This
week my blog assignment was to choose three organizations /communities of
practice, either state or local, or in a state I would like to live. When I
started teachers’ college I wanted to do early childhood education, by the time
I was registered the EC program was discontinued. I wanted to connect with
students in a life changing way so I chose Home Economics. A couple years after
college, one of my professors informed me that I should apply to do the
bachelors program in ECE at another college. I was excited but was turned down
because I was not an early childhood teacher. A few years later I got the
opportunity to attend an exchange program and was placed at Minneapolis Head
start program for my field experience, I loved it and that is why I am here at
Walden doing the Ms in ECS.
I
am getting ready to move to Washington DC and is very excited about seeking
employment in one of those organizations that supports EC. My choices are; Head
start, NAEYC and Zero to three .I have learned a lot during this program, about
various organizations that support early childhood. I have membership with a
couple of them and will join others as I go along. I quickly came to trust and
depend on the resources and information that I am able to get from the NAEYC of
which I have the longest membership, a trustworthy community of practice. The
websites for these organizations carry a wealth of resources, also information
about professional development and training opportunities.
The first
organization I choose is The Georgia Head Start Association, Inc. (GHSA, 2015)
I believe in the work that the organization is doing to provide the kind of leadership
that supports the delivery of, a high quality education and advocacy to children
and families in the state of Georgia. Being a nonprofit organization, many
families who would not otherwise benefit is able to receive the kind of quality
services that is second to none. There are 31 Head Start and Early Head Start
agencies across the state of Georgia, providing services to over 25,000
low-income preschool children birth through five-years-old and their families.
Apart from its mission that is reflected in its work, I also trust its vision
of being that positive voice for low income families all across Georgia (GHSA,
2007). There are no current job openings but I will continue to monitor the website
for opportunities for employment in this great organization.
The second organization that
interests me is the NAEYC. I believe whole heartedly in the mission and vision
statements, and I also believe in their values and beliefs. NAEYC is committed
and determined to see that every young child is given the opportunities to
reach his/her full potential. The organization promotes high-quality early
learning, and they support all professionals care giver and educator that work
with young children. The NAEYC website provides a link that can connect its
readers to many valuable resources. There is a link that connects us with all
the available positions for those of us who are seeking jobs to work for the
NAEYC organization. I am excited because most of these positions are located at
the headquarters in Washington DC. Positions
available were; Communication specialists, Program Analysts, Early
Childhood Education Specialists
Some of the
required skills listed included; experience working in programs serving
children, leadership skills, communication skills, experience in community
organizing, and computer skills/ IT skills.
The third that I
chose is Zero to Three, which is
a national, nonprofit organization that is concerned with the wellbeing of
babies in the 0 -3 age range. The organization is a source where parents are
able to gain knowledge and expertise in nurturing their children’s early
development appropriately and confidently. The organization does not only
support parents but is also for policy makers and other professional who seek
knowledge in their efforts of nurturing early development. I choose this organization because
they believe that if babies succeed,
then this contributes to building stronger families, more productive
communities, and an overall strong economy. Their
mission, their focus is for all babies to have equal opportunity for a strong
start from the beginning of life. For thirty years they have been doing a
yearly national training institute to meet the needs of those
working in early childhood education with
infants and toddlers , early Intervention, mental health, early
head start, child welfare, parent education, and pediatrics (Zero
to Three, 2015).
With reference to job opportunities, there were
limited available positions which were mostly outside of my interest. Senior Policy Analyst, Communications Manager. Again required
skills included, experience in serving children, leadership skills,
communication skills, experience in community organizing, and computer skills/
IT skills.
References
GHSA,(2015).Georgia Head Start Association.
Retrieved from www.georgiaheadstart.org/
NAEYC, (2015). The national association for the
education of young children. Retrieved
From www.naeyc.org
Zero to Three, (2015). Zero to
Three. Retrieved from www.zerotothree.org
Sherron,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed looking at your organizations that you found. I think these are great resources for those in the field of early childhood. I am very familiar with NAEYC and Zero to Three as I use those resources a lot in my current work but it was great to look up the Georgia Head Start Association. It always interesting to look up new organizations and gain a different perspective.