Farwell

     This last a final course has been really challenging. My journey here at Walden has given me so many great learning opportunities and experiences. This class has taught me ho to challenge myself, how to explore state, local and jobs internationally, how to become a better advocate, and a leader. One long term goal that I have for myself is to do some early childhood work aboard, I'm not sure in what capacity or arena, but, I do know that I would love to use my knowledge and love of children and families aboard. I would like to thank everyone and Dr.Dartt for your valuable comments, ideas, suggestions and questions, it has taught me various ways to look at situations. I wish you all  the very best in all of you work and future endeavors as well as your personal lives and happiness!

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

     The three international organizations that I chose that appealed to me are: 1. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2.Save the Children, 3Academy for Educational Development. I choose these three organizations, because they all share a common goal and mission, which is caring, supporting, providing, and educating children from all over the world, which may be less fortunate. I love the mission statement from (UNICEF) “Our programmes in the region help to inspire a common vision of child rights and to mobilize societies to pursue that vision so that the rights of every child are fulfilled” (UNICEF, 2011)

     

      If I were to pursue job opportunities through the (UNICEF) I would choose to work in the Caribbean, specifically in Jamaica. For one because I love the island, my family and I always vacation there, but I would be interested in doing some important work for the children of Jamaica. I did not see any direct jobs, but working for UNICEF I would like to work with Empowering girls, “Providing girls with an education helps break the cycle of poverty: educated women are less likely to marry early and against their will; less likely to die in childbirth; more likely to have healthy babies; and are more likely to send their children to school. When all children have access to a quality education rooted in human rights and gender equality, it creates a ripple effect of opportunity that influences generations to come”( UNICEF, 2011)

     The second organization, Save the Children the Project Director - School Disaster Management

Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh, sound interesting, here are some qualifications and job specifications: CONTRACT LENGTH: 18 months starting from May 2015
The role:
Save the Children is about to initiate an 18-month project with funding from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (DG ECHO). The project focuses on School Disaster Management (SDM) in Bangladesh by operationalising the global Comprehensive School Safety Framework (CSSF).

• The objective of the project is to increase the resilience and safety of students, teachers, schools, and the education sector overall in Bangladesh through institutionalising SDM in the primary, secondary, and non-formal education (NFE) systems. Minimum Master Degree in Education, Disaster Management, International Relations, Social Sciences, or Development studies
• Minimum 5 years international professional experience in either education, education in emergencies, or disaster risk management - ideally a combination of education, response and disaster risk reduction experience or exposure would be preferred.
• Demonstrable experience of project management including planning, monitoring, financial and budget management, reporting etc.
• Excellent representational and advocacy skills with experience of negotiating and influencing governments, working with partners, donors and development agencies.
• High fluency in English (written and spoken)
• Excellent interpersonal, communication skills and ability to build a strong and highly functioning team
• Training/capacity building development and delivery skills and experience.
• Strong presentation and reporting skills (Save the Children, 2011)

     The third position is:

Title:  Technical Advisor, Livelihoods Specialist

Location:  Malawi-Lilongwe

..

Job Function:  Economic Development & Livelihoods

• Experience and demonstrated results in livelihoods/household economic strengthening activities that lead to improved nutrition outcomes.
• Knowledge of and experience with the design, management and implementation of nutrition, agriculture and livelihoods programs.
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and understanding of the socio-economic and political situation in Malawi and targeted communication to stimulate behavior change.
• Ability to organize systems to monitor results.
• Well-developed written and oral communication skills in English.
• Ability to work well with others and to develop and maintain compatibility among project staff, subcontractors, consultants, and recipients of assistance.
• Ability to travel as needed.
• A Master’s Degree in Agriculture, Rural Development, Community Development, International Development or related fields.
• At least 6 years of experience in projects of similar or related nature, size, and complexity, with national or local governments, NGOs, or donors; with preference given to a candidate who has actually worked in devolved health settings.
• Familiarity and understanding of USAID policies and procedures (highly preferred), or those of other donors, donor-funded projects, community-based projects, or corporate social responsibility projects.
• Proven abilities to set priorities, to multi-task, and to work collaboratively across technical disciplines.
• Possess outstanding professional reputation and have strong demonstrated interpersonal, written, and oral presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel within the country as needed.
• Oral and written English language required (Academy for Educational Development,2011)

References

Academy for Educational Development. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aed.org/en/index.htm

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

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

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

      Here are some National Organizations or communities of practice that appealed to me. I chose these jobs because they required a challenge, advocating, working with stake holders and changing and writing policies that will be beneficial for families of young children who are in head start programs or perhaps in need of early intervention services, parenting skills and quality preschool programs.

Illinois Action for Children

Family Neighborhood Partnership Head Start Coordinator http://actforchildren.hrmdirect.com/employment/view.php?req=244075&jbsrc=1014

Qualifications: Under the direction of the Chicago Ready to Learn/Head Start Supervisor, the Head Start Coordinator provides assistance and referral service to parents seeking early care and education options. Provide follow-up to parents to ensure contact has been made. Provides education and information on child development issues, quality indicators, licensing rules, Head Start Programs, Chicago Ready to Learn Programs, IDHS Child Care Assistance Program and other early learning program options. Serve as a point person for other internal programs and liaison with the Quality Assurance and Integrity Department.

Skills/Qualifications
Bachelors Degree
 Ability to travel locally
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Excellent presentation skills 

  Chicago Public School

Program Manager of Early Childhood Education https://cpsk12il.taleo.net/careersection/3/jobdetail.ftl?job=71881

The Manager of Early Childhood Education (Community Partnership Programs) will provide leadership and management to Preschool for All, Prevention Initiative-Center Based, Prevention Initiative Home Visiting programs in community based agencies funded by Chicago Public Schools

Skills/Qualifications

  Able to manage, lead and supervise staff.

· Ability to work as a team player.

·  Ability to direct, problem solve, develop and delegate as situations dictate.

·  Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing with all stakeholders.

·  Ability to travel to schools and other locations throughout the district to meet the needs of the individual schools.

 Policy Associate Illinois Action for Childrenhttp://actforchildren.hrmdirect.com/employment/view.php?req=240734&jbsrc=1014

Under the direction of the  Assistant Director of Public Policy, the Policy Associate monitors and conducts analysis of federal, state and/or local policies as they affect working families, their children and the early childhood profession. Assist in the development of IL Action for Children’s (IAFC) policy and legislative proposals. Support legislative advocacy campaigns by: tracking policy proposals/bills that impact early care and education, serve as key contact for legislative staff in Springfield and state agencies, and provide written materials and analysis for IAFC’s membership as well as elected officials on key policy priorities. All work to be completed with minimum supervision and in accordance with organizational standard.
Skills/Qualifications: Master’s degree in Public Policy and three to five years related training and/or experience strongly preferred.
Bachelor's degree and two years related experience and/or training required; Understanding of policy process.
Excel, PowerPoint, analytical/persuasive writing a must.
Public presentation experience and/or skills required.
Research skills –online and otherwise- required.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

     The following three jobs interest me, because they involve Traveling which is something that I enjoy doing. Also they are very involved positions within the early childhood field, training others, providing assistance, monitoring programs for quality; and trainings for families as well. I really like the last position, which involves preventive healthcare and exercise programs for our youth. This assignment was very interesting, because it has given me some ideas of where I can take my career and the many facets that my Degree can be used in the early childhood field.

Early Childhood Specialist

Description

Support Head Start and Early Head Start Programs and provide technical assistance related to the selection and implementation of ongoing child assessment processes that are age, developmentally, linguistically, and culturally appropriate to the populations served and inclusive of the domains of the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework. Provide training and technical assistance to improve teacher and child interactions, as described by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) for center-based preschool programs and other measures available that are suitable for programs serving children from birth to three or children in home-based and family child care settings. Assist grantees with developing procedures and expertise necessary to aggregate, analyze, and use data obtained through multiple sources, including ongoing child assessment, CLASS, child health, PIR, and family engagement. Assist grantees with developing and implementing mentoring and coaching strategies designed to improve the quality of teacher and home visitor or family child care provider performance, classroom quality, and outcomes for children, including children with disabilities and children who are dual language learners. Assist grantees with implementing family engagement that is systemic, integrated, and comprehensive across program systems and is data driven and supports family progress. Assist local grantees with improving their collaborations in the community to support the delivery of high quality services to children and families. This position is home-based in one of the region 3 states and will involve extensive travel to programs within the federal region 3, including Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Some qualifications

-5+ years of experience with programs for young children, including the provision of training and technical assistance to teachers and home visitors or education managers in early childhood programs
-Experience with the implementation of effective strategies for working with unique special populations of children, including children with disabilities, children who are dual language learners or children who are homeless
-Experience with the implementation of effective strategies for working with children in different learning environments, including center-based, home-based, and family child care options
Travel is required 50% of the time
Program Monitor
Erikson Institute, in collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), is seeking to hire program monitors to conduct site visits and evaluate the performance of home visiting programs for the Illinois Prevention Initiative Birth to Three Program Evaluation. Site visits involve reviewing data, observing services, interviewing staff, reviewing files, and administering evaluation instruments. Monitors will use that information to produce a report to ISBE that will provide a comprehensive window into program performance and compliance with model and funder requirements. Program Monitors will participate in training on the home visiting evaluation tools and be reliable data collectors for the tools.
This is a full time position. Program Monitors will be required to travel to sites throughout Illinois and will be reimbursed for travel expenses including mileage, train fare, and/or overnight hotel stays.
 Some Qualifications

  Masters or Bachelor degree in early childhood, family studies, social work, human services, or related field

 

Experience collecting data through interviews and observations required; knowledge of research is a plus

 2 years minimum work experience in early childhood/family support programming or evaluation

  Knowledge of current trends and issues in services to teen and adult parents, perinatal care, children (0-3), including doula, parent group services, home visiting, maternal & child health, adult learning styles, and staff development strategies

  Experience working with culturally diverse staff and populations

Kids Activities Department Head

As the Kids Activities Department Head, you will be responsible for managing the day to day organization, operation, promotion, administration and supervision of the Kids Activities Department.  The two major components of this department are Kids Activities programming and Child Center operations. 

Ensure performance by exceeding revenue goals, operational excellence and high quality service. 

Responsibilities

• Manage operational, financial, and budgetary responsibility for the Kids Activity programming and Child Center area.
• Market, promote, and sell Kids Activities programs throughout the club and in the community to increase participation
• Plan program curriculum, prepares program schedules, and registers participants
• Articulate extensive knowledge of Life Time Fitness programs, products, services, policies, and procedures
• Exhibit outstanding customer service by developing positive relationships with members

Some qualifications

 College degree or Early Childhood Education Certificate preferred

 

Minimum of one year experience managing in a related field

 Minimum of one year experience working in a children's program, day care or camp experience

  Experience with event planning and coordination is preferred
References

http://job-openings.monster.com/monster/0658a5de-5679-49a5-a079-a10911eb980b?mescoid=&jobPosition=12

http://careers.npo.net/jobs/6951706/program-monitor?utm_source=Indeed&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Indeed

https://apply.lifetimefitness.com/jobs/CHI00034?src=JB-10240

FAREWELL AND WELL WISHES!

     This past year at Walden University has been very challenging as well as rewarding! I have learned so much from the foundations of early childhood up until now, learning about communication and collaboration. This is what we will be doing throughout our professional and personal lives. I will begin my second phase of the program as I move to my specialty, which is teaching adults. I am so eager to start, because that is my ultimate goal, to teach early childhood education to a new generation of learners and teachers. I would like to thank all of my colleagues/classmates as well as my instructors who have supported me along the way. I wish everyone success, peace, love and happiness.

     I would like to share a quote from someone who I totally admire and love, “Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen” Bob Marley

My husband and I will be in Jamaica in February to celebrate Bob Marley’s birthday! He would have been 71 years old!

If anyone would like to stay in touch with me, you can leave me a message on this blog and we can exchange information! One Love!