-thees-fact-sheet.html

EXPLORING ROLES IN THE ECE COMMUNITY: LOCAL AND STATE LEVELS

The following are three organizations that appeal to me in the field of early childhood are (1) P.A.C.E (Canada)-Project for the Advancement of Childhood Education; (2) The Rural Family Support Organizations and (3) The Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation.

These three organizations have been very instrumental in helping to meet the developmental needs across Jamaica.

P.A.C.E.-This group adopts early childhood institutions in Jamaica and Canada, offers scholarships and bursaries to student teachers, facilitates teacher training and development, donates school supplies to children and schools, and sees to the overall development of the critical age group, 3-6 years. In carrying out its mandate, P.A.C.E. (Canada) has introduced several initiatives, namely: The Adopt-a-School Program - a minimum CDN$1 per day is required for the adoption of a school; The Family Health and Parenting Program; One Laptop per Child Initiative; A Music Program in Western Jamaica; The Workbooks for Schools Initiative; Tech de Bus - a mobile computer lab. To be part of PACE demands no special skills unless you want to participate in their training programs. The website gives a very comprehensive explanation of how you can become part of this organization and how monies are spent on early childhood programs. Because PACE supports early childhood schools through the donations of persons internationally, they also take the initiative to source resources in the field of early childhood to ensure that their programs are meeting the needs of the early childhood programs. A host of information can be accessed through the different newsletters ( Keeping Pace-http://pacecanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Spring_Newsletter_2011_03.pdf) sent to their members. PACE may call on your skills to help with sourcing of early childhood materials such as toys, outdoor play equipment and even volunteering your professional help in the early childhood field to assist with training programs that relate to early childhood development.

The Rural Support Family- This organization does an extensive work in reaching the lives of teenage mothers and making a positive impact on the lives of our children. Formerly the Teenage Mothers Project (TMP) funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation and operated by the Center for Early Childhood Education of the University of the West Indies.  Rural Family Support Organization targets three main family issues: Teenage Pregnancy, Male Adolescents, and Child Development. This organization gives young teenage parents a second chance of achieving a substantial goal whether to become a better parent or to gain a higher level of education. Through this organization, interested persons can become members by registering and of course it is expected to support the organizations mandate both financially through the use of your resources. Because the organization is based on volunteering your support, the organization may welcome persons who are professionals in areas of parenting, vocational skills such as sewing, carpentry and food preparation.

The Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation-The Women's Centre Program sfor Adolescent Mothers was established in 1978 with one Centre at 42 Trafalgar Road, Kingston 10, in response to the high level of teenage pregnancy experienced by the country. The Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) objective is to motivate young mothers to choose education instead of continuous motherhood. WCJF’s Program for Adolescent Mothers encourages the continued education of pregnant or lactating girls under the age of 17 years. In Jamaica the culture towards pregnant teenagers can be aggressive but this organization has given young teenage pregnant mothers a second chance of gaining a high school education. The different centers also provide care for the children by ensuring that the all the early childhood needs are being met. The skills that are needed for these organizations are (1) trained practitioners/caregivers; (2) social workers trained to deal with the specific needs of infants, young mothers and their families. The Women Center also accepts donations and support from a myriad of independent persons and organizations.

Each of these organizations gives hope to young children, therefore, ensuring that our society is a better place to live. Communities of Practice is the heart of these organizations and although each of these organizations may attract persons from different walks of life, professional services such as trained counselors, practitioners and health providers are needed to support these organizations.

References

P.A.C.E (Canada). Retrieved from http://pacecanada.org/

Rural Family Support Organization. Retrieved from http://www.dogoodjamaica.org/organizations/rural_family_support_organization

The Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.dogoodjamaica.org/organizations/women_s_centre_of_jamaica_foundation