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