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.
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