Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National / Federal

Parents As Teachers (PAT) is an international organization that I would be interested in working for in the future.  They are dedicated to the development, facilitation, and evaluation of programs and public policies that provide family support and education through the earliest years of life (www.parentsasteachers.org).  One position I would like would be a Parent Educator Trainer.  In this position I would assist in training others around the country in the Parents As Teachers curriculum and program.  The skills I would need to hone would be public speaking (I'm a little nervous about that) and continued experience utilizing the Parents As Teachers curriculum.  This position would also require me to travel, which is something I enjoy doing as well.  I chose this organization because we use PAT as a resource and I find it to be very valuable to our program and believe in its mission to educate and empower families.

The National Education Association (NEA) is another national organization that I would like to work for in the future.  The NEA is not only passionate about working to improve family-school-community partnerships and involvement but they are also one of the top 100 companies nominated by Women's Magazine for having the most family-friendly benefits (www.nea.org).  This demonstrates their commitment to families.  It is their dedication and commitment to families that peeked my interest in this organization. The skills I would need to develop would be to continue my education and research into the issue of Family Engagement and building partnerships.  There were no specific jobs listed so I am not sure of the exact title of a position but would love to work for them in the capacity of working on family engagement.

The last national organization I would like to work for in the future is the National Head Start Association (NHSA).  The position I would be interested in is an opening for Public Policy and Research Director.  For this position they do prefer a PhD. so continued education in the field of early childhood would be something I would have to pursue.  As a prior Head Start parent I am always passionate about Head Start / Early Head Start and their mission to support and facilitate healthy growth and development for our nation's infants / toddlers, and preschoolers as well as their families.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Three local and state communities of practice that appeal to me are:

1.) Professional Child Care Association of Southwestern Indiana (PCCASI), (Email: dskomppccasi@yahoo.com).  This organization was started by a local family care provider, Diana Skomp, in order to bring other licensed family care providers within the area together to share ideas, work together on professional development, and to improve the quality of licensed programs.  They often partner with other licensed centers for professional development and meet once a month for professional development.  While they do not have a website the founder regularly emails and sends newsletters out to members. 

2.) Children's Coalition of Indiana, www.childrenscoalition.org.  This organization is "a united and informed voice for Indiana's children, youth, and families".   Members and organizations unite through this coalition to ensure that policy makers at the state, local, and national levels hear year-round about issues and concerns that affect families and children in Indiana.  Members contribute their time, expertise, knowledge, and resources so that important issues and trends in the early childhood care and education field will be heard. 

3.) Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC), www.iaeyc.org.  This state organization promotes and supports quality care and education for all young children, birth though age eight.  The IAEYC has 16 chapters and approximately 2,000 members.  They focus on offering professional development for early childhood professionals and assist in improving quality within programs.

These communities of practice interest me because they focus on sharing information with other early childhood professionals, keep me informed on current issues and trends, and promote and advocate for families and young children.

Job opportunities that interest me are:

An educator for adults in the early childhood field.  I believe I would prefer to be a virtual instructor but would be interested in learning more about teaching in a classroom environment.

Parent Involvement Coordinator.  This is a position that we have within my own organization that I find very interesting.  The coordinator encourages and facilitates family engagement within our program and partners with local businesses and organizations. 

Skills and experiences I would need to completely fulfill these roles would be continued experience within the early childhood field as well as continuing my education.  As an educator we are lifelong learners.

Profile of a Volunteer

When I think of the word "volunteer" I think of someone who gives selflessly to others, to their community, and to the well-being of others.  Someone who wants to give-back to others and cares about others.  I also think of my fiance, Troy.  Troy is the Volunteer Fire Chief of our local fire department (for the last 10 years), is a reserve Police Officer, and the Boy Scout Cub Master.  Troy gives his time freely to these organizations to ensure that our community is safe and that the children in our town have organizations like the Boy Scouts.  In the past he has also volunteered (with me) on our local pool board to ensure that the local pool would remain open for the kids, assisted me when I was a Girl Scout Leader, and volunteered his time as an EMT. 

I know that Troy has had an enormous impact on the lives of others within our community.  We have seen the teens that he has pulled out of car wrecks graduate; he has kept others safe during Police and Fire incidences; and created a safe learning environment for young boys.  He has also sponsored several boys who were unable to pay the registration of Boy Scouts so that they could have the same experiences he was fortunate enough to have as a child.  When our children were in Head Start he was always volunteering in some capacity.  When our bus needed seat belts he arranged for the Fire Department to install them. 

  (Troy giving our son his Derby award!)

I believe the "take-a-way" message is that we must be willing to give of ourselves to help others.  When we help others we are helping ourselves and providing something greater with our time and efforts.  It was Troy's volunteer efforts actually that inspired me to start giving back by volunteering on the Pool Board, Girl Scout Leader, and Middle School Cheerleading Coach. 

One of my favorite quotes is: "No one cares what you know, unless they know that you care." 

Using Social Media to Get Connected

My experiences with social media mainly consists of Facebook and LinkedIn.  I have utilized LinkedIn to stay connected to contacts that I have made through my work as well as conferences and trainings. In the beginning I primarily utilized Facebook as a way to stay connected to old friends and family.  After I began my journey into Advocacy I realized I could also use Facebook to link to other advocacy groups.  Occasionally I will use my status updates to share news on funding issues for Head Start and Early Head Start or on other educational issues.  I also share links to organizations such as the Association for Childhood Education International, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and Child Advocacy. 

I believe social media sites like Facebook, Blogs, and LinkedIn are beneficial for effective advocacy.  These sites allow advocates to share their message as well as stay connected with other advocates.

I am interested in hearing how my colleagues utilize social media and if there are sites I have not heard of that I could also utilize.

Advocacy Messages

Fatherhood Initiative Public Service Announcement

This public service announcement was inspiring to me because it demonstrates that the "smallest moments make the biggest impact" and that it "takes a man to be a dad".  So often society forgets what an enormous impact fathers have on our children and their growth and development.

 

Autism Awareness Public Service Announcement

This public service announcement on Autism drives home the fact that Autism affects 1 in 110 children and puts it in perspective.  It also shows that Autism affects anyone, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, religion, and is a global issue that affects all of us.

Literacy Awareness Public Service Announcement

This is a public service announcement from the Library of Congress and I find it inspiring because it shows how literacy can open our minds and hearts.  Books open the door to imagination, new worlds, and endless possibilities.

Considering Your Capacity

The issues that affect young children and their families as well as the early childhood care and education field that fuel my passion include homelessness, early childhood quality care and education awareness, funding cuts, child poverty, and access to quality care and education for all children.  All of these issues touch my heart deeply and have impacted me in some way so that I am passionate about advocating for solutions.

The knowledge, skills, dispositions, and / or talents that I feel I possess that will contribute to my advocacy work are: being knowledgeable about child development and quality programs, being organized, being knowledgeable about my local community resources, passionate, and persistent.  It has been said that I can be like a dog with a bone....this may not be a bad quality for an advocate. : )  




The ways that I hope to grow in order to be a more effective advocate is to learn more about how to network and make better connections to achieve the goals within the field and for children and families that I am striving to achieve.  I feel this is the one area in which I am lacking and that I must learn how to network in order to be a better advocate.

My Role As An Advocate

What motivated you to start advocating for very young children?

When I began my journey into the early childhood field my three young children were my biggest motivation.  When my children were very young I was a single mother who was struggling to go back to school and obtain early child care and education for my girls.  After I entered into the early childhood field my motivation remained my children but began to include the families high-quality early childhood care and education programs serve.  I have seen as well as experienced the impact that the early childhood field has on families. 

Why is it essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro level as well as the macro level?

I believe it is essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro and macro levels so that both levels can partner and collaborate together to create high-quality programs and services for young children and their families.  The micro level must feel acknowledged and know that they are being heard and appreciated while the macro level must have a clear understanding of the needs of young children and their families.

What does it take to be a community leader on early childhood issues?

To be a community leader on early childhood issues it takes passion, persistence, commitment, and openness to work with a diverse group of individuals and organizations.  Community leaders must be able to communicate well with diverse groups and individuals, build relationships, and be persistent in their efforts to educate their community on the importance of early childhood issues.  They must also be passionate about the issues that affect young children and their families. 

What resources does it take to be a State leader on early childhood issues?

The resources that a State leader on early childhood issues need include funding, advocacy networks, professional organizations, and communication skills.  State leaders on early childhood issues must partner with preschools, teachers, professional organization, early childhood programs, and parents to ensure that they have a full understanding of the needs at the local levels.

What tactics or strategies do you use to mobilize others?

Tactics or strategies that I utilize to mobilize others include sharing email alerts from professional organizations, sharing information on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and meeting with other professionals to share ideas for advocating. 

What advice would you give to someone who was interested in taking a leadership role in advocacy for young children and their families?

Advice that I would give to someone who was interested in taking a leadership role in advocacy for young children and their families is to remember that their will be challenges, that sometimes your views may not be popular, and that you must maintain site of your long term goal: providing quality programs and services for all young children and their families.  I would also advice them to stay current on legislative policies and legislation that affect young children and their families, and to build relationships with community leaders.  It is important to remember that change does not come easily but in the end it is well worth the work.  In the words of Herbert Hoover: "Children are our most valuable resource."