When
researching in the early childhood field, it is important to know the resources
that are available locally, throughout your state, and nationally. I believe that it’s important to stay
connected to other early childhood professionals in order to seek opportunity
that may assist me in furthering my career in the direction that I wish to
go. While researching national
organizations, agencies, and communities of practice, I was able to find three
with positions available that I would potentially be interested in
pursuing.
The first organization that appealed
to me was the National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families; Zero to
Three. I have utilized this organization
for previous research assignments in various courses and have found it to be
invaluable for the type of work that I would like to pursue. In addition, I feel that it’s resources would
be able to contribute greatly to the current challenge I am addressing of
educating families of young children from ethnically diverse, low income, urban
areas in our country. The Zero to Three
website states that it is their mission to “promote the health and development
of infants and toddlers” (Zero To Three, 2012) This organization provides resources for
teachers and families; including extended families and how to have positive,
lasting, beneficial relationships with their infants and toddlers. It focuses on their growth and development,
and keeping our children healthy and thriving.
I feel that this information is essential to developing a plan for
furthering family education and helping families understanding the resources
that are available to them; and how to access the knowledge that they need to
raise healthy, happy children.
One position that I found within the
Zero to Three organization was that of Senior Director of Programs. I do not believe that I am currently
qualified to hold such a position, but I do believe that it is one that I would
love to work toward attaining. This job
would allow me to develop curriculum and effectively train other early
childhood professionals. I feel that I
would need to gain a great deal of experience and wisdom prior to applying to
such a demanding job, but that with a lot of hard work and dedication, I would
eventually hold such a position; although, according to the job posting, I
would qualify with my Master’s degree in Early Childhood Studies. This position would also require me to have
wonderful people skills and communication skills. I would need to be able to communicate with
individuals from all over the country and train people who are directors of
other programs. I think it would be
wonderful to pass along my passions for anti-bias education through such a wide
array of individuals and programs throughout the country. This would be a position that I would like to
attain in the later years of my career; when I feel confident in the knowledge I
have acquired over the years and capable of articulating such passions to other
educators and professionals.
Another organization that I found
intriguing would be Voices for America’s
Children. I feel that often, in this
country, children are regarded as a profit, or as a population that needs
fixing and direction. It is frequently
forgotten that young children are a population that is comprised of small
individuals. This organization’s name is
what drew me into further exploring its mission and the career opportunities
that may be available. “We lead advocacy
efforts at the community, state and federal levels to improve the lives of all
children, especially those most vulnerable, and their families” (Voices for America's Children, 2012). Being a quality advocate for children in
various educational and living situations is a wonderful role to play in the
early childhood field. Regardless of
whether it is on a local, state, national, or international level; it is
essential that we are able to advocate for children that are unable to speak
for themselves. This organization spoke
to me because I feel that the information I could gather here would greatly
benefit my community of practice in reaching my goals of educating families who
may be less fortunate as far as money and opportunity may be concerned. The organization addresses many issues within
the field that are near and dear to my heart; including equity, diversity, and
poverty.
One possible job opportunity that
sounded appealing to me would be that of a an intern in the executive
department at Voices. I feel that this
position would help me to gain necessary experience in running a nonprofit and
managing a team of individuals who are working toward the common good; a
community of practice I would be proud to be a part of. In addition, I believe that being in an entry
level position is a humbling experience, and allows us to learn to work with
others and glean information from those who have more experience. These internships are typically granted to
students and those who are training to be a part of nonprofit work. I have worked for several nonprofit
organizations and would love to learn the behind the scenes aspects of such
wonderful organizations. In addition,
such an internship could potentially lead to a more permanent leadership
position in this community of practice.
Lastly, I have chosen the National
Head Start Association. This is another
organization that would help me in my research and pursual of the education of
parents and families in how to help their children become successful,
contributing members of society by providing them with quality early childhood
experiences; both in education and within their home. Head Start is a program that holds a great
deal of potential in serving our underprivileged youth in this country. However, there is a lot of work that needs to
be done to ensure the quality of the care that is being given to said children. Being involved in a community of practice
that focuses their mission on helping children al receive equal opportunities
would be an ideal fit for me within the early childhood field. I have applied to become a member of this
community after reading several testimonials of current members. One member stated that “NHSA membership
provides a unique opportunity to participate in making public policy that will
affect a generation of Americans” (National Head Start Association, 2012). The materials and opportunities provided to
the members in this organization will assist me in my own research, as well as
help to link me to other early childhood professionals that share in my
passions.
One position that stood out to me
that is available through NHSA would be that of a Head Start Director. It is my dream to run my own preschool in the
future and I believe that working with the Head Start organization would be a
wonderful opportunity. I like the idea
of having a link to the federal government and how they choose to run their
early childhood programs. I also would
like to have a lasting impact on government policies that would benefit our
future. In order to obtain this
position, I would need to acquire more experience and continue to pursue my
Master’s degree. In addition, I feel
that it would be essential to be able to communicate professionally and
articulately within my field. I would
need to be a positive leader and role model for my students, families, and
employees.
Each of these organizations have
appealed to me, as well as several others.
I look forward to reading about what all of you have researched and
learning what other national opportunities are available to me within the early
childhood field.
References
National Head Start Association. (2012). NHSA.
Retrieved from National Head Start Association: www.nhsa.org
Voices for America's Children. (2012). Voices.
Retrieved from Voices for America's Children: www.voices.org
Zero To Three. (2012). Zero To Three; National Center for
Infants, Toddlers, and Families. Retrieved from Zero To Three:
www.zerotothree.org
