Time Well Spent

I have attained so much knowledge, perspective, and wisdom from this program. I suppose if I were to highlight three distinct and deeply felt learnings they would be:

• What it means and what it takes to be a true Advocate for children and families.
• The power of perspective, and understanding bias, identity, inclusion, and cultural sensitivity in our society and within ourselves.
• Communication. As an advocate for this field, having great communication skills and perception is the difference between building walls or building bridges.

and one more for good luck:

• Community of Practice. Connections are essential. We must make and maintain strong connections locally and internationally. We are all in this together. We all have distinct experiences and perspectives to share. We will never properly serve all families and children if we operate as an island. Learning and curiosity are essential, and that includes reaching out to others as well as sharing ourselves.

One long-term goal I can declare with certainty is that I will never stop learning. Learning is life. It is living and breathing every day. It happens fully through careful reflection, intention, and curiosity. Staying open, having an open heart, is my life-time goal and journey.

Farewell to you all. You have each enriched me on a very deep level. This program wouldn't be the same without the discussion elements. I wasn't a fan of all those posts at the beginning of this journey, but I have learned that the majority of my learning happened through simply reading everyone else's perspectives, struggles, and insights. So for that I say a heartfelt thank you. And thank you to Dr. Ernst and all the instructors who chose to guide these classes through kindness and generosity. Your wisdom and direction made this journey what it was. I wish everyone the best.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Children International

They are an amazing charity organization that fights global poverty. When reading about their career opportunities, it strikes me that they are not only looking for people with a particular skill set, but with a particular character and drive. They want people with passion, compassion, drive, and talent. 

In brief, they say they want "World Changers".

Interestingly, I was drawn to the position of Director of Global Programs. I feel very intimidated by this job title, and I am not sure I qualify, but I believe in aiming for the stars. The Director of Global Programs is responsible for ensuring the global library of program content meets the needs of children and youth in all stages of their development and for coaching program leaders around the world on program design and effectiveness.

The qualifications are lengthy:

• Requires a Bachelor’s degree; advanced degree preferred.
• Eight to Ten (8-10) years of related work experience.
• Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Fluency in English and Spanish.
• Management experience with a diverse global team.
• Developing country, field-based work experience to ensure an understanding of the cultural diversity we work with.
• Child development social work and program or education curriculum experience within the international development space.
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) design experience.
• A great listener with strong influence, coaching and partnering skills across global cultures. A continuous learner and an advocate for change.

UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. I believe the integrity of this organization speaks for itself. I would be honored to work for such a champion of children and life. I love their constitution:

Since wars begin in the minds of men ad women, it is in the minds of men and women that the defenses of peace must be constructed.

As for job opportunities, they need people who are titled to work in France. So I looked at short term opportunities, and there were a ton of options in the educational sector:

"We are looking for competent, dynamic and flexible professionals with strong personal integrity, who are fair, impartial and respectful of cultural diversity. In addition, they must be able to think creatively, be proactive and responsive."

International Step by Step Association

I actually learned about this organization through a classmates blog. I was so touched by its mission that I wanted to include it on mine. They are a convener of Early Childhood professionals, recognized mainly by Europe and Asia. I especially appreciate their long list of initiatives:

Quality services 3-10

Quality services 0-3

Training for home visitors

Inclusive Education and Social Support to Tackle Inequalities in Societies (ISOTIS)

TOY for Inclusion

Refugee and Immigrant Children

They actually don't have any job openings, but they are an active member-based organization.

"What unifies all our members is their utmost commitment to improve access to quality education and care for all childrenfrom birth to 10, and to support families and their communities. As we know, it really does take a village to raise a child!" I would qualify for membership and be privy to a host of trainings and materials. This would be a great addition and resource for my Community of Practice!