Time well spent…

This has been the most exciting and long desired course I have taken throughout my degree program. Mainly because it is the LAST one. YAYYY…I have truly learned a lot, lost a few hairs, and also enjoyed the classmates and professor I was lucky to have for this final course here at Walden University. One thing I gained from this class was what my true passion is in the Early Childhood Field and that is Early Intervention. It never dawned on my why I do everything I do in this field both personally and professionally, but now I do. Another thing I learned from this course is how important a community of practice is when it comes to developing a plan and following through with the plan. I literally had to think outside the box on this one and choose people that would add value to what I was trying to accomplish. My third and final thing I learned during this course is how exceptional each of my classmates are and how passionate each person is in very similar paths of the Early Childhood Field. I am so excited to see everyone be so successful and make their dreams become reality. I can see the passion through the discussion boards and especially through the speeches we all uploaded. It has been an honor to work with colleagues like this and I would do it all over again if given the chance.

One long term goal I have is to find a career working closely with Early Intervention and making my dream become a reality. I know that this will require hard work and I am ready and willing to do whatever it takes. So this is the part where I say farewell to you all. I honestly can say this course flew by. I have learned new things from my classmates as well as my professor and I wish everyone the best of luck in all they do. If anyone is ever in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and would love to discuss their accomplishments, new findings, career, whatever, etc., shoot me an email that comes directly to my phone. It is smwillyumz@gmail.com I go on maternity leave in January to have my 2nd princess, so I continue my journey through my little ones. Good luck everybody! See you around 🙂

Shayla

“You will face many defeats in your life, but never let yourself be defeated.”
-Maya Angelou

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

After reviewing the list of international organizations that work toward positive social change for both children and families, three truly stood out to me the most. The first organization is UNICEF. I love everything that this organization stands for that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. UNICEF was created with this purpose in mind, to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. They advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future. A job opportunity that I would enjoy doing for this particular organization would be the Director, Office of Research. The skills and experience I would need to fulfill this role would be; PhD or equivalent level in social sciences, public policy, international relations, public health, education, law or other fields related to the work of UNICEF, 15 years of progressively responsible professional and managerial work experience at the national or international level in development policy analysis and/or research and research management, Fluency in English and command of at least one other UN working language, Leadership experience that includes advancing an organizational agenda in a national or international organization, and Proven experience in mobilizing resources.

A second international organization that was intriguing to me was the Save the Children organization. I never heard anything about this organization, but the name was enough to spark my interest in researching more about the organization. This organization invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, they give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. An employment opportunity that would be wonderful to work in at this organization would be a Child Protection Advisor. The skills and experience I would need to fulfill this position would be 7 – 9 years field-based technical experience in working on child protection programs in development settings, including orphans and vulnerable children programming, quality improvement, social welfare and child protection systems strengthening, early childhood development and other related fields, Experience designing, implementing and evaluating child protection/OVC programs with children, youth, and families in difficult circumstances or who are without appropriate care, Experience in program design, proposal development, and reporting for bilateral donors and private foundations, and Experience in multi-cultural training using basic principles of adult learning and developing programming guidelines.

A third organization that was interesting to me and one I wanted to know more about was the International Step by Step Association. This organization is a vibrant network that connects professionals and non-profit organizations working in the field of early childhood development. ISSA aims to ensure equal access to quality care and education for all young children from birth to 10 years old. This mission is implemented through three main pillars of action: equal access for all children; promoting high-quality and professionalism in early years services and empowering parents and communities to be part of the children’s development and learning. There were no current or listed career opportunities listed on their website.

References:
International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from
http://www.issa.nl/index.html

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/